Dominican Trip Updates

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Saturday, August 8
On Saturday morning, we loaded our bus and had one final breakfast with the pastors. We prayed with them and told them our goodbyes. Pastor Martin told Mark Northcut he wanted his passport so he could tear it up. He wanted for Mark stay to lead worship at his church. It was a great testimony to what each member of our team had done in Christ. This time was emotional, but we all feel like, by God's grace, we will be back very soon. We ventured toward Santo Domingo with the bus very quiet. Everyone was reflecting upon what God has shown them and taught them this past week. As we came into the city, more talking began, but most was about what God had done throughout the week. We toured historic Santo Domingo, which is where Christopher Columbus landed, and visited the market area for souvenirs. By the time we returned to the hotel, we were all ready for a good nights rest. Sunday we will be attending church with our Dominican team members and spend the afternoon with them. We leave on Monday at 12:15 local time and arrive in Orlando at 3:05. At that point the Nevadans, will catch their flight at 5:30 and the Georgians will drive north. On a personal side, I would like to say thank you to all of the team members who sacrificed and followed God's calling. I also would like to thank everyone who has prayed for, financially supported, and for the families of those who served. You are a vital part of this ministry and it could have never been done without you. May God bless you and your families for He has surely blessed us.
Praise for: God inspired week of camp Those who received Christ as Lord The celebration service Saftey in our travels and our health Pastors Melido, Pastor Jose, Pastor Martin, Pastor Ophelio Marcos who loves the Lord more than his bus	Pray for: Pastors as they continue to minister Growth in those who came to know Jesus God's continued revival in Constanza Our flights on Monday Marcos daughter Scarlett growth and to have surgery Each team member we go our separate ways but still remain unified in Christ

Friday, August 7

On Friday it was Easter! We had our last day of camp and we saw over 400 campers and many parents come to camp. Steve shared a message on the resurrection of Jesus and we are new creation when we come to Christ. We finished this day off with Pastor Melido sharing the Good News with the parents, which 32 came down to receive Christ. One exciting story was a grandmother, close to 70, came to know the Lord. Her grand daughter was very excited which brought many to tears. We finished the day off with the largest Easter egg hunt Constanza had ever seen. Over 400 kids hunting Easter eggs at once was a bit overwhelming. Praise God we only had one small injury when a young man fell down and cut above his eye. It did not interfere us telling our new friends goodbye and them asking when would we return.

Following the egg hunt, we had an unfortunate event where a neighborhood kid threw a rock at the bus and cracked the windshield. No one was even on the bus, but it did dampen our spirits. Marcos, our bus driver, was quick to encourage us though. He reminded us that when God is working, the enemy will work harder. The price for a new windshield was well worth the all those coming to know Christ. Gloria a Dios! As we have said before, Marcos always knows how to lift our spirits and encourage us.

We returned for the afternoon camp and once again had about 120 campers. The older campers were always engaged and wanted to have a good time. Steve, once again, encouraged the teens to live as a new creation and share their relationship with Christ with everyone they come into contact with. Following Steve, we had an exciting game of Sumo Soccer and the campers made frames for their camp photos. The campers absolutely loved the photos and were very careful in decorating their frames. We closed the camp with Pastor Melido sharing once again and saw 14 people come to know Christ. Once again, God was at work and we stood in awe as a gentleman, who just wandered in when he heard the singing, accepted Jesus. The gentleman told Pastor Jose he was 82 years old and needed Jesus so he can worship God forever. What a testimony!

We closed our evening out at Iglesia Bautista with a praise and thanksgiving service. We then provided all the congregations with a chicken and rice dinner. It was great to fellowship with and worship with all those who had become our friends. All of the team had different people they had built a bond or relationship with, and it was great to say goodbye in a smaller setting.

We returned to the hotel that night exhausted but encouraged by what God had done the past week. We begin to pack our supplies, knowing that Saturday we had a journey back to Santo Domingo, but still celebrating as we had seen the Holy Spirit move in a mighty way.

