Little bit of R&R

Whew!  Praise God for rest and rejuvenation.  I must say it has been a much more restful week for our entire family (and I think we all look a little less haggard after some much needed sleep)!  :)  We have basically settled back into our routine pre-Nagua planning and pre-Nagua trip.  ESL is still going strong.  The classes are smaller than the Fall, but there is definitely a plus side to this as J. can act more like a tutor and help individuals with specific questions and take more time on things they don't understand.  We had 2 new people join us this past week, and I must say they brought a lot to the table. 
We still meet every Monday night with our AIM staff which has been truly amazing to witness their transformations throughout these months.  Although we still have some trouble with Dominican versus American time (but welcome to another culture), they come prepared, with questions, with ideas...  It is so exciting for us to witness this growth in these men as they are leaders of their communities.  We pray for God's hand to continue raising them up as leaders of leaders (something we are really working on instilling in them). 
We have gotten the chance to play with the neighborhood kids more often lately which has become more and more fun (and less stressful for me).  Not only have I learned more Spanish (I know certain phrases such as leave her alone-regarding Aubrey, share with each other, no arguing, get down...), but I am just more comfortable in exhorting my "mom-ness" as needed and hanging out.  I know I don't have to entertain them anymore.  We actually had 11 over here the other day.  And I never thought I would be the "neighborhood mom", but once again look what God can do in your life to change your character and priorities. 
We will be visiting Las Terranas this week (a new location for camp this Summer) to nail down all the hotel, food, site details, etc. so please be praying for God's guidance and direction during this time.  We are planning on driving down Thursday (about a 3 hour drive) and returning Friday, so please also pray for travel mercies and safe roads. 
It's hard to believe the end of March is coming up on us!  We return home April 14 for a few weeks which we are excited about.  Again, it is so comforting to constantly see God taking care of the little things in our life.  For example, our goals set for this quarter are winding down which is such a blessing because I would be a crazy ball of stress (and not very happy about it) to have to leave a big project right in the middle and leave the country!  But as always, our God knows what I need and He has planned our timing and the "big picture" out so perfectly that one of our next major projects will start when we return....FINAL PLANNING FOR SUMMER CAMPS!!! :)  I am beyond pumped to dive into this process, but am truly grateful for some time in between for a little bit of rest. 

And for your viewing pleasure, a few pictures! :)

A family selfie.  Aubrey has learned to say "cheese", but it's all about the timing.

2 weeks ago, we were asked to come back to Nagua for the First Annual Infantile Baseball Tournament.  Checo, J, Aubrey and I drove down to accept an award for the work completed in Nagua during the previous week.  It was such an honor and very kind of them for the recognition.  They gave several plaques out that day to people and groups in the community they wanted to recognize for their work in Nagua.  We actually met a few Canadian missionaries who have lived in Nagua for 11 years and who host a small sports camp in Nagua in the Summer.  As always, God paves the way and places people in your life for a reason!

 

They even brought in a team of baton ballet (the words the Dominicans used) to perform before giving out the awards.  The Dominicans are always very professional and thorough when it comes to their tournaments.  They sing the national anthem, have someone throw the ceremonial first pitch (which actually was J in this case- sorry I was unable to get pictures), prayed, and Checo had an opportunity to preach.

Checo and J with the plaque.

 

A group shot of all the players at this tournament.  Several of them had banners displaying what leagues (teams) they are part of.

Aubrey and mommy selfie while we were waiting in Nagua for the awards presentation to start.

 

 

 

God is most glorified when you are most happy in Him.

-John Piper

Parfait

I know we have done quite a few posts about Nagua and the camp there.  But, J and I were/are so excited about what it means for AIM to have completed their first entirely Dominican led and Dominican run camp.  How many missionaries are given the opportunity to take the people they have been ministering to and lead them on a mission trip?  I must be honest, I don't think many receive this opportunity.  It has been so important to us to tell the stories and show the pictures of this amazing, God-filled trip.  For one last post, I wanted to share with you just a little about our team and God's movement in them since the trip. 

