Cornerstone C2C Update

Trip Overview Video

2011-10-30T14:37:00.000-06:00

Final Day in the community!

2011-10-07T21:40:00.001-06:00

2011 Day 6

This morning we had some really great opportunities with the people of the community.

But, the day started at midnight, when we were all just beginning to settle in. The FH staff knew it was Bob’s birthday and through the miracle of the internet, found some Kenny Rogers to play for him just before we all signed off for the night. By the time lunch came around they produced cake and a great round of Happy Birthday and a cake. It’s good to be with our family here if we can’t be with our families back at home.

After breakfast we were able to visit a couple more houses and plant some fruit bearing trees. It will be fun to return and see what these trees are doing in the future. Though small, the trees should begin to bear fruit in about a year. Just as the message planted here has already begun to bera fruit and we look forward to a great harvest.

After tree planting we had a really great time playing baseball with the young men of the community. We actually played well enough to be edged out 6-7, but it was a really great time. The man who helps train the kids was very encouraging of the work going on here both through the leadership and through FH’s work.

The afternoon brought us to some farewell visits to friends homes and we had a special dedication ceremony at the house we had begun. There was a great prayer time as we stood in the rooms-to-be. The family promised we would pray in those same rooms together when we return next time. This young family of Carlos and Annalisa, has such hope now that they no longer have to depend on relatives for a place to live. Carlos at 23, though he looks 17 to us, is father to 3 kids the oldest is 5. We are so blessed to have been part of this project.

Carlos and Annalisa in their new house witth extednded family.

We were also able to tour a house that FH is just completing so that we could see what the home will look like when completed. The whole community is so excited for each other as needs are met. We have not come across any jealousy in these areas yet.

In the evening we gathered with the community for a farewell ceremony at the church. It was so humbling as person after person thanked us and FH and praised God for the changes going on here. It is so incredible to see the progress already. There were musical numbers and everyone kept saying we won’t tell you adios, only see you again. The pastor said that if it wasn’t here then it would be in heaven. As each of our team shared our blessings from the week with the community and thanked them for allowing us to come, there were not many dry eyes in the place. After we finished a few different of the ladies came back up and said we should not be thanking them because we had brought them so much and left so much.

Greg was able to pray for the whole community, families, leaders, the school, the church, the full-time FH staff and the pastor. God is working in a mighty way here! It took over a half hour for us to get apart from the people after the ceremony because of all the hugs and farewell wishes and more hugs and a few tears. One gal came up to us and said thanks for her brother who had accepted Christ just last night.

We will miss this place when we leave in the morning and will be looking forward with great anticipation to seeing our families again. We are hours from the airport so will return to that area to stay at a hotel so that we can catch our early morning flight on Sunday.

What a wonderful day!

2011-10-06T22:50:00.000-06:00

2011 day 5

What a wonderful day! We can hardly imagine all the amazing things that God has allowed us to see and be a part of this week. Our evening was closed out in amazing fashion by two teenagers Felix Antonio & Luis Fernando who came tour door late tonight asking for prayer. They had just accepted Christ and we were able to pray with them. What an exciting thing to witness, God drawing people to himself.

This morning after breakfast, the guys went to work building doors and windows out of planks and 1x4’s. It was a challenge to make straight cuts with old saws but also a privilege to serve. It’s great to be a part of the positive impact that this house will have on this young family.

Greg was able to make a short trip to visit Anna Rosa, one of his family’s sponsored children. The visit had been put off because she had spent 4 days in the hospital due to an amoeba that had caused her breathing problems. Praise God she was able to get the health care she needed.

The ladies headed off to visit family members in their homes. They were also able to present needy students at the school with school clothes. The clothes were possible due to the sponsorship program. It was a blessing to see this community benefiting in so many different ways.

After lunch Dale, Zach and Bob headed out to visit the last of the sponsored children. They initiated a new activity on the visits. Along with a few small trinkets, they brought fruit trees and planted them with the kids. We look forward to seeing the trees grow into another resource in the community.

Lori and Corianne shared the last 2 days of the creation story with the kids in VBS. It has been so exciting to share with them the love God showed us all in that process. The children have learned so much and were ahead of the game in reviewing all the lessons of the week.

Greg and Misti finished the last of the window security shutters. And then were able to lay the last of the cinderblocks for the foundation of the new house. Enemencio, the job foreman will return to complete the framing of the house next week. We look forward to returning and seeing the house completed.

Today began the food-byes, Wilmon our excellent interpreter and a young pastor with lots of energy left to return home. We will miss him. We thank God for the excellent people God has privided to support us!

This evening we showed a movie that many members of the community watched. The crowds seem to be more and more filled with new faces and more grown-ups. Praise God for the work he is doing here.

middle of the week

2011-10-05T21:06:00.005-06:00

Blog 2011 Day 4

We have reached the middle of the week. It was a very full and fruitful day. We ended this evening with a group time of sharing. It was good to gather together as a team, including our Food for the hungry hosts. We had just completed an evening service where, following Dale’s testimony and Bob’s sermon, three young ladies came forward to accept Christ. We were able to pray for them with the pastor and church leaders.

As a team we have become a good unit, bearing each other’s burdens and drawing encouragement from each other’s strengths. Greg, Misti and Corianne spent the day at the work project. It is so exciting to see the anticipation in the family as the father, Carlos, and his cousins and neighbors work alongside us. Today we laid 2 courses of cinderblocks on the foundation that Dale, Zach and Bob laid yesterday. Tomorrow we expect to be erecting walls and possible some of the roof. The FH crew thanked Greg for keeping things straight and level.

Home visits today brought the rest of the team to the same houses that they visited 2 years ago on our first trip. It was a blessing to hear how people described the positive changes that have happened in the 2 years FH has been working here and we have been visiting. In the afternoon Dale and Zach visited some of their sponsored children, while Lori and Bob led the VBS. The VBS continues to be a special time of teaching and celebrating God in fun songs from the Bible. We are very thankful for the FH staff who makes it all run so smoothly.

We stopped all of our activities early this afternoon in order to meet with the community leaders. They shared with us the projects that have been completed in just a few short years with the support of FH. There has been a new grade added to the school this year, 6^th and they hope to soon have 7^th and 8^th. The shared with us that the government has set aside money to build a high school nearby, but they are trying to raise money to buy land in the approved area. Pray for this, it costs families $100 per month to send a child to the available high schools which are over 25 km away. Many kids are not able to go. They also shared of their hope to add a 2^nd well and water supply system so that half of the community won’t have to travel so far and that the existing system can have relief. They also hope for a baseball field to keep the young men out of the bars and occupied so they don’t do drugs. They have great vision for this community and believe that God has brought FH and us to them so they may develop and become independent. One of the other concerns is that they can develop cottage industries to create jobs in the community. Recently FH provided a training course for people to learn how to make cheese and yogurt from locally available milk. 25 people were certified and hopefully these industries will be supporting whole households here soon.

Already some of the team are feeling the sadness of departure looming. We have grown greatly in our relationships with the people here. God has blessed us greatly to be connected with these people! God is using Cornerstone in great ways.

Pray for the local church, it’s leaders, and especially Pastor Segundo. He a gentle and loving man of God

Cornerstone's very busy day

2011-10-04T21:15:00.001-06:00

Blog 2011 Day 3

Today was a very busy day. God’s blessings were to be seen all over.

Today the foundation for the house was poured and the first of the 2 levels of blocks were laid. The family to inhabit the house is always around and the father is working very hard right alongside us.

In the morning we made some general visits to families in the community. It was so humbling, as Misti put it. “I can’t believe that our presence here can be so encouraging and makes such a difference to these wonderful people. I am a nobody from nowhere. It’s amazing that God uses us for such an impact on these people.” We visited 5 or 6 houses and everywhere we stopped we were told that our coming here was a blessing and for us to go to their house was such a privilege and a blessing. Each place we went we were able to share of God’s grace and the eternal hope he offers to all of us.

VBS in the afternoon was a great blessing once again. Despite a whole new group of teachers the kids recited the lesson from the previous day and listened intently and enjoyed all the time together. It is exciting to see them hungry to learn.