Thursday, August 6			click photos to enlarge
Gloria a Dios! Gloria a Dios! Thursday we saw God's power move in a mighty way and we stood in awe praising our King! The morning camp brought us around 350 campers and Marty was able to share the story of the cross with the campers. Following the message, the campers were divided into teams and placed in different parts of the baseball field, so our Dominican team could continue to share with them without translation. At the end of the session, we saw 120 kids come to know Jesus Christ as their Savior. We were humbled by the response and and praised the Lord for sending His spirit in such a powerful way. Our prayer now is that the pastors are able to meet with each child individually and the churches are able to disciple these kids into soldiers for Jesus.
click photos to enlarge	The afternoon session, we were able to see 110 campers return in an afternoon thunderstorm. We reversed our order of the day by having recreation first and ending with worship. We began the recreation time by playing El Gigante crab soccer. The rain fell but it did not dampen the spirits or attitude of the campers, and they continued until lightning came and we cleared the field. Following the lightning storm, we returned to the field to end recreation with a new Dominican favorite, elbow tag. The campers returned to the bleachers and we began to worship. Mark, Carolina, Rosa, Raquel, Steve, and Manuel led the group in an inspiring time of praise. Once again, Marty brought the message, but did not break them into smaller groups. As the invitation was given, one young man came down to talk with a pastor and after a brief time, we saw 28 youth come to know the Lord. Gloria a Dios!
We experienced a moving of the Holy Spirit today that many of us have never seen. Our prayer is that God will allow these new Christians to grow and continue to share the gospel with their friends and neighbors.
Praise for: God calling many unto Himself Frances, Edgar, Manuel, Carolina, Sara, Rosa, Raquel, and the pastors who shared and counseled the campers Pastor Melido, Pastor Jose, Pastor Martin, and Pastor Ophelio Health and safety *The afternoon rain		Pray for: Campers who came to know Christ Pastors follow up Last day of camp and the parents who will attend Our meal tonight with local congregations as we praise the Lord for His work Final day of camp and for us not to interfere with what God desires to accomplish Pastor Melido will bring the message Friday, so we ask for you to remember as him as he shares with the parents.

Wednesday, August 5

click photos to enlarge...

our bus driver, Marcos

traveling to camp

Feliz dia de agua! Happy Water Day! All I can say to you is WOW, we serve an AWESOME GOD! It was a day our faith was tested, but our God is faithful! We had no way to inflate belly bumpers, we lost our water supply at 9am, and we stopped counting campers once we reached 400. However, Michael Carpenter shared a great message about Jesus' life and the miracles he performed to show us His majesty.

The morning began with us not having a way to inflate our belly bumpers, so we improvised by using the exhaust of a motorcycle to do two, while a truck took the remaining to a gas station to fill. The issue then arose that they could not bring them back by truck, so some of the kids carried them on their backs to the baseball stadium, about 5 blocks. The next challenge which occurred was, while filling water balloons and buckets, we lost water pressure. As we scoured the neighborhood, we learned the entire city was without water and power.  It was bit disturbing, especially for Steve, how to have water day without any water. We did not allow them to use the belly bumpers due to the massive number of campers. As a matter of fact, Steve was mobbed by about 200 kids when he got into a belly bumper. The one thing we saw this morning that our faithful God gave us enough water to have a wet clothes relay and the campers were able to get wet and leave with a smile.

Following lunch, we returned to Alto Cerro to fill around 800 water balloons and have a brief staff water balloon fight. We returned to the park with a refreshed attitude and hearts ready to serve. We had 98 campers in our afternoon camp and many observers lining the walls of the park. The campers are an encouragement to us as they truly worship our Lord. They sing loud and proud, are very engaged during the teaching time. As they worshipped, many of the staff were scrambling to prepare for water day without water, but by God's grace the water came on at 4:15pm, and we had full fledged water day.  Belly bumper basketball was a big hit, as was the wet clothes relay, but the biggest hit of the day was the shaving cream hairdo competition. The afternoon closed out with a shaving cream fight with the pastors even getting in the mix.

Today was a great day and the one thing that made a difference in the battle was knowing many people are praying for us and these camps. Gracias!

