Mixed Feelings of Discovery

In August, Jordan and his mom was brought to our medical team. Jordan is an 11 year old boy, that is the size of a 4 year old. He is very sick and has been his whole life. At this point, Jordan is very thin, his hands and feet are contracted. He sleeps almost all the time.

A month ago, Ivan Rosalia (missionary with Literacy & Evangelism International) called me about Jordan. Jordan was very sick and needed to get to a doctor. I called Doctor Fernando (Dominican missionary doctor who works with Students International) and found out that he would not be able to go to see Jordan until the following week. So, we decided, we had better go get Jordan and his mom and bring them to Dr. Fernando. What I didn't know, was where Jordan lived.
Jordan lives in the mountains in a small mountain community that has 33 homes and only 7 children. Most of the homes are occupied by older folks whose grown children have left the area to find work in Jarabacoa or other places. There isn't a church in this area. There is a school that was built by a group of American's but it sits empty. It would be difficult for a 4x4 vehicle to reach this community, so we made a plan. Alexi, a believer from Nueva Vida Jarabacoa, knows Jordan and where he lives because his wife grew up there. Alexi would take his motorcycle to get Jordan. I would follow with my car and go as far as I dared (Fun!). And when we met up on the road, I would bring Jordan back in my car so that Jordan would be protected from the cold. This worked well, and we soon had Jordan with Dr. Fernando. After a checkup and x-rays, Dr. Fernando gave Jordan some medicine for pneumonia. And we brought Jordan home.

Today, Ivan and I decided to visit Jordan and see how he was doing. We decided to take motorcycles so that we could go all they way to Jordan's house. Alexi and Ivan rode on one bike and I was on my own. I was curious to see where Jordan lived and off we went. The trip to Jordan's house is. . . adventurous! Riding on un-mantained dirt roads/paths/??? is always an adventure. We drove up steep inclines and down them. Down is much more challenging, as when you apply the brakes, the motorcycle slides. We crossed streams and even drove down streams at times. At times, the trail was muddy and slippery, other times dry but it always was filled with deep ruts. After about 35 minutes of bumpy riding, we arrived.


Leaving our motorcycles, we climbed by foot onto a narrow ridge and there we found Jordan's house along with 3 others. Jordan's mom was not there, and Jordan was being cared for by an older man and 76 year old woman. We were warmly welcomed and encouraged to sit in chairs they brought out from a small wood house. As we sat, the woman told her husband to go and get some fruit so she could make some juice. I watched as he hopped off the ridge into the jungle to an orange tree, picked 3 oranges and came back. Very soon after, we were drinking orange juice. We talked with the couple for some time. The lady told me she was born here and she will die here. Alexi and the man had a lot of fun showing me (the American who knows nothing about life here) how they do things. It was fascinating. They lived without electricity and appeared to be completely self-sufficient. They did have running water - Using gravity, tubes brought water from a stream. Chickens were plentiful. Two goats were penned and a huge pig that had given birth to 7 piglets just 21 days earlier. Coffee trees were everywhere and a machine was there to remove the husk from the coffee bean. The man showed me furniture he had made and the tools he used. It was fascinating.

While there, a man arrived with a mule and two sacks of coffee and off the two men went to begin working with the coffee beans. Jordan's mom also arrived with 2 of Jordan's sisters. It was fun time as I was able to understand more about Jordan and where he comes from.

The situation with Jordan is not good. Praise God, it appeared that Jordan's pneumonia was gone. This is a blessing. But Jordan does not seem to be growing. He has little strength and eats little each day. Jordan turns 12 on January 3. I have not been around many kids that have the challenges that Jordan has.

The details are sketchy. When Jordan was young, he did receive care at a good facility in Santiago. While it is difficult to know the reasons, Jordan's family decided to bring him back to the mountain village. Perhaps, had he lived closer to a city, there would have been help.

Today was an emotional day. It was exciting and fascinating to meet people who live a very different life. I experienced the thrill of discovery! At the same time, I felt helpless before a small boy who needed so much help. What could I do to help these people? The distance alone is the most obvious reason that they have not received help.