Always there are kids around, holding our hands as we walk and playing and even just sitting by us when we rest. Their smiles are constant and we are observing more parental involvement than we had before. It is a privilege to be Gods hand to them.

This is the house we built last year. The family is still so happy to have a place to safe clean place live.

Greg is doing much better, thank you for your prayers.

This evening we shared one of the Narnia movies with the community, it was well attended and a great opportunity to share a positive influence.

Faces New and Old

2011-10-03T19:58:00.000-06:00

Day 2 2011

First day of regular ministry, what a great blessing today has to all of us. We began the morning sharing stories of a night of good sleep for some and difficult sleeping for others. But all were praising God to be here in this hot, humid, lush, green and exciting place where hope is growing.

Following a breakfast of cereal and milk, some of us joined in the construction project. We started by clearing the little bit that remained of the previous rotten house that the family had mostly removed, just a little bit of crumbling cement. Then the contractor laid out the design and Dale Zach and Bob along with some men from the community spent the morning digging out footings for the new house. By the end of the day they had dug all the foundation and cut and tied rebar for the project. Along with the home-owner to be some neighbors joined in also. Our lead host from FH, Maria, mentioned that she heard a number of people say they were confident the project would be finished because it is the Americans, not the government. Our commitment to them offer these three years is breeding hope, not in us but hope in general and a believe that they are cared for.

The rest of us, Lori, Corianne, Misti and Greg, went on some home visits for the morning. It was very exciting to see the expectation of relationship between Misti and the children she and her family sponsor. They know that we are here because we care and because of God’s love for them. Seeing Lori and Corianne visit their sponsored children was to witness relationships grown over three years of contact and love.

In the afternoon, Greg and Zach led VBS with the help of very talented FH staffer, Maria and Willman our blessing of and interpreter. We shared the story of the first day of creation. It was great to see their enthusiasm for learning and joy in singing songs and playing together. We look forward to a week of sharing God’s love with them in action and word.

Much of the free time was filled with playing with children, meeting old friends again and making new ones. We are so well cared for by the FH staff here. Praise God for them and the way God is working here.

Prayer requests for the team: Greg is struggling with his energy level a little as he is still getting his thyroid level balanced. Bob asks for prayer as he prepares to preach on Wednesday night. For the whole team, the heat and humidity is a constant challenge.

We thank God for the prayer and support we know we have from you. God Bless!

Sunday - Old Friends Again

2011-10-02T20:09:00.001-06:00

2011 day 1
As our plane landed 3 hours late in Santo Domingo, we were reminded how God works in all for the good of those who fear him in all things. Our connecting flight was late into New York which would have caused us to miss the last leg of the journey had the final plane been on-time.

We were late to bed and full of anticipation for the new adventure before us. Sunday morning we met with Martha, Food for the Hurgry’s country director in the Dominican Republic. It was so inspirational and encouraging to hear her vision for transforming the lives of the vulnerable people of the DR.

After that meeting we, had a quick lunch at Burger King and headed to the community. It was so exciting to meet our old friends again. So many of the children remembered us by name and asked after those who had been on previous teams. Their smiling faces and desire to be with us were so encouraging. Those smiles are so contagious.
After a brief tour of the community, which was very familiar to many of us, we had a formal welcome from the leaders of the community. They spoke so glowingly of the work that is happening here through FH and our relationship with them. It is impossible to doubt that our time and money are being used. God is doing real work here. People are being transformed and we look forward to what they call mutual transformation. That is we expect God to change not only the lives of the people here but also of our team.

The church's regular wervice followed. Lori shared hre testimony and Greg preached. It is good to be here with God's people.

On a personal note, I was so encouraged to hear that all of our FH friends here had been praying with their churches for healing from the cancer I faced this past summer. It is so incredible to be a part of the family of God.

Some pictures of our first day in-country.

Arrival

2011-10-01T23:55:00.002-06:00

We have made it! settling into accomodations. Looking forward to commujnity interaction tomorrow!

on the way

2011-10-01T17:05:00.000-06:00

It's been a day full of hurry up and wait, but that's what traveled days are usually full of. All in all we expect to arrive in the Dominican sometime tonight. Tight connections and late flights almost made us miss or final flight. However, God is watching over us and our final flight is delayed over two hours. Thus enabled us not only to catch the flight but get our first Call meal of the day.

God is at work. Looking forward to sharing more of our exciting story with you!

Video Recap 2010

2010-12-12T20:46:00.002-07:00

Seeing Clearly

2010-12-02T19:42:00.000-07:00

The trip home was a long and somewhat tedious one, punctuated by a long lay-over in Philadelphia and a slow drive home over treacherous snow and ice covered roads. Only 27 hours after we got up in the Dominican Republic did we arrive back at our homes. But this extended time gave us plenty of opportunity to reevaluate our time in Sierra Prieta and to appreciate the blessings God has bestowed upon us. Blessings of hope, knowledge of him, available jobs, healthy families and nearby medical care.

Having been back home for a few days now I have heard from a number of folks who had followed the blog. The most noticeable response I've received is that this year seemed not as positive an experience as last year. So I thought I'd address my perspective on this issue and maybe shed some more light on how I saw God working.

From the beginning this was a very different trip some of us were returning and some were new to the whole world of short-term missions. The community is a year advanced and even our physical location there had changed. We talked much about suppressing expectations as much as possible but it was a challenge to give up the spacious living quarters at the church in lieu of the somewhat cramped former medical clinic. Though we came to appreciate the option to have services and VBS inside the church building.

In think that the biggest thing this year was that for those of us who had been here before the shock wasn't there. I think that God opened our eyes even more to the real situation of these people. We saw kids with some behavior problems and were able to discern that due to the lack of jobs near-by that they don't have regular parental supervision. So in our partnership with Food for the Hungry we'll(really they will do the mother load of the work) seek ways to develop cottage industries and provide technical training. In this way parents can work closer to home or at home, and have the time and energy to raise and love and discipline their children.

In the home repair we were exposed more clearly to the poverty that exists even in this already poor community. There is a distinction between financial situations seen very clearly in Sierra Prieta. There are a few with very finished homes, bearing stucco walls outside and filled with what we'd consider regular furniture, refrigerators, and even washing machines. On the other end there are places I wouldn't allow as a storage shed next to my house. Places built of limbs and discarded tin with no electricity and a door that hardly closes let alone locks. Homes with discarded shirts covering the windows and holes in the roofs.

Teachers who didn't have a notion that multiple sexual partners might be a bad idea, Kids who had never heard of abstinence or stable families, teens with no place to go but the bar and little hope for life beyond what they saw in their parents, fathers who had abandon their family to simply go and start another, people who are lost with no concept that there is a personal God who desires to know them and loves them, people who rely on a couple of sticks made into a cross planted in their yard, people who wear charms to ward off evil spirits. This is what we saw and I think we saw it more clearly. Sierra Prieta needs some help, that's why we are there. We came to help make a difference where a difference is needed, even welcomed.

We saw Sierra Prieta even more for what it is. It is a poor community filled with people working hard to survive. A few have prospered but many are almost desperate. We saw hope in those same situations. Edward, the FH community liaison is already formulating plans to train people to make yogurt and cheese in their homes so they don't have to travel so far for jobs. In the school we were able to speak clearly about God's plan for one woman and one man to be together for life. In home visits we were able to share with a number of people that we came because of the love God has shown to us and we wanted to share that with others. We had evening services where a family that we've been building a relationship with from the first time we set foot in the community showed up and heard a clear presentation of the Gospel. We saw a man who none of us could ever remember seeing before get up early to see us off on Saturday morning, he seemed to be a little choked up that we were leaving. We saw sponsored children venture out up to a mile on a dark night to bring drawings and hugs and greetings to their sponsors on the evening before we left.

God is at work in this place and we are honored and blessed to be a part of it. Join us, in praying, sponsoring children and giving. It is a dark place but the light has already begun to shine and it will not be held back! (1 John 2:8)

Final Services

2010-12-02T13:37:00.000-07:00

11-26a

The farewell was very touching but somewhat rushed, as it was getting dark and at this time of the evening the community did not have electricity. A number of the community leaders spoke of the blessing this project had been to the entire community. It was touching to see the unity they have, as this year our work project was only in one location but all of them enjoyed the success. The youth spoke and thanked us for being there and seem to be taking ownership of improving the community as well. We also were able to thank them for their great hospitality and continual care.

