Facelift for the soccer field

Well we have been able to jump right into work since we have returned to the DR. It has been awesome catching up with everyone and showing off our little guy. Our first week back saw us helping with a team from Illinois and also an exploratory group that was here to see the ministry. Amanda spent time in the kitchen with the cooks preparing meals for the team and I was able to help be tour guide and translator. It was great jumping back into Spanish again after a four month break.

This past Friday I spent several hours with Romano building some new goals for the soccer field. The old goals were made of bamboo poles stuck in the ground with a "Y" carved in the top to lay another pole across for the crossbar. Each goal was a slightly different size but it worked! The new goals are now made of three inch PVC pipe glued at the joints with elbows. The look great and they are both the same size!! It is exciting to play with the new goals and the guys love them. Right now the team is getting ready for a game against a Dominican team from La Vega which is about 30 minutes away. They are very excited for the opportunity and I can't wait to use this chance to share God's love! Here are a few pictures of the new goals and some of the guys working on them:

Edmon, Elysee, and Romano working on a new hole for the post.

Elysee watching Edmon put a bamboo pole in to anchor the pvc pipe.

Elysee compacting the dirt around the new post while Romano holds it in place. Edmon is cutting the grass in the back with a machete.

A view of the whole field from behind the first completed goal.

Introducing Elian David Alberto!

I went to see Esther in the hospital today (I went yesterday with Catherine but we weren't able to see her because we came while she was still in recovery). She seemed to be doing ok but in a good amount of pain after her C-section. Oh, I remember those days!!! I assured her that after a couple days she would be feeling MUCH better. Baby Elian was 9 pounds (but still looks tiny to me) and extremely adorable. He is a healthy boy and both he and mom are doing great. Keep them both in your prayers as Esther has a good 6 weeks of recovery as well as adjusting to life as a new mom. Below are a couple pictures and I'll be getting a few more when she's feeling better so I can get some of them together. I also have a special tie to the little guy as we now share a birthday!!!!

God Still Speaks

As I awoke suddenly at 4:30 am, I heard a whisper. Not a loud, majestic voice...a whisper. It was so clear in my ears that I looked over at Mike to see if he had said something. Sound asleep. It whispered again. Something about the kids. I'm tired, can't I do it when I wake up? I answered back. Get up, it kept saying. You're their voice. Get up and let them know. I knew just what this voice wanted me to do and I knew just who the voice was that was talking to me. I got up, compiled my list and just typed.

You see, Friday morning, I went back to the Hole for the first time since April. I assumed it would be like every other trip. I've gone at least a hundred times. I had my trusty little Nikon camera in my hand, just as I had every trip before. But somehow it felt different. I began taking pictures. Pictures of the landscapes, the trash, men and women....children. There was something about the kids. My spanish is far from perfect, but hugs are all they ask for. They all keep asking me about my baby. Where's my baby? They remember me. They remember me. In four months of being away they haven't forgotten me! But had I forgotten them? How many times in four months had I thought about them? Remembering their smiles and their laughs and their ever-so-tight hugs. Not enough, I hadn't thought of them enough, I said to myself. As we began to leave a little boy kept holding my hand. They always follow the groups up, they always hold our hands. But this time for me, was different. I began to think if when he returned home, would his mom give him a hug? Would she embrace him because he had been away so long? As our van drove away the little boy would turn around and wave at me every 5 or 10 steps. He kept waving until we were out of sight. And then...something happened that hadn't happened in a very long time. In TOO long of a time. I began to cry. I was thankful for my sunglasses. Up until that last little wave I had been cold...almost numb to what I see everyday. Just one more dirty, malnourished kid. I see them all the time. But it finally pierced me. I'm their voice.

And not just me but the people that work here, the people that visit here. The kids can't speak for themselves. We're their voices. So as I sat that morning and began to type at my computer, I put every name on that e-mail that I had been afraid to ask before. Telling them of this opportunity they have to seize and they can do something that has an eternal reward. These kids don't need much but they need something. Something that everyone I knew and everyone I've come in contact with can provide. The whisper in the dark of the morning knew I wanted to sleep but it also knew that I had been changed and just didn't know what to do with it. It's funny, all along I thought he would have spoken louder.