Probably one of the biggest challenges we face is that day after day, we are bombarded by needs. In the US, I think I was very shielded from needs. Here, there is no shield. It is in your face. And there comes a point where you feel like helping is pointless. Now, I know it isn't, but there are those feelings. God is a God of change and with God, all things are possible!

Today was another day to trust God and may tomorrow be the same. There really is no better way to live.

[I am sorry I did not bring a camera on this trip. Photos came from Ivan who had taken them on a prior trip to see Jordan.]

Seminario Biblico (Biblical Seminary)

Finding qualified pastors is challenging here. Iglesia Nueva Vida of Jarabacoa presently has an American pastor. He will probably retire at some point in the next 5 years. Who will take his place? There are 4 daughter churches located in rural areas. None have pastors. How can we train leaders from the rural communities? There is a need for pastors for existing churches as well as newly established churches.

Fortunately for us, this challenge is not a new challenge. Missionaries all around the world are faced with the challenge of training nationals as pastors and teachers. As a result there are many resources available. Becky and I have evaluated a number of them. We looked for one that met the following criteria:

1. Free or very low cost: Cost alone removes education as a possibility for many people. The larger cities in the DR, have seminaries. But it isn't realistic for a person to go there, particularly after they have a wife and family. So, the study needs to come to the person and allow them to continue at their job so they can provide for their family.

2. Quality and Comprehensive: We wanted a plan that covers the whole Bible and focuses on on practical theology as well as understanding and teaching God's Word.

3. Transferable: A study that Dominicans can reproduce. Dominicans need to able to lead others through the study. And that is our plan. Those who participate are being asked to take others through the same study.

We found a school in Uruguay. Actually, United World Mission has connections with this school and one of our directors worked very closely with it. Its name is "Seminario Biblico de Las Américas." The school has a degree program but also offers certificate program with online courses that can be downloaded at no cost. Right now there are 10 courses available:

1. Doctrine of God
2. History of the Old Testament
3. Poets and Prophets in the Old Testament
4. Pauline Epistles
5. The Life of Christ
6. Homiletics
7. Christian Education
8. Evangelism
9. Sects and Religions
10. World Missions

Presently, Rick meets with six men each Thursday night. They are working through the first course, the Doctrine of God, and expect it to take about 2.5 - 3 months to complete. The courses could be completed on your own, but we feel that much more will be learned as we interact with one another. The men complete a lesson each week and come prepared to discuss the lesson.

While this looks like a good plan, we do have some concerns. Will men be dedicated to do the work? Educationally is this material beyond their ability? Is the reading level of the men sufficient to complete the study?

Dominicans tend to be Oral Learners. By "Oral Learners" we mean those people who learn best and whose lives are most likely to be transformed when instruction comes in oral forms. We are concerned that this curriculum is aimed at Literate Learners (most are). This may be a big challenge for developing those in the rural communities where many dropped out of school at a young age. Knowing this is a challenge, makes are meeting times all the more important since it is at those times that we are able to process and talk about the lessons.

Of course, all of these concerns will vary from person to person. We are excited about this opportunity. Dominicans, also have expressed a lot of interest. Rick's group is for men, and at some point, Becky would like to begin a similar group for women.

For those interested, the website for Seminario Biblico de las Americas is www.seminariobiblico.com

Men's Bible Study Starts in Buenos Aires

As I entered the village of Buenos Aires, people were going about their normal activities. Many were sitting around the different little house stores [imagine people selling things through a window of their house, one house sells bread, another chicken, etc]. Alex was working in one, butchering and selling chickens. Julio was standing outside the window, most likely waiting to buy food for dinner. They had invited me to come and help them with a Bible study in their village.

Buenos Aires is a village located in the hills, about 15 minutes from our home. It has a Nueva Vida church plant that began in the early 90's. Alex and Julio and another man, Don Chucho, lead the church, which does not have a pastor. In many ways, it seems to be the strongest of the 5 daughter church started by Nueva Vida in Jarabacoa. In March, I had offered to help the church and while we had many conversations, it didn't seem like much progress was being made. But a few weeks ago, Alex approached me about this study and now we were excited to begin.