This week had been challenging and wonderful and the unity we have had as a team has been a blessing from God. Though we all miss our families at home immensely, everyone has spoken of how much we will miss each other and the relationships we have built over this last week. It has been our hope and prayer that “they will know you are my disciples by the love you have for one another”.

The evening service followed the farewell ceremony and was well attended. It was especially encouraging to see a family that we have built a relationship with over the last 2 visits attend, as well as a number of young men and a number of sponsored children we had not seen before outside of their homes. The message focused on coming out of the darkness and into the light. As an illustration we passed out glow sticks, which they had never seen before, and then turned out the lights. As Greg preached about how following Jesus results in never walking in darkness the lights were activated, much to the surprise and wonder of all in attendance. Also in speaking of hiding in the darkness an illustration of a rat hiding in corners was used. At just this time a rat showed itself hiding in the rafters. After the service one young man of about 11 years old came forward to accept Christ and spent some time with the pastor.

We spent some great time together that evening and many turned in a little early in anticipation of an early departure.

We leave missing our friends both old and new and with great anticipation of what God is doing here. We are just on the ground floor of what is happening here. It will be very exciting to see where he takes this community.

Friday Farewells

2010-11-26T20:33:00.002-07:00

11-26

Friday, it always seems to be a special day. Although it is still 3 days before we will see our loved ones at home it is already the beginning of the farewell. We have completed the VBS and normally don’t work on the construction project and often don’t even do home visits.

This morning we had scheduled a softball game with the young men of the community, however there was a problem. When the activities of the week were being planned before we had arrived, the ball players had requested the game to be in the morning. However the field required a lot of work to be ready for a game. Part of the deal is that they prepare the field. When we arrived for the game they had barely begun to mow the weeds and grasses. It is done with machetes and is very labor intensive. We had already been warned by the Food for the Hungry staff that this problem was coming. Seeing that the preparation had not been completed the game was called off. It was difficult but very much a tough love situation. At the farewell meeting this evening the youth shared with us that they will be sure to prepare the field well in advance of our visit next time and apologized for the inconvenience and embarrassment they had caused. It was truly a good opportunity to teach them to be accountable.

Since the game was called off we returned to the house repair project to complete the few tasks there. The last door was hung and the barrel bolts were put in place. All that remained was a time of prayer for the house and the family and a few pictures. We all gathered in a circle around the house holding hands and prayed out loud together for the protection of the house and the family there. It was really great to see the huge smiles of the woman of the house and her children. The carpenter will continue to complete the final details of the house and the local FH workers have promised to send us some pictures. They will be dividing the bedroom into two rooms, adding new interior doors, some more internal structure, and some rain diversion and painting the outside to help preserve it. At this point it is so much better than what was there when we arrived. Praise God!

This trip has given us the opportunity to see that even in this very poor community there are levels of poverty. When we arrived some of us commented that it would be difficult to pick which house should have repairs done to them as we saw all the structures as inferior. However, our familiarity has opened our eyes and sharpened our sensitivity. We have seen houses with dirt floors and barely a window as well as those with tile floors, electric appliances and very nice furniture. We clearly see the needs here. During a walk through the community we was another of the houses that will be almost completely rebuilt as a result of the funds our trip as provided. What a blessing to share in this ministry.

In the afternoon a few final home visits to sponsored children were accomplished. And the ladies once again took the time to bless those who had cooked for us with pedicures. It was a very fun and informal time for all.

I had the opportunity to speak at length with Edward, the community liaison for Sierra Prieta from Food for the Hungry. He shared the many ideas he has for working in this community. One of the problems we have observed this trip is the increased violence and lack of respect among the children. This problem is due in large part to the lack of men in the community and the scarcity of work nearby that causes parents to need to travel far and leave children unsupervised. We talked of strategies that have worked in other communities to develop job creation and encourage family values. It is exciting to get to be in on the ground floor of God’s work in the community.

The afternoon brought farewells with the community and especially fond farewells for our fellow team members our translators and local Food for the Hungry workers. We will miss them all and are so glad for the relationships that have grown from being here.

The evening brought the farewell service from the community and another church service where we were able to share our songs, testimonies and a sermon.

More on this to come. It’s getting late and I am accompanied here by only candle light and snoring.

Birthday Wishes

2010-11-26T05:53:00.000-07:00

A very special Happy 40th Birthday to Tanja!

Love Bob

And the rest of us.

Feliz Dia de Action de Gracia

2010-11-26T05:11:00.003-07:00

11-25

Thanksgiving Day, 2010 is certainly the most original any of us have ever had. In terms of the trip, today has been relatively normal, if there is such a thing here. Breakfast this morning was pancakes, a welcome familiarity. They were prepared by our cooking team lead by Issa, a pastor who works for food for the Hungry during some team visit. She leads the women from the community in preparing our meals. They have all been a blessing to us, especially the care that they take to make sure we have no health problems.

Since I’m on the subject of food and this is Thanksgiving, I’ll share with you what we had for Thanksgiving dinner. As is the Dominican custom, the biggest meal of the day is at noon. Today the cooking team prepared Fried chicken, Rice and beans w/ sauce, a salad of fresh avocado, local squashes, cucumber, peppers, and onions. For desert we had fresh mango and pineapple. It was truly a meal to be very thankful for.

Morning activities consisted of more sponsored child visits, a crew to the house we are repairing, and a group of folks put on a VBS in the area of the building project, just in gathering the kids in a few houses they had 20 in the impromptu VBS.

The home repair project has turned out to be bigger than anticipated. As I related earlier, the home was constructed out of what amounts to large sticks or branches. They are very hard and have been planted in concrete. It is a post and beam home with palm wood siding. There was a barely operable door some tin siding in a few places and a barely holding together tin door. We have torn off the rusted tin siding, replaced it with clapboard type siding of pine. Then we added a small room to the existing one room house. The project has also produced wooden shutters that the family can close and lock as well as sturdy doors that will lock. There are six of them living there, the parents and 3 girls and a boy of about 17. Anevil, the son, has been a constant help all week working alongside us while his father works at a local farm.

The building project has been a great blessing to us and we are sure to the family. As there are a limited number of tools, and at times many of us trying to use them, even the mother, a kindly yet worn looking woman, hurries to find a tool as a need for it is called out. They look to haggard and worn out but at the slightest smile or encouragement beam back with a huge sonrisa, or smile.

Our hearts have broken of the poor conditions these people live in. 2 things in particular have struck different team members in different ways. The first thing is the smell, I’m sure it comes from the beds that are barely worthy of being taken to the dump, and I know many people who wouldn’t let even their dog sleep on such a thing. Yet this family of six shares 2 of them all together. It is clear that all manner of bugs and probably some rats have taken up residence in the box springs. Speaking of bugs that leads to the 2nd heart breaking experience there. When tearing down one of the walls that needed to be replaced an infestation of large spiders including 3 or 4 tarantulas. We are so blessed to be able to help this family. In response to the beds we couldn’t ignore that situation, so the team has provided the funds to purchase new beds and bedding for the family. We hope that it may be delivered before we leave the community early Saturday.

The VBS today was a little overwhelming as the school had an in-service training for teachers so all the kids had the day off. Over 120 kids showed up and it got a little crazy at the end. The lesson went very well and they seemed well engaged in the other activities. Pray for these children they have few good role models and little moral instruction.

Home visits today brought a few notable situations. One was with Dan who had just begun the sponsorship of his child and had not gotten it completely registered before departure. He brought information about the sponsorship in hopes of being able to connect. It turns out that this boy is the son of one of the ladies who cooks for us. She is part of the local Christian church. While visiting in their home he inquired of the father. The father had been killed when he was electrocuted about 2 years ago. This woman is now raising her sons, 5 & 7, all by herself. Pray for this situation.

