The Final Countdown (for camp)

Although I really enjoy blogging and getting to express how God is moving in our lives, it can sometimes be a daunting task (especially the longer I wait in between posts).  It's one of those things that I am always wondering what I am going to talk about or what have we been doing.  I can tell you we have been very busy lately but those day to day tasks simply add up and at the end of the day you are exhausted but not exactly sure what all was done outside of the usual meetings and organizing and discussions and emails and such.  So here is my attempt at a rundown of what has happened in the past 2 1/2 weeks...

Just as I mentioned a few posts ago, God has been moving in regards to women's ministry.  Following our march through La Cienaga, Mercedes planned a march through Cangrejo proclaiming that their women and girls were not for sale and are not to be abused nor used.  We marched throughout Cangrejo with Pastor Quirico who blared his music and preached through his van during the march.  (It is very common here to have HUGE speakers in their cars to blast music and messages, he has a microphone and everything set up for this.)  It was followed by a culto (a worship and message delivered outside of Mercedes's house).  It was a beautiful experience, and we are very excited to continue seeing God move in this way.  Please continue praying for this outreach and how we are supposed to move forward.

The van and the speakers.

I am blessed to have a man who will stand up for what he believes.

Mercedes and Aubrey during the march.

 

Through the work Rafael has been doing and the coaches he has been mentoring, we were invited to a professional basketball exhibition game in Montellano.  Puerto Plata (the big city about 15 minutes from Sosua) has a professional basketball team called the Hurricanes.  They played a group of men from Montellano benefiting a man with cancer to help cover his medical costs.  Rafael prayed before the start of the game and we got to meet several people involved in this league.  From that event, we were invited to a clinic the Hurricanes were hosting.  Every year, the Hurricanes pick 10 young kids from 5 communities in Puerto Plata for a morning of practice and skills with the team.  The kids all receive a t-shirt that allows them to enter into any Hurricanes game for free.  We spent a good deal of time talking with the manager and owner of the Hurricanes and met a few of the players.  We are praying and watching to see how God is going to use this relationship in the future. 

 

The Hurricanes and all the kids participating.

 

Thanks to God's provisions, one of our brothers, Alfre, has started construction on his house.  Ultimately they are adding dividing walls for true bedrooms and raising the roof level to help combat the heat.  (Essentially, the bigger the box, the more it takes to heat that box up.  Also, because it is a tin roof, the closer you are the hotter.  So by raising the roof- no pun intended- you increase the distance between yourself and the heat.)  Here are some pictures of this.  They started a few days ago and it will take about 2 or 3 more weeks.  We are very excited for Alfre and his family and this opportunity!!

J participated in a softball game this past Saturday with several coaches and several of our staff.  It was a great day having fun with them and simply spending time with them (mixed with the fun of softball).  They are hoping to have another game tomorrow (if the weather allows).

And we are currently T-minus 4 1/2 weeks until our first camp in the DR this summer!!  The camps in Sosua and Las Terrenas are coming so fast.  We are beyond excited but trying to organize and plan for everything.  Although we did a good majority of the planning, costs, numbers, sports, etc. in February and March, this is the time for changes and organization of translators and preachers and American missionaries and Dominican missionaries, and well you get the picture.  This week especially has been great and full of preparations.  We had a fantastic 2 hour Skype meeting with the States on Monday which helped streamline and organize camp plans.  Praise the Lord for Fred, Brittney and Tessa in the States who help us and allow our work to be done here!

At home, Aubrey and Ryann are growing like crazy.  I don't think it will be too long until Ryann is as big as Aubrey (Aubrey got J's family genes, Ryann got mine).  :)  They are really starting to play together now which is always fun (and a relief) as they can entertain themselves for a bit now.  We are working on Aubrey's letters often (I really need to pick this up to daily) but she recognizes almost all of them.  We are working on counting and singing and all the fun stuff that comes with an almost 3 year old.  Ryann is "talking" more and laughing and has 5 teeth.  I love this time when their smiles are all goofy because their teeth are spread out.  She has started blowing kisses which melts my heart and waves to everyone and everything (even our neighbor's dog- Rambo).  We still regularly play with the kids (almost every day) and Aubrey loves it.  J has taken on a role as "big brother" for the entire street so he ultimately messes with and harasses whoever is around.  Keeps me laughing though so I love it.  And J and I are good.  Enjoying life and loving where God has placed us.  We are blessed to be able to spend so much time with our girls (we eat 3 meals a day together every day and get to teach them and play with them).

Aubrey and Ryann were invited to their first birthday party in the DR last weekend.  We had a lot of fun primarily watching, but here is Ryann eating an empanada.  She loves to sit in kiddie size chairs.

 

Aubrey and J were making a train from toilet paper rolls.  She is hard at work here.

Ice cream.

Thank you for your continued support and prayers and love!
We are blessed to be surrounded by such an amazing team.

Obedience

Sometimes our work here is difficult to put into words.  We disciple.  We pour into our staff so they can outreach to other coaches and leaders.  We train and teach and raise up these men.  And more importantly, these men, women and God pour into us.  As J and I continue reflecting on our time here, we realize how much growth and change we have seen not only in our staff but ourselves.  As J says, it's like throwing a pebble into a lake... you see a few ripples but don't know what has been stirred and transformed underneath.  You don't know how the ripple affects other waves and ripples.  You don't know how far the ripple travels and changes and likely never will.  What is amazing about our work here is that we don't know exactly how God has used us.  I can tell you about our meetings and the progress we have seen.  I can tell you about budgets and projects and Financial Peace courses.  I can tell you about outreach and increased time spent with coaches.  I can tell you stories of appreciation we have heard from our staff, but ultimately I cannot tell you (nor will I ever be able to)  the total changes and impact God has used our time here for.  And this is part of what makes our journey in the Dominican so amazing!  We are not in charge of these changes- God is!  We are not in control of this ministry- God is!  We are in control of our own obedience to God's calling.  God called our family to the Dominican through AIM.  Through this time our lives, futures and paths have been forever changed.  We are not and can never be the same "J and Candace" that would have been had we never moved.  Our girls and God-willing future children will not be the same.  One of the most amazing things God granted me tonight was that although our work may not be "sexy" with huge numbers of decisions for Christ or records of those healed, our work has been good because God called us and we obeyed.  I don't mean we have always made the right choices, but rather God calls us to obedience and the rest is left up to Him.  His grace is sufficient to erase my errors and wrongdoings.  His grace is sufficient when I lose my patience.  His love covers us for our failings.  What an amazing Father! 

As we continue reflecting on our staff, Sosua, on ourselves and this journey, we can only express complete joy because God called us here.  Our prayer is that He would continue to use us as He sees fit (whether to victories or losses)!

 

 

"God has called us to live for a cause greater than ourselves- A life that is dependent on His grace and power to achieve things we never thought possible through our lives."  Os Hillman