Praise for:

*Good health and safety

*Water day being a success even when we doubted

*Many community people who are eager to asssist us from the water issues to filling up the belly bumpers

*Pedro and Franklin, two teenagers who guarded the belly bumpers so we could go eat lunch

*All of you who have prayed for us

*Volunteers who helped tremendously with crowd control

*Marcos, our bus driver, who always is encouraging and eager when we are not

Pray for:

*Message Thursday - we are presenting the gospel and desire for the Holy Spirit to move freely

*For campers to hear the Spirit clearly

*Pastor Melido, Pastor Jose, Pastor Ophelio, and Pastor Martin - for the follow up with the campers

*Edgar, staff member who is leaving us tomorrow to go take a final exam on Friday

*Continued health and safety

*Wisdom and discernment for how to end the week for His Kingdom

Tuesday, August 4
Buenas Noches! I want to apologize for the update being late. We had two laptops to use this week, but an unforturnately the battery charger on Marty's has stop working so we are down to one laptop. Tuesday we saw over 300 kids come to the morning camp. The ages range from 3 to 13 years of age, which as you can imagine, present challenges for us. We are taking it all in stride, and trusting in God to guide our steps and give us the wisdom on how to minister. Christmas in August was our theme today and we had a Christmas tree and a few Christmas gifts for camp. The campers were able to make ornaments to take home and even sing a few Christmas songs. The birth of our Savior was celebrated and God's name was lifted up. The afternoon camp brought us 80 campers and a more challenges. A few kids from the neighborhood are coming to camp and causing distractions to those who truly want to learn. We want to share the love of Christ with them, but this is a tremendous challenge. Pray for their hearts to soft in God's hand and for wisdom as the pastor's and Dominican staff communicate with them. As David Roberson reminded us, God's word never returns void. The campers are enjoying learning new games such as elbow tag and kickball, but even more exciting is their desire to worship the King of King and Lord of Lords. Everyone on the team is doing well, except we are exhausted when we return in the evenings. Pray for our strength and endurance! Sorry for the short update and no pictures, hopefully we will be back up to form later today.
Praise for: Kids who are coming Continued health and safety Volunteers from local churches 3 individuals who came to know Christ while Roger and Rosa ran errands Raquel's parents who came to visit us for her 16th birthday Raquel's father (Pastor Pedro) who brought us a challenging devotional from John 14:6	Pray for: Wisdom on how to minister to the numbers Continued safety and health Strength and Endurance Wisdom on ministering to the trouble makers Water day!!!! Computer charger for second computer
Gracias and Gloria a Dios!

Monday, August 3
Gloria a Dios! We have finished our first morning of Campamento Evangelistico for kids and by God’s grace 201 kids showed up this morning. There were kids jumping over the fence and riding four deep on motorcycles to come, which totally amazed us. We ran short on crafts, we ran short on snacks, but we did not run short on excitement or God’s provision! We are in awe over the joy they have for Christ, and the enthusiasm, not only for recreation, but for worshiping and learning memory verses. The pastors have informed us we can expect as many as 300 tomorrow and we have no idea what to do, but we serve a Mighty GOD! And He knows! We had excellent afternoon with 67 high school kids who came to Campamento Evangelistico. The mission team enjoyed the time with the youth and are very impressed with the knowledge of some, who obviously have been discipled well. We have seen God overcome the language barrier and His name high and lifted up. The experience has been humbling, as every instruction must be translated, and most of the time we have no idea what the youth are saying.	click photos to enlarge
During our recreation time today, we were able to introduce a rousing game of dodge ball and a Dominican first La Rueda Extrema (Kajabe Can Can). Manuel did an outstanding lesson with La Rueda Extrema, explaining how we struggle with sin and in the end we always lose. Even the winner of the game had cuts and aches following the hard-fought battle. The team is tired, but excited for tomorrow as we expect the number for the morning to be greater than today's. The local television station came by and filmed the activity, informing all Constanza what was going on and who all the Americans are. We have received several visitors at the baseball field to find out what is going on and Pastor Melido, Pastor Ophelio, Pastor Jose, or Pastor Martin is quick to share the gospel with them. Gloria a Dios! Frances, one of our team members from Santo Domingo, sat on the sidewalk with some younger kids this afternoon who were not old enough to attend camp. He was excited to share Christ with them and prayed with four of the group who accept Christ as Lord. They told Frances they will be there tomorrow morning. That is why we are here, and all glory goes to our God and Savior for drawing them unto Himself. Thank you again for your prayers and look forward to sharing more of what God is doing here in Constanza tomorrow.
Praise God for: All who came today For a Soverign God who surpasses all understanding Our Constanza brothers and sisters who served along side of us today For the safety and health of our team and the campers Openness of people in Constanza Jose who brought his two sister to camp today	Pray for: Four boys who prayed with Frances today Strength and energy for the team Continued strong health and safety Communication barrier to continue to be overcome by God's love language Continued unity of the team Many to be drawn to the Master