I was able to also visit the boy that our family sponsors it was a very good visit, and much easier after last year. It was a blessing to be able to meet his father this year. His father is a carpenter and he gave us a tour of a “resort” that is being constructed just down the street. It is truly luxury for this community with swimming pool, large Jacuzzi, and rooms with individual bathrooms, even running water. But on speaking with the local FH workers we discovered that this will be kid of a mini “sin-city”. The funding for it is questionable, probably drug related, and the prime activities there will be gambling and probably prostitution. It will likely be a place for people with means to come from the city and commit their indiscretions in a more secluded place. We MUST PRAY that God brings this place down. Surely the young ladies of this community will be enticed into working there and the bad company cannot help but corrupt other young people.

The relationships we have built here will be greatly missed once we return home, especially those among our team including the FH staff and interpreters. They have been such a great blessing and more than that have become a part of our team family. Pray for them and their continued work. They are the real people on the front lines of this battlefield of faith.

On we Go

2010-11-24T20:19:00.003-07:00

11.24

This evening I am really struggling to communicate through the blog. It’s like writers block, and kind of a distracted writer’s block. There are so many things going on even at 10:30 at night. There are a number of conversations going on around me and my mind is a little bit shut down here in the middle of the night. But I feel responsible to share with all of you what God has been doing and how we have been blessed to serve him today.

We had a relatively normal day today. One exciting opportunity today was when Bob and Lori were able to share with the students at the school about issues related to HIV and pregnancy. In the morning they spoke to mostly the younger children and shared with them about Gods plan for one man and one woman to be married for all their lives and to keep themselves only for each other. They related to us that it went well but they were surprised at how young they were. In the afternoon they had the opportunity to share the same information with older children. This time was quite an eye opener. In the course of the discussion they received many questions, including from one of the teachers. She asked if it was better for the boys to approach the girls or vice-a-versa. Their answer was received with some surprise. They related to how God’s plan was for that to wait until marriage. The FH staff was very pleased that Bob and Lori could share so clearly. They will continue to bring this message to the young people here.

While the seminar was going on at the school there was a team of people visiting their sponsored children and another working on the house we are repairing. The home visits went in normal encouraging fashion. It seems as though the younger the sponsored children are the more likely it is that they connect well with the sponsors. It seems to be related to being older and more self-conscious. Still it is good to connect. The group visiting homes was able to stop and offer condolences in the home where a woman died earlier this week. It was a blessing to the family that they would stop by.

At the building site the morning went by very quickly. The Dominican part of the crew tore the roof off and replaced the tin with new sheet metal. In the mean time the ground bound Americans built a door and some windows. In the afternoon it went much slower. The home was built of limbs and branches of sturdy wood placed into the concrete foundation. It is a relatively strong frame but incredibly crooked. Nothing is close to square and the lack of power tools makes some adjustments very challenging. In short it took most of the afternoon to frame out part of a doorway. We hope that it goes faster tomorrow. In the morning while the guys worked some of the ladies were able to spend time with the children of the house. They have become very special kids to us especially as they are some of the poorest in the community. This does nothing to dampen their spirit and curiosity.

The afternoon brought another VBS as well. The children here continue to be a great blessing for us. Each one has a special smile and we can hardly turn around without 1 to 5 of them looking for a hand or a game or just some attention. Praise God for the opportunity to love them.

In the evening we had another service. It held more great times of testimony, this time from Terry. She was able to communicate how God has blessed her and brought her to value him above all things. Bob preached a clear gospel message from John 3:16. The people showed much appreciation for his message and I was particularly encourage to see that a few of the young men in the community had chosen to attend.

Please be in prayer for the pastor of the local church. He had to be taken to the city because of a headache that we believe was some sort of infection. We hope that he will be able to return before we leave.

We wish everyone at home a happy Thanksgiving and though we they do not celebrate this holiday here we with be giving great thanks along with our Dominican brothers and sisters.

The week is already winding down. Pray that we make the most of every opportunity.

Our hearts breaking open

2010-11-24T05:13:00.000-07:00

11-23 pt 2

(Before I go any further forgive me for not sharing with you that Deb has fully recovered after a day of rest on Monday and she resumed normal participation in ministry activities on Tuesday and even attended the service on Monday night.)

One of the great challenges of a trip of this nature is to process the many emotional and touching things that you encounter while still operating at level of interaction with the people of the community. Tuesday evening we were gathered as a team in our “bunk house.” We began to sing some worship songs together which turned into a small scale praise service. All of our hearts were greatly blessed and encouraged.

As the singing concluded we began to share perspectives of the day and went around the circle sharing high points and low points. Many of the low points focused on what we have observed as a much greater sense of aggression in the children, especially towards each other. The high points were many and very exciting. Some shared of their visits to their sponsored children others of being encouraged by seeing God at work in families around the community, still others of the very encouraging time at VBS.

Dan shared, somewhat emotionally, about a young boy he had seen in passing who was obviously needing special needs education. He shared how he couldn’t imagine how this kid was going to get the help he needed and then reflected on how his daughter needed and received so much help. The needs here go from basic to complex and they all impact us so much.

Reanne was impacted today by the great need and shared about feeling overwhelmed by what needs to be done. But she also shared that God brought her to the realization that we have a very specific role for a short time and the rest is to pray and trust in God.

A few shared how before visiting their sponsored child they were little more than a picture on the fridge and a check in the mail. But the warm welcome received on meeting them and the time together really struck them deeply at the personal sense of need and the huge impact that the sponsorship brings to these lives. Hope is among the greatest things we bring to this community and more than that hope in Christ.

This morning we will be making some more sponsored child home visits and continue the work of repairing the house. But one special opportunity we have is an invitation from the principle of the school to speak to the children there. Bob and Lori will be speaking to them about the dangers of HIV and the impact of teen pregnancy, while sharing with them God’s plan for marriage and relationships. They will speak to both the morning session and the afternoon session. Please pray for them as they share this message. Pray also that the kids would be receptive to this message. The pattern of early pregnancy is everywhere. So many of the young mothers we see are 16 or less.

All the team sends blessings to their families and loved ones at home.

Some Pictures so far

2010-11-23T15:01:00.000-07:00

Here are a few pictures that we have taken so far.

We are very encouraged to know that you all continue to pray for us regularly.

Lori with an old friend.

Enjoying the children.

Greg with Ivan teaching VBS.

Playing Limbo

Building

Dan Preaching

Playing Leap Frog

Parachute Fun

Hard at work

Reanne Sharing Testimony

Settling In

2010-11-23T10:25:00.002-07:00

11-23

It was really a blessing to engage in more ministry opportunities today. Our first night without rain was a surprise and led to some welcome sunshine. Of course the weather has been wonderful during our whole time here, but the sun enables us to do more and visit places farther away.

Part of the group headed back to the house we had begun working on yesterday. They prepared more walls for reconstruction and others of them spent time with the children of that area, playing and helping to pickup broken glass and dangerous metal pieces. It is good to be able to bless this very poor family.

The other part of the group visited some nearby houses. So many of these places are filled with broken families. It seems there are few qualms about leaving one’s spouse. Pray for the families of Sierra Prieta, pray for protections and pray for God’s truth to invade these precious relationships.

One of the homes we visited was so encouraging to us. The Matilda is a young mother who is very much an anomaly here. Her husband works in the city and comes home every day. Every day after school she helps her children with their homework. When we invited them to come to the VBS this afternoon she said she would be glad to bring them but they couldn’t go alone because of the dangerous drivers. Many of the children here seem to run around rather unsupervised. Pray for her and her family.

We invited people at each of the houses to come to our service on Wednesday night. They all promised to come. Pray for Bob as he prepares to preach. Pray that many will come and that they will hear the gospel and respond.

It has been so great to see old friends but even better has been the way that even new team members are greeted as the old. If you are with us you are a friend. The warmth that we are received with in every home is amazing. Hospitality is a way of life here.

The VBS yesterday was a great challenge. The children were very unruly and became almost dangerously rambunctious during the games. Pray that a spirit of order will be present and that Gods word will be heard well.

At the service we had last night Dan presented a very clear message of God’s love for us and a method to come to him. We continue to enjoy sharing the songs we have learned with those here. It is an entirely different style than they are sued to but they have been very appreciative. Reanne shared her testimony and it was very touching and spoke clearly of how God’s love is for all of us.

The children continue to be our greatest joy. They are always seeking us out to play and even to just sit on laps. They don’t get a lot of affection from their parents especially from fathers, if they are even here. Dale and Zach are crowd favorites, their constant energy and care for the kids is contagious. They also love to have their pictures taken and then see the images on the camera.

