Do you remember your teacher using Flannelgraph in Sunday School?

After many weeks of training, Enrique asked Becky to model a complete Sunday School class for children.  The first picture shows her teaching the Bible verse.

 This second picture shows her telling the story of Moses.

By the way, the white dots on each picture are actually little sun rays coming threw the nail holes in the roof.

How well do you know your Bible stories?

Did your Sunday School teacher uses flannel graph when you were a kid?  What story do you think this is from?

In October we received this "new technology" from Village Baptist Church in Aurora, Illinois.  Since then, in Boma and El Montaña we have been helping the churches create a plan for Sunday School and training teachers to teach using the flannelgraph.  This has taken longer than we thought but we see progress and are patiently helping people do something they have never done before.

So, if you got the one above, do you remember what story would have this scene?

Yes, these scenes are from the life of Moses.  The flannel graph curriculum comes from Child Evangelism Fellowship.

Some things make us laugh!

In the Dominican Republic, if you tell someone to build a wall and there is a sign in the way, you don't touch the sign without permission, so this is what happens ---

We don't know whether the owner of the sign was consulted.  My best guess is that he was and neither he nor the people building the wall wanted to pay to have the sign raised or moved.  And so…this is the result.  Sure gives a little laugh every time we see it!

Ministry Update, Jan. 2014

As we have done in the past, this entry will give a quick update of each church.  In each church, there are many needs.  Listed below are some prayer requests for each church but first, we will list some universal prayer requests -

• Pray for more Dominican leaders!  Specifically ones that have a heart for youth and children's ministry.  
• Pray for missionaries to join us!  We need help (be kind please!) and are praying for God to send us teammates.  Recently we met a couple that the Lord could call to work with us.  Be in prayer.
• Pray for God to reach Dominican youth!  Our ministry in 2013 focused on training and motivating adults to create plans to disciple youth and children.  We continue to work on this in 2014.   
• Pray for the sick and injured!  So many are sick and struggling in every community we work.  
• Pray for stable jobs for so many!  The majority in our churches work day jobs, meaning they find a job for the day and then have to find another the next day.  

Central Church - Nueva Vida Jarabacoa

With a new pastor - Pastor Francisco - there is a lot of change.  Pastor Francisco Tejedas is a strong leader and preacher.  He has many ideas and the energy to pursue them.  In the past year, we have seen greater emphasis given to equipping people.  We love this emphasis!  Recently the church started a seminary class that will offer a degree.  We are excited for the church and believe God is working through Pastor Francisco to help guide the church to have a greater impact in Jarabacoa!  Pray for Pastor Francisco and the church leaders as they continues to shepherd the flock and prepare the church for ministry.

Nueva Vida of Buenos Aires

The first church plant to have a pastor!  This is the church that Pastor Alex Balbuena pastors.  2013 was a year of learning to trust God to provide and meet the physical needs of Pastor Alex and others.  Because of Alex's back problems and eventual surgery, some ministries were put on hold but God worked and it was a year of increased faith for many.  Currently, Pastor Alex is recovering from spinal fusion surgery that took place 2 weeks ago.  His house has constant visitors and often he can be heard sharing Scripture from his bed with those who visit.  Praise God, he is doing well.  Though small, this church has been sharing the gospel in a neighboring community called Sabaneta.  Some have come to Christ and are being discipled.  This could become another church or the people of Sabaneta may attend the Buenos Aires church.  God will lead as to whether a church should be planted.  At this point, the focus is on sharing the gospel and discipleship.  