(below are just a couple of images I've taken over the past year that I've been with G.O.-I worked on them today and had my passions renewed to try and capture this ministry and to try and be the voice so many of them don't have)

Hello Home

We made it to the DR safely and with no flight delays or cancellations...(the first time since we moved to the Dominican). Although, we did have one of our bags lost for a day. Of course it was the one with Landon's crib in it and with all my shorts and t-shirts. So Landon slept in his carseat for a night and wore some of Mike's shorts. Flexibility has become one of our best assets! But praise God that our luggage arrived safe and sound with the Eastview team that came the next day.

Landon is adjusting very well to being here and two nights this week has even slept for 10+ hours! Last night he went to bed at 7pm and didn't wake up until 5:30 this morning. It was the best night's sleep I've gotten since he was born, even though he's always been a great sleeper. He's pretty sensitive to the heat right now, but we assume that he will adjust like the rest of us do. We have a fan that attaches to his crib and he does pretty well just sleeping in his diaper. Mike and I knew he would like nights here as he as always loved being naked!

We snapped right back into things as a team arrived the day after we got here, as well as an exploratory trip. Mike has been busy translating everyday and I even got a baby sitter Friday morning so I could go with the team to the Hole and take pictures. I missed my little Nikon! We are still looking for a part-time sitter to watch Landon in the mornings when teams are here so you could be praying that we find just the right person!

I start my little girls bible study tomorrow with two of the neighborhood girls, Themis and Yessenia. Normally there would be three but apparently Deborah moved away. I am also hoping to start a Mom's bible study for some of the young mothers in our neighborhood and church, so be praying as I search for a co-leader and a cirriculum for us to study.

Hope you all are doing well in your endeavors and we'll update all of you soon!


Landon doing his favorite thing...sleeping!

The crib that Great-Grandma Basham gave us! Thanks Grandma!!!


Landon and Mommy at his first Dominican softball Game!


Landon asleep in his hotsling that he got from Aunt Vickie!

Back in the Swing of Things

This month we have been getting back into the routine of ministry again. After a few weeks off adjusting to being parents, we are workng towards the future, including getting back to the Dominican.

Mike did several speaking engagements this month (hence the pictures) in an attempt to not only find some monthly support for Mike and I but really pushing towards finding American supporters for Dominican pastors and Christian workers.

After receiving the news that Northbrook Church has decided to go in a different direction and in making that decision it meant not supporting us, we were feeling a bit discouraged. We are really seeking a church that can support us at a significant amount monthly. But after one of the speaking engagements, a church from High Point, North Carolina is going to be reviewing the possibility of supporting us, next month. Praise the LORD!!!! Please keep this church in prayer as they consider us to be partners with them.

Mike also went to Huntington College in Indiana and led the soccer team in afternoon devotions and presented the possibility of them taking trip down to the Dominican. In the evening, he went and led devotions with the Indiana Wesleyan University Men's Soccer team and did a follow up to the trip that they took this past Spring. The boys were extremely happy to see Mike again and to meet his new son! They were very receptive to Mike's devotional and they all had a great time remembering the adventure they had in the DR.

Mike, Landon and I are getting EXTREMELY anxious to get back home to the DR and are still seeking God's will on when to return. We had pretty much left it in God's and by applying for Landon's passport and saying if it had gotten in on time for us to leave in September, that's what we would do. But with the recent passport problems across the U.S. and the fact that it took 7 weeks for Landon's SS# to come in, we had basically decided that returning in November would be best. But sure enough, as we got used to the fact that we wouldn't return for two and a half more months, Landon's passport arrived just two weeks after we applied for it. Who knew? So now we are wondering if God is trying to reveal a different plan. So please keep us in your prayers as we talk with Brook about what is best and prayerfully seek God's clear plan for the next few months.

It feels great to be back doing ministry again and are excited about the new opportunities that await us in the country we love!

New Generation of Missionary

It has been a month since we updated our ministry blog and we apologize greatly for that, but it was with good reason. We have been busy taking care of our little arrival for the past three weeks. On June 27th at 5:15pm, Landon Joseph came into our world by cesarean section, at 8 pounds and 19 inches. For pictures you can visit our family site at www.braistedfamilyupdates.blogspot.com.