Pray that people see the true reason for our visit, to share God’s great love and grace with them, not our different ways or unintentionally flashy stuff.

Finally please be praying for our FH support team here. Martires is our primary team liaison. Kelvin is the local director of FH’s work here and has many connections in the community. Edward is now beginning to be the local liaison in Sierra Prieta and was introduces as such at our welcome meeting with the community. Carlos is Kelvin’s brother-in-law and volunteers daily to come and help us. Interpreters who are giving their week to help us are Ivan and Wilamen. Please pray for their families and that we would continue to be a great team together.

We all think fondly of our families back home and look forward to seeing you all soon. At the same time it already seems like the week is progressing too quickly and too soon we will leave this place where we already have seen so much of God’s blessing.

From 12 below to 78.

2010-11-22T10:33:00.002-07:00

From 12 below to 78.

Arriving 11:20

We’ll take it. The long drive to the airport was made a little longer with the addition of icy roads and blowing snow. We all arrived without incident and even managed to connect without trouble through a foggy Denver Airport.

Arriving in the once familiar humidity was stifling at first by all thoughts of it were quickly lost as we became reacquainted with old friends Martires, our good friend and the team facilitator, Kelvin another good friend is the area coordinator and Isaiah, Martires’ brother who is our driver along with some new faces. We have not much more to report than that. Everyone is full of anticipation through the haze of travel lag.

This blog comes to you from the hour or so plane ride from the airport. We look forward to being reacquainted with members of the community in the morning.

We already greatly appreciate your prayers and support for families left behind.

The more things change the more they stay the same

Sunday wake up 11-21

Awaking to the sound of rain and the sight of a hole above my head caused a mini moment panic, to be surpassed by relief due to a quick assessment of my dry condition. We were waking in a new place despite returning to the familiar community of last year. Our accommodations were just down the road in the now empty medical office. Similar to last year only slightly smaller and a few leaks in the roof, though thankfully none above any beds or even suitcases.

We finally arrived last night/this morning 3:30 local time(11:30 MST). It was very good to see the familiar sights, and sounds (roosters) welcoming us back to Sierra Prieta. The church has other activities planned for the week so we are not staying there again, we have yet to find what has become of the medical clinic but had already heard that it was no longer in service. It’s been such a blessing to reacquaint ourselves with this blessed community.

The week is just starting and I have quite a challenge before me. On the ride from the airport I wrote a quick blog to reassure folks of our arrival. However, the modem I rented was not working at all. My background priority for today is to find alternative means of communicating this blog. The support we receive through this communication has been immense and we covet your informed and continuous prayers!

As the day began so it continued rain, rain and more rain. However, our spirits could not be dampened as we encountered more familiar faces. Before we even drug ourselves out of bed at about 9am the kids were all calling for Dale. He brings so much joy to them it’s a blessing to have him. Also many of the ladies connected with friends made the previous trip. I was especially encouraged when two young boys came up to me saying “Gregorio, Gregorio.” It is such a blessing to be among friends.

The staff of Food for The Hungry is taking such great care of us. We don’t want for anything we need, though the method of provision is different than we are used to.

Monday

This morning was a bad one for Debora. She was sick in the night and after some help from Bob, our team doctor. She rested until lunch and was beginning to feel much better. She had quite the headache, as did many of us after a very spirited church service last night. There was a lot of loud music especially drums and a over loud speaker for the singer.

The team had a chance to share some Spanish songs we had learned and they were well received even as we kept singing when the electricity went out. It was good to worship with the church family there.

Already so many of us are building close relationships with the people here, especially with the children.

I took a trip to the city today with Martires to acquire a new broadband modem so we could continue the blog. The rented one failed for no apparent reason.

I can’t write more now because the battery in the laptop is dying but we will update again soon. Pray for the rest of the team as they make home visits this morning and prepare for VBS this afternoon. The other half of the team is repairing the home of a very poor family.

The impact of Child Sponsorship

2010-11-13T00:07:00.002-07:00

Even after meeting Christopher, our sponsored child, last year it didn't really sink home to me. But reading the following post Juan Pablo Belmonte I was struck. The realities of harsh life and desperte people are too far from us. If you wonder what can be done to help people in desperat situations read this post.

I hope you will be touched and motivated as I was.

Link to it here => What Are We Building?

This blog also challenged me because of it's practicality. I was asking this question of our upcoming trip just a few weeks ago. I look forward to the "building project" God has in store for our team in just a week's time.

Keep an eye on our blog here to see what God does this trip in the community of Sierra Prieta.

Training Sermon Meeting #3

2010-09-08T13:38:00.000-06:00

http://download.redeemer.com/rpcsermons/storesamplesermons/Blessed_are_the_Poor.mp3

Quarterly Report January 2010

2010-01-28T22:49:00.007-07:00

Food for the Hungry, Dominican Republic

Sierra Prieta, Yamasa.

Quarterly report

To: Cornerstone Community Fellowship

From: Martin Martinez (Kelvin)

Dear brothers and sisters,

It’s a great opportunity for me to greet you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, and is my hope that by the time you receive my report all of you are doing well and God is blessing you very much.

We have been working with the youth, training them about the prevention of AIDS and adolescent pregnancy. About 200 youth and children were reached with this activity. AIDS is a big problem in our communities and Sierra Prieta is no exception. It is a risk that our youth run into because they lack information and they are not aware of God’s principles. I was very well supported by the community leadership and the youth as well in organizing this event. I was motivated to present this training because many female adolescents were getting pregnant due to their lack of knowledge. This issue was affecting their education and their young lives. Most of these girls, after getting pregnant, end up living with their parents because the boy cannot assume his responsibility as father for a family since he is himself still a child.

Martin trained the youth in AIDS prevention.

Due to the lack of income in the community of Sierra Prieta, parents cannot buy all the school supplies and uniforms for their children. FH donated notebooks, pencils, backpacks and some shirts to meet the children’s school needs. About 200 kids benefited from this project and were able to go to school.

The principal oversaw the distribution of school supplies.

Please pray for:

More classrooms so the children have access to a high school in the community.
For a water system in the community.
For the single mothers from the community.
For completion of the latrines in the community.

2009-11-27T09:56:00.000-07:00

Slide Show Compilation Of Our Trip

Trip Video

2009-11-23T22:54:00.001-07:00

Video compilation of our trip.

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Back Home

2009-11-02T13:44:00.000-07:00

It seems so strange to think that this blog is done... for now. I just can't help but add a few more details and thoughts. The flights home were uneventful, but the good-bye at the airport with Martires and Jose was tearful. We will miss our brothers until we see them again. It seemed so wrong to be in the climate controlled, mostly sanitized airport terminal. The mud, dirt, chickens, plants, bugs, creatures and especially the people of Sierra Prieta had come so quickly to feel like home.

We made easy connections in the airports and spent long lay-overs speaking of new memories, new ideas and opportunities. Each team member had important perspectives on what we should remember, what we should share and what we can do to be better prepared next time. We are particularly excited about what we can do to share our experiences with those on the team who did not travel with us, but prayed faithfully and hoped for God's blessing constantly.

The drive home from Billings started off at about 11:45 and was uneventful until some deer teamed up to put an end to the radiator on Terry's minivan. This extended our arrival at home by a few hours, but thanks to Jerry and the Wolff's minivan we made it home in time to close our eyes for a few hours before heading off in our respective directions.

As I sat at work this morning sorting through 150 emails and 800 in the spam folder, I was struck by how normal life was again already. Mail to sort and calls to return. Contracts to process and the list goes on. Then I glimpsed a picture of myself with Christopher, our sponsored child, and I was there again in the blessed humidity seeing God work in a way that seems so far off.

God is not far off and it does not take extreme circumstances to see him work. I think it is more in the looker, for God is always at work, his Spirit is always tugging at hearts. It just takes extreme faith from normal people in an extraordinary God to gain the vision necessary to see Him in action.

Almighty God, bring our focus to you in the mundane so that we will have sight of the revolutionary things you are doing around us all the time.

YOU ARE SO LOVED!!