As amazing as it was to witness 222 youth pray to receive Christ, it has been equally amazing to witness the transformations among our Dominican brothers and sister on the team.  J attended a Christian Sport's Association meeting this past Friday night where time was set aside to talk about the Nagua trip.  Some of this time was to inform the other coaches/leaders about the camp, the work completed and overall how it went, but another time was spent with an "open floor" for whoever to speak about their experiences personally and how it has impacted them.  Keka stood up first to talk about the opportunity she was granted to preach and I must say she was utterly thrilled (as J says, she was controlled but she looked like she was going to bust out of her skin).  She was not only grateful for the opportunity granted to her to preach, but even more emotional about the fact that although she had prepared something specific for the day (and spent time prepping with Rafael), the Holy Spirit intervened and something completely different came out of her mouth!  As she has said over and over, she cannot wait to have more opportunities here in Sosua and elsewhere to preach the Word of God!! 

Gary also took the floor and told his story about being asked to give the devotional one morning.  As he has stated several times, he was shocked to be asked by J as he had never done anything like this and did not feel he was "mature" enough as a Christian to lead one.  However, J reminded him of the friend he had next to him (Luis Santos) who could help.  Although Gary has only been a Christian for a short time, he has been working with AIM for many years and is one of our leaders amongst the coaches.  It has been amazing to see the transformation in him just over a few weeks.  He pointed out that before camp he would read his Bible occasionally, but since camp he has been reading everyday!  Praise God! 

Jhose also spoke about the impact the trip has had on him personally.  Although he works for AIM part time, he also teaches/coaches in a school.  He told us that he was sharing his experience with the kids in his classroom when after listening, they decided (on their own) they want to gather old clothing, shoes, sports equipment, basically anything they have and personally deliver it to some of the areas in Nagua.  Although this is exciting in itself (and great to hear kids wanting to do something), it was even more exciting for Jhose and us to hear as these kids tend to be "poor me", "I don't have anything"...  So to see and hear a change immediately in these children as they realize that although they may not have everything their heart desires, there are others out there who have less. 

There are always so many stories to tell of how God is paving the path before the trip and how He works during the trip.  But there are also so many important stories of what God is doing and how He is moving after a trip.  His work didn't finish in Nagua on the last day of camp, but rather He was just getting started.  The camp and 222 kids were the icing on the cake, and now we are cutting deep into the layers to see what happens when people simply share their story and experience.  Just like the story I posted a week ago, tell your story (bear witness), tell of God's power and love, let others know what God has done for you because you never know who is listening and how it will impact them.

 

"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." Acts 1:8

Nagua 3

And a few more...

Aubrey with some friends... and I must say she was flirting with them.  :)

A group of boys resting for a time.

Salomon preaching the Gospel and hands showing who wants to accept Christ!  Praise God!

Alfre writing names of children who prayed to receive Christ.

A group shot of the kids and coaches in Nagua.

J praying with a group of kids who prayed to receive Christ.

Pitching drills.

Volleyball drills.

Aubrey and me in Nagua.

As I have said countless times, the camp was absolutely amazing!  We are truly blessed to be a part of this ministry and these kids' lives.  We pray God would continue to use us in whatever way He sees fit!

 

 

Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name;
    make known among the nations what he has done.
Sing to him, sing praise to him;
    tell of all his wonderful acts.
Glory in his holy name;
    let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.
Look to the Lord and his strength;
    seek his face always.

Psalm 105:1-4



Nagua pictures 2

And a few more pictures...

Some soccer (or futbol) fun.

More soccer practice.

Volleyball drills.

A few kids praying to receive Christ on the safari in Pallita.  Salomon is praying with them in this picture and Pastor Rosario is in the background.

Keka doing another small devotional with her volleyball girls in Jaguita.