For the past couple weeks, I have stayed home and adjusted to life as a new mom while Mike returned to the office part-time to get some much needed work done. He has been busily e-mailing and contacting Christian College Soccer coaches to see if their college or university would be interested in a soccer trip to the Dominican Republic. He has also asked if he could lead a devotional or come speak to their teams during pre-season. Just one day after he sent out a batch of e-mails, he already had 4 responses of interested coaches! Praise Jesus!!! Since then he has had several more responses and also coaches wanting Mike to come speak to their teams. It has really lit Mike's passion for soccer and passion for our ministry in the DR. Needless to say, we are both getting antsy to return to the Dominican Republic.

We are hoping to return by the second week of September and stay through the 11th of November, then return for a mission's conference and for the holidays and then return again to the DR in January. We ask for your continuted prayers and guidance as it will be an adjustment returning to the field with a baby, but we feel our calling to the DR more now than ever and are excited for our son to be a part of the ministry.

Below is a picture of our little Landon!!!

Wow, time goes by fast!

I don't know how a whole month has gone by without an update. I guess that means we have been pretty busy. This month has seen us travel to Roanoke, Virginia, and Pewuakee, Wisconsin for a week each and two weekend trips to Lexington, KY and Nashville, TN. In Virginia I played in a golf scramble to benefit Emmanuel Wesleyan Church's missions trip to El Salvador and gave an update to the church about the work in the DR. In Wisconsin Amanda had a baby shower and we met with the missions board at Northbrook Church about the possibility of support. Both were great trips and we were able to spend good time with our family.

This month has not only been a good time for us to catch up with and update our friends and family but it has been a good month to reflect on our first year with G.O. Ministries. It is hard to believe we have been here for a full year now! Now that we have settled in a bit we are extremely excited to see what God has in store for us this year. This will be a big year for growth not just with the addition to the family but for the opportunities to share the Word.

We thank you all for the prayers and support during our first year and we look forward to sharing with you all of the great adventures that will be had this year.

Celebration of Partnerships

April 18-20, G.O. Ministries celebrated partnerships in the Dominican Republic and Haiti. All of our American staff (including our state-side staff), our board members and the National partners of G.O. Ministries congregated at a camp ground for a time of fellowship.

We had several countries represented, such as; Dominican Republic, Haiti, Belize, Colombia, Mongolia and the U.S.. We had a special speaker, a pastor from Colombia, that gave the sermons to inspire our national workers. We also had a special guest from Colombia to do specifically praise and worship.

Our days consisted mostly of seminars in the morning and then free time to love on each other in the afternoon. Then at night we would have a service of praise and worship, a sermon on the Word of God and prayer for all of our growing ministries. It was incredible to be a part of something so international that was all revolved around the blessings that God has bestowed upon G.O. Ministries. It was a time of praise and thanksgiving.

Below are a couple of pictures from the weekend. Enjoy and please continue praying for these partnerships as there are many more national workers in need of an American partner.



John Koehler (a missionary from Mongolia) that G.O. Ministries has recently begun supporting, giving a devotional to encourage us to be "real" with God



Jhon Dario from Colombia leading us in praise and worship



All of the workers who were part of the celebration in a time of worship



Praying specifically for the Americans who are involved in the ministry



Group shot of all G.O. Ministries represented at the Celebration



A recent pic of Mike and I during the Celebration

We're on American soil!

Hello to everyone! Just wanted to update a quick note to let you all know that we are in the U.S. safe and sound. Had a bit of trouble getting to Louisville, but God took care of us. Once again, our flight to Chicago was cancelled (do they actually take flights there anymore?) but in a quick twist of blessing we were able to fly to Dallas (first-class, woo hoo!) and then to Louisville. They lost our luggage and had no idea where it was (the only record they had was the bags being checked in at the Santiago airport). But on our way to Indiana for Josh's graduation, we swung by the airport and our luggage had arrived. All is well and we are back in the swing of things in Louisville. Thank you for all your prayers that got us home safely.

New G.O. Staff

There's a new G.O. Staffer in town but we're not sure what his role will be yet. We welcome Daniel Inoa Rodriguez to the G.O. family. Yesterday, my friend Carmen Dilia delievered little Daniel by C-section. He was 8 pounds and completely healthy. Mike and I were able to go visit the family today and get some pictures. He is absolutely beautiful! Or in the Dominican, "!Ay, Que Lindo!" Below are just a couple pics.