Final post from Dominican soil

2009-10-31T13:49:00.001-06:00

This last post from the DR begins in the van as we bounce down the road out of Sierra Prieta. The entire team is overwhelmed by the experience of the last week and especially of Friday. The tears from the locals on our departure were real tears of people who will miss their close friends. It almost chokes me up to even type about it. The people have become a part of us and we are carrying their spirit in our hearts as we leave. The Dominican people and especially those of Sierra Prieta are so giving and welcoming and they make our thoughts of hospitality seem anemic, despite the great wealth we all live in.

Yesterday we began with an incredible game of softball with the local youth. It really was a fun time. It was like being on the playground; we had captains and chose teams. After being split up we began to play. It was really incredible how there was no awkwardness or difficulty of acceptance. The game was much fun and Bob and Steve really shined. Their skill brought much respect. After 6 exciting innings we called it a game and all the players and spectators gathered in a circled to be led in prayer. It was a truly incredible experience.

After lunch the ladies of our team were able to bless the women who had been cooking for us during the week. They volunteered their time to work with a pastor’s wife came everyday from another community to be trained how to cook for us. We had been trying to figure out an appropriate way to thank them for all of their work and care. So Terry led the women of our team in giving all of the ladies a complete pedicure treatment. The ladies of the community took to the treatment with great excitement. It was really incredible to see the expressions on the faces of all involved.

After the pedicure treatments came to a close as most of the team spent the afternoon hanging out with the people and children who would gather around the church. At the same time Lori, Steve, and I (Greg) were able to meet with the leaders of the community leaders at the elementary school to hear of their vision for the community. It was very inspiring. One of the things that really impressed us was the hope and truly constructive nature of the things that they wanted to see happen in their community. The primary requests had to do with safety/sanitation, children, youth, and health. The primary things they indicated were about education, job training and keeping youth directed away from drugs, prostitution and alcohol. They expressed over and over that their desire was for resources to overcome problems not for us to fix them.

Following the meeting with the community leaders we were invited to a most inspiring Farewell Ceremony. Many different leaders shared words of gratitude and kinship. The most touching was the address by the community association president. He said that the people of Sierra Prieta were very sad and without hope before they knew of our interest in them. But now that outsiders from a place such as the United States had come with such concern for them, their children and their young people there is now an atmosphere of hope and a desire to follow a vision for the community. No one would say “adios” or good-bye. They all kept telling us “Hasta Luego” until later. They said over and over that their doors are always open to us and that even if we came only for a visit with them that we would be welcome at any time. Following these speeches we were each presented with a certificate of appreciation from FFH. We felt like we were presented with the key to the city when they gave us a beautiful hand painted plaque in honor of our trip and efforts to help this community. Greg and Dale and Terry shared words of friendship and farewell. And each person from the community who spoke expressed their concern for a safe trip home and promised to pray for us, as they knew we would be praying for them.

Following the Farewell meeting we grabbed a quick dinner of PB & J and then joined another service in the yard of the church. The style of worship is so different but very energetic and after much singing and praising Greg spoke a gospel message from Mark 11:15-18. The message was described as strong and to the point by one listener.

After the service there were many tearful “Hasta Luego’s”, hugs, kisses and smiles. We look forward very anxiously to our report presentation on Sunday the 22^nd of November.

We are now at the hotel near the airport and very much enjoying the air-conditioning and modern amenities that we will soon be taking for granted again.

Thursday

2009-10-29T21:44:00.000-06:00

Today we are finding ourselves very sad to see the week coming to an end. After the evening service tonight the people were expressing to us how sad they were that we are leaving. They said that the last days they have been counting down sadly the time until we leave. They are already asking when we will return. They want to know when they can mark on their calendars that we will be back. They have told us that their hearts are breaking thinking about our departure.

We had a long day today with VBS in the morning. Corianne (AKA Korean) and Terry (AKA Cherry) (this is how the people here have been pronouncing their names) gave a great lesson about the power of God. Then we made bracelets with the five colors on them to represent the story of salvation. It was very exciting to see them repeat what all the colors are and their significance. Then the parachute and balloons. At the same time the rest of the team was completing another latrine.

The afternoon brought the completion of another latrine and more sponsored children home visits. The following children were visited.

Alexander sponsored by the Faxons

Oliver sponsored by the Hermans

Dianisia & Paquita sponsored by the Chandlers

This evening the church had a campaign service with lots of out charismatic worship. Then Dale shared his testimony about being brought out of a life of drugs and alcohol by God’s intervention. This really spoke to the young people as drugs and alcohol are a huge problem among young people here. A man from the army shared how he had been saved and gave a great invitation.

As we gathered together after the service the team, 10 from Cornerstone and our 3 interpreters, had a special and moving time of prayer. We have gained an even greater burden for these people and the local church here.

There will be a final evangelistic service here on Friday night before we leave the community on Saturday to head to the city for our Sunday departure. Greg has asked if he would be able to preach at this service – we are waiting to see how the organizing churches respond. Please pray for this opportunity no matter who brings the message.

Also tomorrow we will be playing in a softball game with the local youth. The people here are treating this almost like a holiday. Everyone from the smallest kids to the older adults are asking “What time is the game?” There is a great deal of excitement surrounding the game. Pray that we will see and take advantages to make a positive impact during this time.

Sorry no pictures today – it’s too late and I have to get some sleep. Upload times for even small pictures are 5 to 15 minutes each.

What an Incredible Day!

2009-10-28T21:19:00.000-06:00

Today was the first day that things started to feel familiar. We had breakfast at 8am and then some went out to meet with their sponsored children while the rest of the team completed another base for a new latrine. Today was a good weather day as there was only rain during lunch. In the afternoon the VBS was great again as Lori and Zach taught about Peter cutting off the ear of the High priests slave as they arrested Christ. The kids love the songs and just desire to cling to people at all times. After the lesson we brought out the parachute again and is was a huge hit. Many adults and even an elderly woman joined in.

We completed our first latrine today. The family is so excited. The mother came out and looked in it as it was completed she said, “Que linda!” - how beautiful. This is really an incredible thing for them.

Adelia sponsored by the Vanderwerf family

Guder sponsored by the Faxon family.

Enerfries and Filipe sponsored by the Mckearney family.

Bob had an opportunity to minister using his medical training. He checked out a boy who had a fever @ 2 years old and now can’t hear out of one ear and seems to have a lazy eye. Now he is 15 years old. He has seen a specialist but it was a long time ago. Bob suggested that returning to the specialis would be the best thing to do. But it was his presence to encourage the family and motivate them to help their son that made a real difference.

Louis the country director came by to honor our presence. I had the opportunity to hear his perspective on the people here. He was telling me how the people have no real hope. They don’t see positive things in their future. The parents don’t even have hope for their kids. But the presence of people here from far away in an important place like the US brings them up to a great level of confidence. No important people come here unless they are looking for something – like a vote. Many relief agencies bring only money. But the significance of our presence is the relationships we are building. Relationships are what it takes to give people hope, especially people who are perceived as valuable. The truth is that the value comes from Christ – but the only way some may accept this is through being valued by others.

This evening was easily the highlight of the day. We planned to show a movie about the life of Jesus, “The Story of Jesus for Children” Despite problems with the equipment the evening was an incredible success. We could not get the video projector to work, and so showed the movie on the laptop we brought to transmit the blog info. Fortunately there was a sound system we could use for the sound but the 15” screen served to show the movie to over 100 people mostly children and adults. The front yard of the church was overflowing with people before the movie began. While we were having technical difficulties getting things moving the ladies began some singing. It was incredible to hear 100 Dominican voices singing with such great enthusiasm the songs that we had never heard only months ago. It was overwhelming and emotional to hear those kids chanting “Otra, otra!” They were calling for more songs over and over.

Once the movie began more and more people came and watched. The close attention that was paid throughout the movie was amazing. After the movie Martires gave a clear and concise Gospel invitation. 23 young people and children came forward and accepted Jesus as their savior. Their names are below please hold them up to pray.
Antonio
Jason
Pedro Louis
Edifrain
Louisdavi
Louis Manuell
Juan
Eliseo
Vladimil
Emily
Alberto
Endri
Luigi
Samuel
Milady
Emily
Rafiel
Mariella
Desidenny
Amourice
Quarelli
Ronel-Benjamin
Leon-Ramirez

2009-10-27T19:23:00.000-06:00

Tuesday – This morning we divided up into 2 teams once again. There was a work crew and a home visit crew for the morning. The work crew completed another cement base for a latrine. The home visit crew went with Kelvin, the community liaison, and Chelia (Shay-la) the interpreter who joined us yesterday afternoon. Kelvin brought us to visit the homes of 4 different sponsored children.

