From 12 below to 78.

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

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

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

Quarterly Report January 2010

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.

Slide Show Compilation Of Our Trip

Trip Video

Video compilation of our trip.

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Back Home

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!!