I went out there, not really knowing what would happen. I prepared a small Bible study, but didn't want to "take over" if they had something going or had ideas. When I arrived, there were a little surprised to see me. They had decided to start the following week, but hadn't told me. But, as they said, since I am here, "let's start!" Within about 10 mintues, we had entered Julio's house and and 8 men had gathered. We sat in a room, around a table. The table almost completely filled the room. To get in, they pushed the table to one side against the wall. I squeezed down to the other end and some of the men sat down on the one side. Then they pushed the table as tight as they could to the other side, where the men were sitting and other men climbed in on the other side. With everyone in the spot, Julio and Alex introduced the men, sharing who was a believe are who was not. This was done very openly. I guess you can be blunt, when people are pretty much stuck in their seats. I laughed to myself about this, but even laughed more when we went to open in prayer. You see, the custom here is to stand when we pray...so you can imagine the commotion that developed as every tried to squeeze their way to their feet and then return to their seats after the prayer.

Julio and Alex shared they a Bible study option that was good for new believers, but they wondered if I had something that would be more fitting for this group. Thankfully I had prepared something. I shared a little about who I am, shared some rules and we began our study looking at 1 Corinthians 10:12-13. We had a good time as we discussed the temptations that man face, God's promises, and our response to temptation.

The groups ages range from 15 to 40. At this point, we have only met twice. At our second meeting we spent a lot of time helping the men understand how to find verses. The level of education really varies in the room. While I think most in the study can read, some are at a very low reading level. And numbers seem to be a challenge. For example, if I ask them to turn to page 1094, some would not be able to find the page. As a result, the table of contents is not as helpful. So we are taking our time, helping each person discover God's Word, how to use it and what it tells us about God.

Our study will focus on stories of the Bible. Most of the stories will be totally new for many of the men and as we read the stories we will focus on "Who God is" and "How God relates to people." Some questions we will consider include "Understanding who God is/Seeing what God has done here, what is your response? Can you trust God with your life, with your daily decisions?"

It is exciting to start this new study. Even more exciting is to be working with Julio and Alex. This is an opportunity to get to know them better and to encourage them to grow in confidence for leading Bible studies and teaching.

Be in prayer...each Saturday at 7 pm (more or less) Atlantic time, you can remember me and a group of men who are swooshed around a table, discovering who God is and how he relates to us.

Ruth, Our Hero

I arrived at El Montaña in the rain, dashing for the nearest porch.  Two women from the Bible study were there, chatting while they waiting for me to arrive.  After passing around cheek kisses and asking after family the following conversation ensued.

Rafaela:  I read the book you told us for this week.

Becky:  Really? And did you like it?

Rafaela:  Oh yes, it was very good and I read it for three days, so I know it.

Nory:   I read it too. I liked it.

Rafaela:  Do you know the story? How this woman goes to another land, see, and she marries and has sons who also marry.....then, I don't know how, her husband dies and then her sons die. (Pause) What could she do? She decided to go home, to her family, to the place where she was born, where she could live. But her two daughters, the wives of her sons... Ruth was one and what was the other?

Nory shrug:  It doesn't matter because she left.

Rafaela:  Yes, she left. At first they wanted to stay with Naomi, but Naomi said go home. What are you going to do, wait for me to have more sons so you can marry them? (Laughs) Imagine that, the old widow having a baby and her daughters-in-law waiting for him to grow up!

Nory:  That is funny!

Rafaela:  So other one left. But Ruth stayed! She was a good girl, see.

Nory:  Yes. She wouldn't leave her old widow mother-in-law. [Note: taking care of family, especially the elderly, is a Dominican cultural value.]

Rafaela:  She fell on her and cried.

Nory:  And she said, can you believe it, Where you go, I will go, where you stay, I will stay, where you die, I will die. And that was enough, so they went.