A shot of our team at dinner one night.  Story telling turned into joke telling.  And although I didn't understand a single joke, it was so funny to see them all crack up and laugh.  It was a great night of rejuvenation after all 4 days of camp.

 

A picture of the entire team (minus J who is taking the picture) and the staff at Hotel Sinai.  The owner is in the middle with one of her dogs, Beauty.  The staff and hotel were simply amazing throughout our time.  It was a blessing to have such a nice place to come back to for rejuvenation and rest.  Thanks again for all of their hard work and dedication!!

Nagua photos

As promised, here are some pictures from Nagua:

In La Entrada, the school allowed us to use their facility for the second day of camp where we had the opportunity to preach the Gospel to the school kids.

La Entrada, 9 boys accepted Christ this day.  Checo is praying with them and Gary is on the left.

Aubrey, Salomon and J walking into the school.

Some basketball drills.

One of my favorite pictures as you can see the laughter and fun that was happening here. :)

Some volleyball drills.

Checo doing soft toss with the girls.

 

Some baseball drills.

A group of kids in Jaguita having fun.  (I'm not sure what they are laughing at.)

Some more baseball drills.

A few of the ladies from the community helping us fill the cups with ice and soda and hand out the snacks. (hot dogs in the morning and crackers in the afternoon)

222

Hey prayer warriors!  Well, I failed on the daily updates, but I am going to fill you in on all the good stuff and as many pictures as I can to let you know about the week. 

For starters, 222 kids and youth gave their life to Christ this week!!!  Praise God!!!  It was a miraculous week, and I know God was preparing and moving in these kids lives well before the camp to prepare them spiritually, mentally, and emotionally to accept this free gift of salvation.  As we continued to pray for "just one more" to come to know God's love and freedom, God answered bountifully!  Throughout the four days of camp, we had about 800-900 kids in 4 different communities join us for devotions, sport, fun and love.  (oh and the hotdogs and soda as well, I cannot forget that part!)  :) 

We met about 12 different pastors and were able to speak with them about what this camp is, who AIM is, and what our goal is.  This is such a big step because here in the Dominican, sport (baseball) is often looked at as sinful.  If you are a Christian, you don't participate in it.  This thought process comes from the Dominican baseball league which is surrounded by alcohol, drugs and women.  Although there is truth to the "big leagues", one of our goals in AIM has been to break down these barriers and show the pastors how useful the coaches and sport can be to reach kids with the Gospel.  Many of the pastors were very interested in the camp and asked when we would come back.  Again, God had laid the foundation and prepared these men's hearts for this. 

J was also asked to preach last night at a culto.  (A culto is a church service.)  We started by arriving at about 6:50 to hand out tracts and invite the local community to the culto (and the culto started at "7:00 pm"- Dominican time!) :).  Basically the opposite of trick-or-treating... you go to their doors, invite them to the culto, we gave them candy, and handed them a tract.  Following this, Raphael started the culto with prayer and talking and simply inviting them out of their homes (also remember, there is no "disturbing the peace" charge here, so it can be outside as loud as you want).  Then Checo was the emcee who directed the culto with prayer, singing, more devotions, singing, J preaching, and Pastor Rosario finishing in prayer.  Although many people did not come out of their houses for the culto, you never know who you reach behind the walls of their houses.  In fact, Raphael shared a story with us:

There was an evangelist who was lying down in bed one night when God spoke to him and said, "Go to this bridge and say, 'Christ saves, Christ saves, Christ saves'."  So he went to the bridge in the middle of the night and nobody was there.  But the voice said to say, "Christ saves, Christ saves, Christ saves."  So he did it, shrugged and walked home.  Two years later he went to a church service in the mountain, and the preacher began by introducing a special guest, a guest who had an amazing testimony.  The guest began to speak and said, "I was living under a bridge with no hope.  When one night, I heard a voice say, 'Christ saves, Christ saves, Christ saves'." 

