Friday, March 28, 2008

Eastview Medical Trip

The second team that was here this week was a team from Eastview Christian Church. Their main focus was doing a medical clinic in Pontezuela. The pastor there, Indriss, is supported by Eastview's youth group and it was an awesome opportunity to bring some much needed medical attention to the people in his congregation and the surrounding community.

Indriss is a Haitian pastor who's congregation is also made up of all Haitian men, women and children. This church is growing at incredible rates and you can really see how God is using this church to touch the Haitian culture. In the Dominican, there is a significant amount of racism against Haitians. There isn't a lot of opportunities for the people and this church has become a light and a hope to this community.

Another leader in this church, Romano (who Mike works alongside of), started a soccer ministry as a way for men in their congregation to reach out to other Haitian men in Pontezuela. Most of the soccer players have joined the church and have become Christians!!!

It was awesome to see Eastview working alongside of Indriss and being God's hands and feet to this community.

Discovery Church

We had two teams here this week and one of them was a group from Discovery Church. They were made up of mostly youth from the church and several returning adults from past trips. It's always fun to have Discovery here as they have great energy and are always hard workers.

Discovery is yet another GREAT example of a church that believes in G.O.'s philosophy. This is the church that has mainly funded the project out in Hato del Yaque. They also support the pastor there, Aristides. They ALSO support one of our staff members, as he was a part of their church body and felt called to work with G.O. Ministries. It was so hard to choose with this group what photos and video to put in. They did SO many different activities that it was difficult to decide what represented their trip the best! Hope you enjoy!

Saturday, March 22, 2008

Cross Point Community Church

The second church that was here this week was Cross Point Community Church. This church is an excellent example of supporting missions full-on. They not only support two of our staff members but they also partner with one of our national pastors, moise, and are building a church and feeding center in Brisas de Ocampo. They are what we would call "Global Church Planters." They planted their church in the States and are now planting a church in the Dominican Republic.

This team is extra special to me because I was here two years ago when they broke ground out in Brisas. I got to see them dig the trenches and pour the foundation and now, this trip, they were building the walls of the church. It's so awesome to be a part of something from start to finish. To be able to witness a church that, with the only hope of being faithful to God's calling, continues to bless Moise and his congregation. I can't wait to be there when they have their first kids being fed in the feeding center and the first people sitting in the pews at church. What a glorious day that will be for God's kingdom!

Friday, March 21, 2008

Lincoln Christian College

This week one of the teams that was here was Lincoln Christian College. This was a young group of college-age kids along with their Leader, Drew, who has led several teams before with Eastview Christian Church. They continued the work out at Hato del Yaque and helped tremendously with the progress of this church/feeding center/dormitory. It's amazing how this church is coming along. Hard work from MANY teams over the past couple years have molded those walls into a place where people will find food for their stomachs and food for their souls.



Also, here is a short video on the progress of the church/feeding center at Hato del Yaque.

Monday, March 17, 2008

Online Donation

Just wanted to write a quick note about some exciting news.  Now, thanks to the help of one of our talented staff members, you are able to donate to our ministry online via Credit Card or Paypal account.  Just look for the Paypal box on the right-hand sidebar of our blog and donate!

Saturday, March 15, 2008

TWLOHA

I was INCREDIBLY inspired today when I read a story about a girl and her struggles and the man who decided to show her God's love instead of praying that someone else would. Here's a little blip from the story that I found incredibly refreshing.

...Love is something better. I have been challenged and changed, reminded that love is that simple answer to so many of our hardest questions. Don Miller says we're called to hold our hands against the wounds of a broken world, to stop the bleeding. I agree so greatly.

We often ask God to show up. We pray prayers of rescue. Perhaps God would ask us to be that rescue, to be His body, to move for things that matter. He is not invisible when we come alive. I might be simple but more and more, I believe God works in love, speaks in love, is revealed in our love...

We are only asked to love, to offer hope to the many hopeless. We don't get to choose all the endings, but we are asked to play the rescuers. We won't solve all mysteries and our hearts will certainly break in such a vulnerable life, but it is the best way. We were made to be lovers bold in broken places, pouring ourselves out again and again until we're called home...


-Jamie Tworkowski
www.twloha.com

Wednesday, March 12, 2008

Our New Support Video

Finances

Dear friends and family,

We wanted to give everyone an update on the finances that have been coming in. Our first two years with the ministry we have been opporating on a base budget of about $36,400. With a new baby and increased ministry costs it is time for us to step up and raise the bar to a new level. This year we need to increase to a "B" budget of $45,601. To keep everyone up to date on what comes in we will post monthly updates on the right hand side of the blog (underneath the list of links). If anyone has questions about what is included in the budget feel free to contact us at anytime so we can go over it. We appreciate all of your giving over the past two years and we now ask for you to pray with us as we raise the bar!

Wednesday, March 05, 2008

A little time...

From time to time I will have a little free time to work on some of the images I have taken. Of course, most of the ones I choose are of children just because that is where my heart and passion are. Enjoy, I will try and post more often with images.

Little girl from El Cambranal

Mom and her 4 month old baby, El Cambranal

Little Girl, Batey Nueve

Sunday, March 02, 2008

Hanover College

It was great to have Hanover College here this week. They are a D3 school from Indiana and were down here to do Construction and run a Medical Clinic.

We continued construction out at Hato del Yaque and are making amazing progress. The hole has been dug for the septic system, a first coat of paint has gone up on the walls, all the panete is done, all the floors are poured, the ground is level and walls have begun to go up on the top level of the church/feeding center. This group of young people worked extremely hard and accomplished an incredible task out at HDY.

The medical clinic was in Hoyo de Bartola (the Hole). We had a doctor, a neo-natal nurse and several med students that helped in the clinic. The doctor being Landon's pediatrician! Funny, I slept a little better and felt a little less concerned just knowing she was in the building next to our apartment. Dr. Debbie Wallace is a long time supporter and partner with G.O. Ministries. She has been a part of our "family" for nearly 8 years and has been down on several trips. It was really cool for me to see her in her element and taking care of kids in the Hole, just as she takes care of mine. In the medical clinic we saw close to 600 people including adults, children and babies. Yes! Lots of babies.

Another small outreach that they did was they had a "field day" with the kids from the feeding center in the Hole. They played games and chatted and did relays...it was a blast to see them all intermingled on the land in Los Perez. Spanish or English, Dominican, Haitian or American...it was just a day of fun and I know the Lord looked down and "saw that it was good."