Rafaela:  Yes, where is a person to go when they are in grief and alone in the world. The only place is to go back home where you came from. Yes, and I am sure it was long, but they went, see.

Nory:  And Ruth, the darling, went with Naomi. How could Naomi go alone? She was an old widow. You can't leave an old widow alone.

Rafaela:  But the other one did. So they got home and they were poor. How could they find food? It was good to be home, but they had to find food, they had to survive. It ain't easy. I even think, what would I do if my husband died, and I have these children to feed. How can I earn a peso and leave them, but how could I send the boys out to get a peso? It gives me chills, so I pray for it not to happen.

Nory:   But it happens. You know how it was with me. You never know when your husband can die. I was so alone when he died suddenly. (Her husband died of lung cancer about 1 1/2 years ago) Only God knows what will happen. But look how he took care of me, just like Ruth. My daughters have good jobs and one is nearby. And now I am past the lonely hard times because of Jesus.  God will take care of you.

Rafaela:  So Naomi and Ruth had to find a way and Ruth went to the fields. You know they gathered the extra little bits, like what falls behind. [In the DR there is a somewhat similar custom, in that produce that hangs over the property line can be gleaned by a neighbor.]

Nory:  And there was a generous man, he was rich...Boaz, who made sure to tell his workers to leave extra for Ruth to pick up. He was part of the family, so he was good to her. So she worked for both (Ruth and Naomi) and they did it. Then Ruth was very clever and went to find him in the night and put his robe over her feet. So Boaz asked another man if he would take Ruth and when he said no, Boaz took her and they were married. Then everything was good. God knew how it would be.

Becky: Yes, God knew how it would be and He provided for them. That is what He did for you too. Your heart was broken and you went through so much when your husband died. But God knew.

We went on to talk about hardships in life and how God knows, how he provides a way. We also talked about one woman's concerns for her teenagers and her hopes that they will be good children like Ruth was. This led to talk about protecting our children, giving them rules and protection from outsiders who try to lure them into drugs and alcohol. I shared some examples of how my parents had taught me Christian values and protected me when I was young. Dominican parents are protective, but sometimes in the rural areas, children are given too much freedom to roam and so aren't supervised as their mothers are working hard at home or outside the home and fathers are either working or often hanging with their buddies drinking.

I have been meeting with these women weekly for most of the year.  Most of them have grown in their faith and Rafaela accepted Christ along the way.   This fall I have changed both the focus of our study and the method of study.   All the women in the study read, it is not their preferred learning style.  They learn much better from interacting and listening.  So I have begun to focus on stories in the Bible that communicate faith lessons.  As illustrated above, the story of Ruth really captured their hearts.  When this happens, they remember the Bible and I believe God brings His story into their hearts.  I have been encouraging the women to share these stories with their children and family.  Only God knows what kind of ripple effect this may have in the community.

Calvary Medical Team, August 2008

12 days, 12 adults and a baby (only 4.5 weeks old!), 4 different ministry sites, and over 450 people seen...all done with the purpose of loving people as God would love them.

It was an incredible time. As the team poured their care into Dominicans, we did our best to serve along side them and equip them for this time. What a joy it is to unleash a group of very gifted individuals and see them use their vocation for God.

Also exciting for us is that this is the first time Iglesia Nueva Vida and Students International have worked together. While some of our plans for doing ministry in the waiting rooms weren't realistic, Nueva Vida helped by sending translators and people to keep order among those who were waiting to be seen. The team stayed at Student International's camp and we worked along side SI missionaries Dr. Fernando (medical) and Dr. Vanessa (dental). While Students International acted as the host, we focused on the ministry sites, trying to make the most of this opportunity.

For more specific information, we decided to share in a question/answer format:

What kind of Clinics did you run? We had an eye clinic, a dental clinic, a medical clinic staffed with two doctors (one for adult and one for children), and a prayer clinic. Meaning...we did our best to pray with every person - while they waited to be seen and if possibly while they were seen with the doctor and nurses.
Was this connected with any of the church plants? Yes, in fact all our ministry took place in and around the church plants. In some situations, when the church building was too small, we used other buildings next to the church as well.