The children were very intimidated and we had to work very hard to draw them out. Though I don’t think many 9 or 11 year olds would be much different given the 6 foreigners staring at them hoping for a response. With some effort at communication there was a little response and the mothers or grandmothers of the children were very welcoming and thankful for the partnership we have entered into with them. Greg even tried the “waist high on my ducks joke” to break the ice – at least it loosened everyone up.

The FFH staff assures us that subsequent visits will go much better now that a beginning relationship has been established.

We visited the homes of:

Yasmine and Ciprian sponsored by the Herman family

Christofer sponsored by the Wilson family

Mariana sponsored by the Mckearney family

Mariana was the most outspoken she said she hopes that we come back; she wants to see her sponsored family again soon. They really see our presence here as a sign of hope and blessing.

The afternoon’s activities were hindered by a rain storm that hit just as the work project and VBS were supposed to begin. They probably see the annual rainfall of the Powell area each week.

After two and a half days here we are drawing closer as a team and learning to trust each other not just as teammates but with realities of our weaknesses.

Zach says “It’s and experience, it’s really very cool – I feel very white.”

We are all working hard to learn the culture and build relationships with the people here. Dale can’t speak much Spanish so he yells “Hola” and holds up the 2 fingered peace sign. Now almost the whole community is doing this when they see us. It’s neat to see a small gesture of welcome from so many.

The team and especially the ladies have been connecting so well with the children and young girls. It seems like if we are outside of our quarters they are holding and talking and singing all around.

It has been a blessing to have Bob with us, it’s been a comfort to be able to have a MD address our aches pains, watch over Steve’s incision site, and advise on bug bites. We sleep with mosquito spray every night and still seem to get a bit or two.

The rain broke and we were able to begin the VBS this afternoon. However, as soon as we had gathered about 20 kids the rain began again so we moved them inside the building where we are staying. Aletha did a great job telling the story of Peter getting out of the boat and walking on water. After some singing and the story we brought out the parachute provided by Chris Wolff. It was really incredible to watch the kids play with it.

I can’t wait to share a video – but the upload time is so long I can’t possible do it from here. Each picture takes up to 15 min. and must be done out back by the outhouse. But it is so incredible to be able to share with everyone as it happens. Be sure to tell everyone to check the blog I’ll try to update daily.

The work crew couldn’t work because of the rain soaked ground. It’s too dangerous to work in mud along the edge of a freshly dug deep hole. While VBS was going on the guys from the crew helped fill the water tank for washing and then get our truck unstuck from the mud. Dale wore some of the mud for the rest of the day. Then the guys got out one of the soccer balls and played volleyball in the street with the teenage guys from the community. This was very exciting because it was our first real interaction with them.

Before dinner we had a short meeting with Arismendy the FFH regional director. He shared FFH’s vision for the community and similar communities across the world, to work closely with local leaders, families and local churches to alleviate poverty on all levels. Here in the Dominican Republic, the communities are so welcoming and to their work which has made them so much more effective. There have been many promises made to them by politicians, and even other non-profit relief agencies but with no actual results. But FFH’s continual presence in the communities shows their real commitment.

He also shared that they would welcome donations of school supplies, baseball equipment, clothing and shoes (especially for children. The latrines we are building will especially help the kids who often don’t have shoes and so can be found walking in very unsanitary conditions. It causes them many health problems.

This is our first evening to have a real break without at church service. It has been much needed and helped us to bond and recover from the extreme humidity and heat and catch up from our long travel day. As I am writing there are still drips of sweat coming off my head at 8:30 at night.

Since I’m writing I’ll take this opportunity to thank my wife for the cards and to tell her and the kids I love you and miss you. – I’m sure the others would share similar greetings if they had the opportunity.

God bless thank you for your prayers.

Almost forgot – Kelvin (community liaison) asked Bob if he would be able to look at 2 different kids with some severe health problems that, I believe, have never seen a doctor. Of course he agreed – we’ll see how this goes over the next couple of days.

We will be visiting more sponsored children tomorrow as well as the planned work project and VBS.

Thursday will be much the same – however we will attempt to lead a VBS in the morning too for kids who attend school in the afternoon. Friday we will continue to interact with the community and have a softball game against the local youth group.

Please pray for the FFH’s coordinators, Martires and Jose, they spend week after week away form their families to be with church groups here in the poor communities. One time, Martires spent only one night at his house if 4 weeks of working with teams. These godly men have become like brothers to us.

This is me outside by the outhouse sending the blog last night. God Bless!

Happy Birthday Emily!!

2009-10-26T20:11:00.002-06:00

Dale and Zach felt veyr badly that they could not be with Emily for her birthday today. Happy birthday!!!

Monday

2009-10-26T20:09:00.001-06:00

Day one of Ministry

We began the day with breakfast promptly at 8am. After which we divided up into groups one for home visits and VBS & the other for the work project. The group doing home visits met some very welcoming families and some with great needs. One woman Lativa, whose husband had just left her, had 2 boys 6 years and 10 mos. She had no job because she had to take care of her baby, who had a health condition.c
In the morning the work crew laid cement for the first latrine. The community members have dug the holes and then work along side the team. FFH team members Franco and Darrio, construction foreman and apprentice, taught the work crew to do the cement work for the bases of the latrines. We completed two latrines on Monday. On Tuesday the other group will work as Monday’s work crew does home visits and teaches the VBS.

The first day of the VBS brought about 40 kids from the community. The lesson was about when Jesus called the disciples to be fishers of men. They sang children’s songs in Spanish and made a craft of a fishing pole with a fish attached by yarn. The first day revealed many things we hope to improve on throughout the week, including better use of interpreters and better explanation of the crafts. But the children had a great time and learned about spreading the gospel.

In the evening we went with a local evangelist to another part of the community to take part in a service. Bob Chandler preached about Peter and his denial of Christ and subsequent restoration. It was well spoken and well received, despite the rain.

The community has been saying we have brought with us the blessing of rain. They depend on rain almost daily for household water needs and for crops and animals. There is a well in town for drinking water but all other water must be carried a distance or collected from the rain.

We are adjusting to the weather conditions. It has been very hot and always humid. For many of the guys the only time we don’t sweat is when we are taking a bucket shower. The work crew had to keep putting on sunscreen and so far we haven’t had any bad burns to report.

The team has been very supportive of each other. We are also bonding with our Dominican team members very well. Kelvin is the local contact for FFH and though he does not speak English we have enjoyed getting to know him as well. He lives in another community where he has been helping with development. He and his wife just had a baby boy. He drives here everyday to help with our ministry. Also today a new interpreter, Cheila, joined our team. She has never interpreted formally before. She has done informal work in bilingual classes. She just turned 18 last weekend and is a member of the church that Martirtes and Arismendy attend.

Arriving and Meeting the People

2009-10-26T20:07:00.002-06:00

The flights out here were an adventure but like everything that has tried to hinder our trip we saw God work things out to his glory. Despite hours of delay leaving Denver we managed to run through the airport in Philadelphia and got on our flight with no time to spare.

Arriving was like entering a new world – hot, humid, and filled with smiling friendly faces. We were met by Martires, Jose, Arizmendy, and some others. Jose and Martires are our translators – living with us in the church and taking care of all the logistics of the trip. Arizmendy is the regional director and is looked upon very highly in Sierra Prieta as one who is bringing the much needed help and resources of Food for the Hungry.

Our living quarters are fully adequate – a cinder block church with a tin roof and a tarp strung across one end to separate the women and men.

We got to sleep very late and slept in. After breakfast we took a walk around the community and met some of the children and people of Sierra Prieta. It is filled with primitive wooden and tin homes that are not much bigger than single car garages. The people are so friendly and smile and wave at every turn. As we walked along we played catch with the kids and quickly we included in a game of pelota, which is more like cricket than anything else I could describe. Soon a few of the ladies were getting their hair braided in the local salon and other folks were making home visits. It was so amazing to see team members connect so quickly despite the language barriers.