Baby Daniel

I'm in heaven!!!

Quick Announcement!

Hey Everyone! We just wanted to let you know that we have created a new, personal page for family news. Basically, it's all about Landon!!! So from now on the Braisted Adventures Blog will be solely about the ministry and if you want to see updated belly pics and ultrasounds you can go to: http://www.braistedfamilyupdates.blogspot.com! You can also click on the Braisted Family link on the right hand side to go straight to Landon's site! Hope to see you guys at both Blogs!

Mike and Goody

Who would have thought!

This is just a quick update on some of the things that I (Mike) have been doing lately around the D.R.

This past Saturday we finished up a basketball tournament here in the neighborhood. It was a tournament in the name of a friend of Will who passed away from his home church, St. Johns United Methodist. The tournament consisted of three local churches and a team made up of guys that are always playing at the basketball court. The past three weekends have been full of March Madness Dominican style! The church we attend, (Cuerpo de Cristo) came out on top over Iglesia Asemblea de Dios. It was a great three weekends and great time of sharing with the community.

Last week I was able to make a more regular appearance at soccer practice with the Haitians. It was so much fun being out there again after about a month off. We have had a lot of rain the past two weeks so the field was pretty sloppy but it was still great to be out there again. Even though I don't understand them because they speak Kreyol, a high-five means the same thing in both languages after a goal.

Now, the reason for the title of this entry. The last two weeks I have been sharing in the Bible study with our construction crew. Every morning before work they get together to get into the Word. I have been able to not only participate with them but have been asked to lead three of them already. For those of you that know me it might be a shock to hear that I would be LEADING a Bible study. When the IWU soccer team was a here a couple of weeks ago they couldn't stop talking about the fact that they NEVER really heard me share much around them. They came down and I was all of a sudden leading their team. Well, God has been working greatly in me here in the D.R. He has allowed me to step out of my comfort zone and always guides me in His work. Continue to pray for God's guidance in our lives especially the more He uses me and the new ways He will use me.

Clase de Arte

For the last several weeks, my buddy Jen (fellow missionary) and I have been volunteering at the community center teaching an art class to some little ones. It has been a great opportunity not only for me to work on using my spanish, but to do something outside of my "job title" and work with something I love. Art has always been a huge passion of mine (jen as well) and it has been so awesome to be able to work with these 6-9 year olds and make some things available to them that may not ordinarily be.

We also have the opportunity to share Christ's love with them as we start each class with prayer and a couple songs about God. Then we begin class by letting them know what we are going to work on for the day. Jen, who has more experience teaching kids, comes up with the lesson and I am her 'helper.' We have been focusing on shapes for most of the classes so far. Just showing them how many things are in day to day life that have shapes in them such as circles, triangles or squares.

Below are some pictures from last week's class. Enjoy!!!!

Carmen Dilia's Baby Shower

I had the unique opportunity to join in celebrating a baby shower with the other American Staff. Our friend Carmen Dilia is due next month to have a baby boy and we were all invited to attend her baby shower. It was so much fun going to the store where she was registered and picking out little boy outfits and pacifiers.

The party lasted about 2 1/2 hours and about 30 women were there. We ate Dominican snacks, ate a beautiful Dominican cake and played baby shower games. It was so fun to laugh and share with all of the women, many of them from our church, and just relax and have a good time. Below are a few pictures from the party. I don't look so pregnant standing next to someone two months ahead of me! Enjoy!!!!



Opening presents, these boots are especially cute because Daddy works in construction!



All of the gifts opened!



A little entertainment...



The expecting family!



The Gringas with Carmen Dilia!

24 weeks!

I know I probably say this every time, but I can't believe it's been 4 weeks already! I am officially 6 months pregnant which seems just totally insane since I found out I was pregnant when I was only 2 weeks along. At times, I feel like it has been forever and times I can't believe that we have less than four months left.

We had another Dominican doctor's appointment today. It went great! Another good bill of health for baby Landon. It was so crazy, that just 5 weeks ago, Dr. Gonell only had to go a short distance on my stomach to see Landon in full. Today, he had to go from the bottom of my stomach all the way to my ribs to get a full shot. He has grown SO much in such a short time. I've only gained about 3-5 pounds (3 on the scale in the doctor's office, 5 on the baggage scale at the airport!). But I think that I had lost some "extra baggage" since the food I eat here is all natural. I'll have to watch myself back in the states.