How did people get seen? Every day when we came to a church, there were already people waiting to be seen. We made a list under different categories and saw people based on the order of the list.

Did we see everyone? For medical and optometry, we were close. Certainly our desire was to see everyone, but I am sure people saw the lines and decided not to wait. The list for dentistry was always too long so we were not able to see everyone for that list. We also didn't not expect that the local people would invited friends and family from all over. For example, in Montaña, we thought 2 days would be enough time to see everyone from the village. That may have been the case, but on the second and third day we started to see people from surrounding villages. People even came from La Vega, a large city half an hour away. This wasn't a big problem, it just wasn't expect. In summary, there are more people left to be seen....but we did a pretty good job getting through those on the lists!

What kind of sicknesses did you encounter? We saw all kinds of sicknesses. The common cold, high blood pressure, fungal and skin infections, baby wellness checks, broken bones, burns, and on and on. The most serious was a small child who had Dengue Fever and was not doing well at all. We ended up putting her in the hospital and we monitored her until her condition was better. There is much more to the story but I will save that for another time.

Did you have medicine to give them? Yes, the team brought suitcases full of medicine. They came prepared and we set up a little pharmacy there in our clinic. We didn't have everything that was needed, but most. The team brought a pharmacist to help with this process. And at times, we bought medicine depending on the need.

Will there be any follow-up? Yes, we believe so! Dr. Fernando and Dr. Vanessa are talking about returning to each of the locations that we ministered on a regular basis. This will allow for some follow-up of the more severe cases. People also have the opportunity to see Drs. Fernando and Vanessa in their clinics in Jarabacoa at a reduced rate. One of the biggest challenges to follow-up is the cost of medicine. People don't have money for medicine, so they reason "why go to the doctor?"

How has this helped the church plants? In a country with so many needs, it is important for the local church to address some of these needs. This medical team allowed the church plants to do just that. Possibly when people walk past each of the Nueva Vida church plants, they will remember "that is where people helped me." Possibly, when Becky and I enter the community, the people will be more open to us because they know we love them and helped them in a very significant way. Possibly when Students International returns they will have even more opportunities.

It is hard to measure the results of these two weeks. More then the medicine given, we continually prayed that people would experience God's love. We hope that the church plants become instruments of love in their communities.

How do you feel? We ended the two weeks feeling like we had physically and emotionally poured ourselves out. And isn't that the way it should be? We just want to continually give God the glory for anything good that happened. We feel very inadaquate to respond to the needs that we see all around us, but we know we God is more than adequate. He is able and we trust Him. All glory goes to Him!

Beware: Green men have arrived....

August 21, 2008
For the last six weeks or so Jarabacoa residents have been undergoing persecution. It has been very "duro" (hard) to get around town on a motorcycle without being stopped by AMET, the transit police. Yes, in July the green meanies, previously only seen in Santiago and Santo Domingo, showed up and began issuing 500 peso (US$15) tickets and impounding motorcycles. No helmet, no insurance? Do not pass GO, do not collect $200. Instead, go directly (on foot) to the Shell station where they have a "special" on insurance and helmets: 500 pesos (US$15). Note: 500 pesos would equal a day's wage for many in this area. There are additional fines for missing lights and people have actually received parking tickets!

But more and more people are traveling with helmets and we no longer feel so out of place. What is funny is that the helmet is sometimes a handlebar ornament so it can be whipped on if AMET is sited. Often the chin strap is flapping in the wind. The guys wear the helmet on top of their baseball caps. Some dominicans are finding alternate routes to avoid checkpoints or "scheduling" their trips during times when AMET seems to be off-duty. They are just waiting for AMET to leave since AMET has visited Jarabacoa in the past and left after a while. But I recently caught this posting on DR1 which makes me think AMET may be here for the long haul.

http://www.dr1.com/forums/government/77661-i-saw-part-gubmint-actually-work-last-night.html

We will wait and see like the rest of Jarabacoa, but we hope our fair city is changing for the better and taking a bite out of crime and motorcycle accident deaths, which is the leading cause of death for men aged 20-44.