Sunday, August 2
click photos to enlarge	Dios te bendiga! (God bless you) What an awesome day in the Lord! Today we were able to go to Auguas Blancas (White water), which is a beautiful waterfall about 20 miles outside of Constanza. The trip to Auguas Blancas can only be made by motorcycle, jeep, or safari truck. We believed to have all the arrangements made for our trip, but at breakfast this morning we were notified our transportation was not available. However, by divine appointment, God provided us with a safari truck whose driver was not a believer when we left Constanza, but through the witnessing of Roger, Sara, and his son, Edison; Tomas came to know Christ as his Lord and Savior during our journey. Gloria de Dios! (Glory to God) Try and tell our team that God does not have a perfect plan. While at Auguas Blancas, Steve and Pam got to go for a quick swim and then we as a team were able to worship together, along with our new brother Tomas. What a awesome time! Mark and Manuel led a great time of Spanish and English worship in song, and Steve encouraged us from Genesis 1 with a message of us being "created by God in His image". Following the worship time, the team divided up and picked up (6) bags of trash from the area. We did this as servants of God to show our thanks for His creation we are able to enjoy.
Once back in Constanza, we were invited to lead the services at Igelsia Bautista Constanza and what a powerful service it was. The church had standing room only and we, as Americans, could learn how to worship in "spirit and truth" from them. Pastor Meledo led the church in Spanish song worship, followed by David and Ayla sharing their testimonies. Mark, Steve, Michael, David, Becky, Ayla, and Pam then lead the church in some of our favorite praise songs. God was praised through the language barrier and His name was exalted! Marty then brought a message of the prodigal son and how we are all prodigals of God, and God is waiting for our return, just as, the father waited for his son. Another praise was Jose, Steve's friend, was at the service and was ministered and prayed for by Steve, Roger, Pastor Melido, and Sara. Please continue to pray for Jose as he strives to grow in Christ and be the primary breadwinner for his family at only 19 years of age. We end our day with a preparatory meeting and, most importantly, with a prayer time giving tomorrow to Him. Thank you for your prayers and thank you for your support!
Praise God for: Tomas acceptance of Jesus Christ Our worship time at Auguas Blancas Safety as we traveled today The entire team ministering at Iglesia Bautista Pastor Melido and his ministry to Constanza Roger and Pablo's Missionary Ministry relationship in Constanza Josh and William Sims who take more photos and video than the Associated Press For our opportunity of Campamentos Evangelisticos Pray for: Campamentos Evangelisticos to reach the community for Christ Team as we go into tomorrow not knowing what to expect Strength and Energy for the team Tomas and his spiritual growth Jose and his doctors appointment on Monday Safety of campers and staff *Cowboys Rest staff as they minister to Bible Baptist Church of Las Vegas		click photo to enlarge
We look forward to sharing God's victories of Campamentos Evangelistcos in tomorrow's update! Dios te bendiga!