 

This story reminds us that you never know who is listening or watching you.  So, preach the Word and show Christ's love because God may be working in their hearts already. 

 

And just a few pictures to get started:



Raphael preaching during Day 1 of camp.

Luis Santos working with the younger baseball kids during Day 1 of camp.

Just a little cuteness to bring a smile to your face. :)

Pastor Rosario praying with 2 boys who asked Christ into their lives during Day 3 of camp.

37+1

I know...only a day in and I'm already behind.  But what a great few days it has been!  First, 37+1 kids accepted Christ today!!!  Praise the Lord!  I don't know if I can actually put enough exclamation points on that statement.  :)  And let me explain the numbers and the +1.  So, we had our second day of camp at Jaquita and La Entrada today.  The Gospel was presented and 37 kids accepted Christ as their Lord and Savior!  The +1 comes from God working in ways even beyond our set camp and planned outreach.  Some of our guys heard there was a baseball field nearby and went to visit.  Upon arriving, Alfre started preaching.  Some kids walked away, some stayed, but most excitedly 1 kid asked Christ into his life!  (Hence the +1).  Gloria a Dios!

So, one of my favorite times during camp is "story time".  Every evening as dinner is coming to an end, those from all the different sites (although only 2 right now) share some of their favorite moments, funny stories, God movements, etc. so those who are not at their site can be a part of the entire camp and get the God-size vision for the camp.  Yesterday, my favorite story (and one I was able to witness) was from Jaguita with Keka (a volleyball coach who has been part of AIM for a long time, and the only other girl on the trip besides Aubrey and me).  As she was running drills and practicing setting the volleyball with the girls, one came up and was struggling to get the positioning correct.  She tried several times and eventually said "I can't do it."  Keka stopped her immediately and said, "Don't tell me I can't.  Tell me I will learn, I will do."  Keka made the girl repeat "I will do it" (in Spanish).  And guess what happened on the next try, the girl did it perfectly!  This stuck out to me because you never know where someone comes from.  I don't know what kind of home life this girl has, I don't know if she has support, I don't know anything about her, but Keka had faith in her and made the girl believe in herself.  Sometimes sharing the love of Christ is simply believing in someone and not allowing "I can't do it" to stop you. 

It is such a blessing to be a part of the team where we can see and feel God moving constantly.  His hand is all over this team, these kids, these camps and even the communities.  Please keep praying because each one of you has a part in the story God is telling through this camp. 

(And yes, lots of pictures to come... I will get them uploaded and post them soon.) 

"...A farmer went out to sow his seed.  As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up.  Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil.  It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow.  But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root.  Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants.  Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop- a hundred, sixty, or thirty times what was sown.  He who has ears, let him hear."  Matthew 13:3-9

Team Nagua

I know, 2 posts in 1 day... astounding.  But, I wanted to let everyone know we arrived safely in Nagua with our team of 17 people (18 with Aubrey).  So far, God has laid the way and everything is going so smoothly (Gracias a Dios!!).  Tomorrow is our first day of camp in Jaguita and La Entrada (surrounding communities of Nagua) with an estimated 510 kids.  Again, please keep our team, the camp, the children, their coaches, the pastors and the communities in your prayers as we share the love of Jesus with them through sports camps.  I am including a picture of everyone on our team so you can pray for each of them:

The team gathered tonight after dinner.

Salomon

 Jorge Luis

 



 Alejandro

 

 Julio Angel

 

 Franklin

 

 Jhose

 

 Rafael

 

 Luis Santos

 

 Gary

Angenis 

Carlitos

 Alfre

 Keka

Freyson

 Checo

Pastor Rosario (our main contact in Nagua)

Aubrey (the youngest member on our team) :)

Jay

Candace

My goal is to update each day, so I am going to try my best!  Thanks for all of your prayers up to this point and in advance for all your prayers throughout this week.

With love from all of us!!
-your Dominican Nagua team