Landon is approximately 8 inches long and weighs a pound. The heart was beating perfectly and he said that I am in perfect health as well. He took a femur measurement and said that we are right on track for 24 weeks. Landon has been a bundle of movement, especially in the last two weeks. Not only has Mike been able to feel him move, but you can see him kicking around just by staring at my stomach. Pretty amazing. The other night, from 4-6:30am, I couldn't sleep a wink because he was kicking and somersaulting all over the place. I just couldn't help but laugh thinking about what a little baby can do in there for 2 1/2 hours. Praise Jesus for all His provisions and protection. The only thing I am needing some prayer for is MAJOR heart burn. I'm doing what I can to limit it, but I guess it's just a natural part of pregnancy. Below is the latest belly picture, definitely getting a bit more round.

A trip to remember...

It's a little bit hard to convey the excitement and anticipation leading up to this week but all the hype was for good reason and we were not disappointed.

Mike has been making preparations for the IWU Men's Soccer team to come to the Dominican for almost 6 months now. It seemed like the week would never get here and now all of a sudden it is over and they are on the plane back to the "real world." We forgot how exhausting the college age is, even though we were just there not too long ago. But we also forgot what an awesome energy they bring whenever we are blessed to work with them.

The soccer team started their week off right away with clinics in Los Perez. Just like other Dominican-style activities dealing with soccer, almost nobody on our list showed up. But we quickly found replacements as a group of 20 American men seem to draw a crowd. Soccer isn't a very popular sport in the Dominican Republic, which I think is one of the reasons we were drawn to this type of ministry here. A great opportunity to give kids who don't play the other popular sports of baseball, baseketball and volleyball could have another chance at becoming skilled at a sport. We found quickly that the kids (and young adults) who showed up had a natural ability to run, kick and play soccer. Obviously, they weren't the next Landon Donovan or David Beckham, at least not yet! It was such a different experience for the IWU guys as the Dominican children could not get enough of their personal attention and technical lessons. It was mentioned that in the states, the kids at their camps only want to play games rather than learn the disciplines of soccer.

Along with the clinics that the guys hosted, they also played three competitive "friendly's" against Dominican teams. Their first was against a Haitian team that one of our pastors, Romano, coaches. The IWU guys quickly showed their skills as they beat the team 4-1. The second game was against a club-select team from La Vega. This team was matched much closer to the IWU guys and ended up beating the Americans 2-1. The third game they played against was the Dominican U-25 National team at one of their stadiums in San Cristobal. It was obvious after the first few minutes of the game that the National team was definitely here to give the boys a run for their money. This team was very quick and had significantly more skill than the other two teams they played. After a goal in the first half against the Americans, it was back and forth throughout the rest of the game ending in a 1-0 loss to the Dominican National team. The guys played incredibly well and we even had some fellow missionaries from the Santo Domingo area come and support our team. There was a good 600 fans that showed up to support their team and a group of about 30 to cheer on the Americans. It was so fun just to be in that environment and to watch the Christ-like attitudes of the IWU guys shine through on the field, even when things weren't going their way.

The trip ended with a great final "debriefing" where, I believe, the guys became a closer team than they were when they arrived here in the DR. These guys and their transparency really impacted not only the Domincans they worked with, but also our American staff. When we were tired and weary, they gave us so much energy just watching their interactions with those around them. Many guys stepped out of their comfort zones this week and gave their testimonies in front of complete strangers, as well as trying their hats at whatever Spanish they could pick up. For Mike, it was a chance to get reconnected with friends that he has missed so much and for me, it was an opportunity to watch my husband take a leadership role that he was born to take. This definitely was a trip to remember...


Ben and one of his campers celebrating a job well done


Preparing for a good 'ol game of soccer, shoulder style


Campers getting ready to play "Ghostbusters"


One of our younger campers learning passing skills


Tyler encouraging a new skill


Spenser showing off his skills


Camp photo

To view the IWU Men's Soccer Mission trip video, go to: http://youtube.com/watch?v=NSMmjzrpPk0