Update: September 15, 2008...the Green men have left (all but a few and they don't seem to do give out fines anymore). As one Dominican said to us, they got their money and have gone home. So much for safety!

Loss

Many of our blog entries focus on ministry or fun adventures. Some have dealt with cultural challenges. This entry is written because I don't ever want to forget it. It wasn't fun, but it was real and something that we will have to deal with the longer we stay.

Yesterday afternoon, Becky and I were talking about the situation in one of the church plants, named Boma. All of sudden, Joely arrived and after the typical greetings, shared that Geralda's father had died. We spoke of Geralda in one of our entries in the past (). Geralda and her daughter Danya have become a part of our family.

So we quickly cleared our schedule and asked how we could help. The obvious way for us to help was to help transport family members up to their dad's home in the mountains . For those who have been here, it is close to the town of Manabao. Because it was late in the afternoon and most likely I would be returning in the dark, we decided that I, Rick, would go.

But first, Becky went to Geralda's home to see how she was doing and help get them ready for the trip. She was met with what you would expect in a household in the immediate throes of grief. Many tears, a bit of chaos, cleaning and packing. A friend of Geralda's was there cleaning the house so it would be ready when the family returned. Geralda's was gathering necessary items to take to Manabao. We fell into an embrace of tears for a few minutes and then Geralda continued to pack. Very quickly we were on our way to her sister's house where there were more tears and hugs. Finally we went to the public hospital where her father actually died.

This was VERY emotional as many of the family friends were outside the hospital (there isn't a waiting area inside). Geralda felt she and her sister should go into see her father's body, but fortunately the attending doctor came out and talked with them about his death. Apparently he was brought down from the hospital because he was not feeling well. In the past he has had some type of kidney problem. However, he suffered a heart attack and died as the doctor was attempting to treat him. The doctor discouraged them from trying to see the body and encouraged them to go to the family home in Manabao and await transportation of the body there for burial. So Becky drove the family to our house where they had some lemonade before leaving for Manabao.

We drove about 45 minutes, mostly in silence. A few times, I could not help but comment on the beauty. I was seeing places for the first time. When we reach Manabao, we continued on toward the next town and the end of the road. At some point, we turned off the dirt road down a smaller dirt road and traveled for about a mile. Finally, we came to a small intersection and Geralda told me to park. There was not place to park, so I just stopped my car on the road. If another car came (very unlikely) I would have to move my car.

Walking down a smaller side road/path, we came to a house. Men, women and children were there. And you could feel the grief. Geralda's father was laying in his casket just inside his house. The casket was closed but had a window so you could see his head. Geralda, her sister and a friend all entered the house and fell by the casket, bursting into tears. Emotions were released as they wailed and screamed in grief. Family members and neighbors tried to comfort them, but how could you comfort someone who has just lost their father?

The men mostly stayed outside the house. Some came bringing big logs. Another had an axe and began to chop the wood so that they could make a fire so they could cook a meal for everyone that was there. Women worked in the kitchen. Some women sat around the casket and held a Mass. People continued to arrive. When I left, there were probably 70 people there. People would continue to arrive. The next morning, they would bury Geralda's dad.

I drove home, bringing back one lady to her home in Jarabacoa. We talked along the way, but my mind couldn't let go of what I had seen. In the United States, we have professionals who help us through times of death. Here, the family and neighbors take care of what needs to be done. I knew this, but to see it first hand, was shocking. And today, I am in shock.

We have come to love these people. To experience this time with them is truly an honor. I am an outsider, not knowing any except Geralda and her daughter Danya. But even in this terrible time of grief, this family seemed conscious to care for me. I didn't want that, I wanted to care for them and help in however I could.

From talking with Geralda, we understand that her dad accept Christ as his Savior at an early age. He was known for carrying his Bible and studying it. We never had the opportunity to meet him here on earth, but look forward to the day when we can meet him in heaven.