The children look at us as though we are celebrities and flock around whenever we are about. Sunday afternoon brought us to the local school which only has enough rooms for kids up to 4^th grade even though they meet in 2 sessions each day. They had a welcome meeting complete with speeches from community leaders, the principle, the PTA leader, a sponsored child and a young man from the local youth group. Food for the Hungry people also spoke and each person was very excited about the partnership we have started and spoke of many visits. They said we should consider Sierra Prieta our home. In some ways we already do.

As the meeting progressed a rain storm struck. It really struck. It was raining so hard that we had to suspend the meeting as speakers could not be heard due to the rain on the tin roof. We waited about 25 minutes, completed the meeting during a lull and then waited another 40 mins for the rain so subside enough to leave.

The evening brought a service at the church, which was outside because we have taken up the entire inside of the church with our beds. It was very similar to a service in the States minus the lights, building, and other technologies. Zach and Aletha shared their testimonies to the blessing of all in attendance.

We have all made special connections with the people here already. The family of Gregorio, and his son Wilson, their wives and children has opened their home to us already – almost seeming insulted when we had to leave after an hour of conversation and hospitality. Their home is no more than 200 square feet divided up into 3 rooms. Their cocina, or kitchen, is outside. Its a fire on an tin piece elevated on sticks/branches.

Sierra Prieta Quarterly Update

2009-10-22T22:49:00.003-06:00

The team is finalizing last minute preparation. Excitement for the trip is at an all time high. In just over 24 hours we'll be headed to Billings for an early morning departure that will deposit us in Santo Domingo by 10 pm local time. Just this week we received an update on the progress Food for the Hungry(FFH)'s staff is making in helping in the community.

As you pray for the team from Cornerstone and our partners, the people of Sierra Prieta and FFH, I thought you would like to hear more of what God is already doing and see a few pictures from the community. What follows is FFH's actual report from the front lines.

C2C QUARTERLY REPORT

COMMUNITY: SIERRA PRIETA, MTE. PTA., DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

Main activities:

Solving legal identity cases of some community members

When FH began a relationship in the community of Sierra Prieta, we noticed that about 50% of the people in the community of all ages and genders did not have birth certificates. This meant they were not registered in the Registry Office. Their status kept them from certain civil rights as Dominicans. In essence, the lack of a birth certificate meant that the did not exist as people in the eyes of the government. Many of the children and youth of the community can’t register in school because they don’t have birth certificates. Youth and adults don’t have opportunities to get better jobs because they don’t have education, and in some cases if they do have education, cannot get an ID that would allow them to have a better standard of living.

FH promoter Martin Martinez met with community leaders to create a plan in which they could solve this problem. Martin Martinez contacted Mr. Salud Hernandez, president of Los Botados development committee (this community is 5 kilometers from Sierra Prieta), who was very supportive.

Salud Hernandez trains people from the community about the importance of having their birth certificates.

With the collaboration of Mr. Salud Hernandez, we began the process of getting the birth certificates for community members in any age group who didn’t have their documents. Martin Martinez also developed an arrangement with the school principal that allowed undocumented youth to begin their studies while still in the process of requesting birth certificates from the government.

Children, adults and youth from the community attend the training with Mr. Salud Hernandez.

Donation of sports equipment

In the community of Sierra Prieta, the youth could not practice sports due to lack of resources to purchase equipment. The youth of the community approached FH promoter Martin Martinez and requested sports equipment. FH responded to the request by donating baseball and softball equipment, which were handed over to the youth leader’s group.

This action had immediate results. Now, the youth are developing their sports abilities and keeping their minds busy, rather than developing bad habits such as drugs, alcohol and prostitution. Some children are working towards the goal of having careers in baseball when they are older. Moreover, relationships between youth are improving as they practice together.

Children and youth with their sports equipment

Prayer requests:

- For the unification of the community for their own development.

- For the birth certificate process in the community.

- For God to continue taking care of the children of Sierra Prieta.

Read This First

2009-10-05T13:16:00.000-06:00

If you have made it to this page then you either:

A) have a vested interest in the people of Sierra Prieta (you sponsor a child)

2) you have a vested interest in the team from Cornerstone Community Fellowship who is going there.

In either case there are some things that I really want you to be aware of as you try to follow our trip and the ministry that God does in Sierra Prieta.

The first thing is the very nature of poverty. Our preparation has been pretty extensive consisting of reading, Bible memorization, listening to sermons, team building exercises and training sessions. One of the most significant things to come out of our training is a better and more Biblical understanding of poverty than any of us had before. It would be really worth your time to listen to the podcast “Poverty Started Somewhere” found at http://povertyunlocked.com/2007/07/30/pu-002-poverty-started-somewhere-jul-30-2007/. It is a very general but incredibly Biblical perspective on where poverty comes from, what causes it and helps us see how we can be a part of combating it. The bottom line is that Poverty is a matter of sin destroying the way we were meant to relate to everything. They can be broken down into four different failed relationships 1) Failure of Spiritual relationship – our relationship with God 2) Failure of Social relationship – our relationships with other people 3) Failure of Physical or Environmental relationship – The way we relate to the physical world 4) failure of relationship with Self – A failed mental and emotional state that won’t let us see ourselves for what we are.

Poverty isn’t just a lack of money, or resources or opportunity. It’s the result of a failed and sinful system of relationships. Our desire in this is to help restore relationships so that people can begin to heal their perspective and overcome the obstacles they face.

The second thing I want you to grasp is what our C2C (community to community) relationship is about. The people of Sierra Prieta are not a project for us to complete or lost souls to save. They are a community of people we are PARTNERING with. In a real sense they are actually the lead partner. The sanitation project we will be working on has been chosen by them. If we don’t get it completed they will finish it. Each time we work on a project it will be at their direction. Food for the Hungry does have a community representative who works in the community to help educate and give advice to the community leaders but the locals themselves make the final decisions. Our primary role is to enter into healthy and encouraging relationships with the people of Sierra Prieta. For more on the value of relationships in overcoming poverty see http://povertyunlocked.com/2009/09/11/pu-040-walking-with-the-poor-sep-11-2009/.

For information about C2C relationships see http://povertyunlocked.com/2009/06/05/pu-036-church-partnerships-jun-5-2009/ and http://www.fh.org/help/churches/c2c.

The third and final thing that is so important to me and the team is that you, the people of Cornerstone, see this as a whole church undertaking. Already many of you are sponsoring children in Sierra Prieta. Already you are sending money and praying for a particular child or children and their family. This trip is the next of many steps we will take to be a part of God’s transforming work in the lives of this community. Pray, for us and the community, learn about what we are doing and why we are doing it the way we are, and prepare, you may be the next to go. Ask God if he would make a way for you to go on the next trip we take to the Dominican Republic.

My name is Greg Wilson. It’s my privilege to lead our team of 11 workers. We are the first missions team from Cornerstone Community Fellowship. I believe that we will find great blessing and great challenge. Our primary goal is to Glorify Christ in all that we do. I can already see him at work, can you? Are you looking with expectation?

Colossians 3:17 And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father. (New Living Translation)

I wonder if we'll be able to post from the DR...

2009-09-20T21:05:00.000-06:00

Hola team!
The Cornerstone team of Senders and Goers has accomplished so much in a short time! The equivalent of one hundred percent of our membership (or fifty percent of our regular attenders) are already sponsoring a child in Sierra Prieta. God is surely glorified in the generosity of our church family who is providing financial support this way, as well as providing the means to send our first eleven Goers during the last week of October. I am honored to be one of those.

We hope to communicate with our sending team during the trip by writing regularly and posting pictures, perhaps using this blog. Internet connections and time will tell... -Lori

Let's continue to pray for our future loved ones in the D.R.:
Dear Father, have your way with our church and with this C2C relationship. Only you can draw the heart of a person to yourself. So right now, whatever the people of Sierra Prieta are doing, please send your Holy Spirit to speak to their hearts about their need for you. Draw them to Jesus and raise them up to be laborers for your kingdom. We thank you for the opportunity to be senders and goers who can participate in the work you are doing there. Amen