Saturday, August 1
click photo to enlarge	Cristo te amo! (Christ loves you!) Today has been a day of preparation and scouring Constanza for last minute camp supplies. We began our morning with a breakfast at Alto Cerro, hosted by Marino, with fresh fruit and mangu (plantain casserole). We spent the reminder of the morning worshipping, as Mark Northcutt led on guitar and Marty McGhin spoke on Matthew 16:14 reminding each of us to deny and die to ourselves, so that we can sell out to follow Jesus. After a time of fervent prayer, the team began a hectic but very productive time of stuffing eggs, translating songs to Spanish, preparing crafts, and growing closer in Christ.
We then headed to downtown Constanza for lunch with Pastor Melido, and 11 gringos shopping in a Dominican hardware store. Talk about chaos! We were able to purchase material for soccer goals and a roll of all-American duct tape. While visiting the hardware store, we ran into Jose. Jose is the young man Steve was able to lead to Christ during he and Marty’s visit back in November. He was in a car accident two days ago and has a pretty serious knee injury, and several scrapes and bruises. Steve was able to minister to Jose and invite him to Sunday services and camp next week. Our prayer is we are able to love on Jose as Christ loves on us.
The most exciting part of our trip for the team was being able to visit the baseball park, where camp will be held, and spend time praying for God’s truth to be proclaimed there. We saw many kids around the field and were able to invite them to Campamento Evangelistco. Pastor Melido told us that he is expecting 200 kids there Monday morning and more as the week goes on. Gloria a de Dios! (Glory to God)	click photo to enlarge
As the day came to an end, we were had dinner on top of a mountain at Rancho Guaraguao with an amazing view of the entire valley. The adventure of climbing the mountain was well worth the meal and a rousing game of papa caliente (hot potato) at the dinner table. All of us are so excited about the bond of Christ in our new found relationship and it seems we have known our Dominican brothers and sisters for many years. We praise God for the bond of Christ which has and is binding us together. We praise God for Pastor Melido and his ministry throughout the valley. We praise God for Marcos and his excitement for Christ. We praise God all are healthy and the safety he continually provides for us. We praise God for all of you who are lifting us and the people of Constanza up in prayer. We do ask that you pray for:* Us as we lead the service at Iglesia Bautista Constanza tomorrow evening Jose and wisdom on how to minister to him Each of us individually (Rosa, Carolina, Sara, Raquel, Becky, Ayla, Pam, Manuel, Edgar, Frances, Marcos, David, Mark, Michael, Steve, Marty, Roger, William, and Josh) to be 100% sold out to follow Christ Continued safety and health for each of us Wisdom on how to minister to and manage the number of students who come Monday Local church members to be involved in our camps Buenas Noches!

Friday, July 31

Greetings from Constanza, Dominican Republic! After a 2.5 hour plane ride, a five hour bus trip, and lots of laughs we arrived at Alto Cerro, our home for the next 8 days. We were greeted at the Santo Domingo International Airport by our Dominican brothers and sisters, as well as Roger Sims from Valdosta, Georgia.

God has blessed with Marcos, who is our bus driver, but more importantly a brother in Christ. Marcos navigated the narrow, potholed road with caution, but did stop for lunch and tres leches and a beautiful photo op of the team overlooking the valley. We arrived at Alto Cerro around 6 pm local time, unpacked, ate dinner and spent a humbling time in prayer.

Everyone is pretty wiped out and headed to bed early. Tomorrow we will be meeting our host pastors, visiting the town, and the location for our camp ministry on Monday. We do have some praises and prayer requests...

click photo to enlarge

Praise God that all 16 bags of our supplies and personal items made it.

Praise God for the safety of our travels.

Praise God for Marcos and his navigational knowledge of the mountainous road.

Praise God for Rosa, Carolina, Sara, Raquel, and Manuel. Our other two team members, Frances and Edgar, will be joining us on Sunday.

Pray for Marcos' daughter, Scarlet, who has a growth on her face and is in need of surgery. Nurses are on strike and they are unable to perform the surgery.

Pray for our time with Pastor Meledo, Pastor Jose, Pastor Martin, and Pastor Ophelio.

Pray for continued unity of the team God has assembled.

Thank you for your prayers and may God bless you!

Thursday, July 30

Just a quick update! All the US team has finally assembled in Orlando at the hotel. The Georgia group were the late arrivals as they were delayed waiting for UPS to deliver some final necessities for camp, 1000 plastic Easter eggs. The team met briefly for prayer and encouragement, then it was off to bed.

Tomorrow morning we will be leaving for the airport at 7:00am EST for a 9 am departure which has us arriving in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic at 11:30 EST. Once there we will collect our bags and head up the mountain on a 5 hour trek to Constanza.

One praise is the main road which had washed out last weekend re-opened on Wednesday, so we will not have to take the long way. Please pray for safety in our air travel and bus journey. Pray that all our bags and supplies make it. Pray for a bond of unity as the team meets their Dominican brothers and sisters tomorrow and may we all understand this trip is for the Kingdom.