Nueva Vida of El Montaña

When we came, this church was filled with relatively new believers.  Damaso, from the central church, volunteers as pastor.  Today, many of those who were new believers, are key leaders in the church.  Our focus in much of 2013 has been in helping them create a plan to disciple their children and youth. Rather than quickly offering a plan for children's, we have slowly worked with them helping them think through and create a plan.  Thus far, they have developed a goal for their children's and youth ministry.  It is - "Our objective is that the children will know and love God.  Also, we have the goal that our children will become Christian leaders, pastors and missionaries.  Matt. 22:38, Matt. 28:19-20, Duet. 6:1-9."  When we started these trainings and asked why they wanted to develop a ministry for kids and youth, some of the adults just wanted the kids to learn to sit quietly so that they (the adults) could listen.  While we do want kids to learn appropriate behavior, we are very thankful the church saw their responsibility is much greater than teaching good behavior.  Each Tuesday night, we meet with adults to continue this process of developing a plan.  Please be in prayer.  Pray that God will guide the church of El Montaña.

Christian Church of Boma

For the last few years, our ministry has focused on helping support the leadership by teaching on topics that they requested.  Lately this has focused on developing their Sunday school.  In the past there has not been a Sunday school plan.  With the help of flannel graph materials from Child Evangelism Fellowship, we hope to equip two teachers who feel confident teaching their children.  A big challenge that we face is that the Boma church has very few workers and those it has, already have significant roles in the church.  As we thought about this need, we starting thinking about how the leaders have been developed in El Montaña.  Some of those who were once new believers (5 years ago) are now key leaders in the church today.  With this in mind, we shared with the leadership of Boma that we would like to stop our Bible study with them in order to create a Bible study with those in Boma that are not attending a church and would like to learn more about God´s Word.  Because of various dynamics in Boma, Enrique thought it would be best if we introduce the idea without anyone from the Evangelical church.  And so Becky and I visited a few houses asking people if they would like to be part of a Bible study.  Two ladies seemed interested, another not as interested.  We will return next week to confirm interest and talk about a time.  Also, as we walked, we saw Omar (a teenager) and asked him if the youth would like to start meeting again.  Please be in prayer for these things.  This community is very divided religiously.  Many don´t attend either church because of pressures from family, etc.  As outsiders, we may be the best to help people put aside "community pressure" and help them focus on discovering God through studying His Word.  So be in prayer for these three things.

     1.  Develop Sunday school teachers for children,
     2.  Potential Bible study for unchurched adults,
     3.  Potential Bible study for youth.

Our experience has been, when people discover God and the truth in His Word, they grow and develop.  Eventually they want to minister and the churches will then be strengthened.

Nueva Vida of Los Calabazos
As we shared last fall, over the past 6 years, many that were attending in Los Calabazos have moved to Jarabacoa and are attending the church in Jarabacoa.  As a result the church of Los Calabazos has very few people.  Even Julito, the leader, often attends the church in Jarabacoa because his daughters live and attend school there.  With few people in the church and infrequent services, we made the decision not to continue a regular ministry in Los Calabazos and to focus more time and energy in El Montaña and Boma.  Nicolas from the central church continues to oversee the church in Los Calabazos.  We hope to start working there again in the future and we continue to feel there are opportunities, particularly in the area of youth ministry.  Our prayer for Los Calabazos is that God would draw people to Himself.  Over the years, there has been a lot of evangelism with little results.  Our prayers are that God would bring a revival in Los Calabazos.

Thank you for your prayers!

New Technology is coming to the Church Plants!

What is it?  Using Flannel Graph to tell Bible Stories in the Sunday School classes!

It's New Technology?  Maybe not new to you…but new to our church plants!

Flannelgraph is perfect.  People can be trained to teach a story.  The flannel sets we have are well designed with the instructions in both English and Spanish (we purchased the Spanish directions).  Stories can be told just about anywhere.  And very important for our rural churches…it doesn't require electricity!  

We are excited about this.  And even better, Dominicans are excited about it.  We and Dominican leaders have struggled to help the churches develop a Sunday school.  A big part of the problem was the lack of resources. Churches do not have a "budget" to regularly purchase Sunday School curriculum and supplies. Asking someone who has never taught before to teach is a big step.  It is much easier if there is a plan and resources.  Praise the Lord for these resources!

Currently, we are busy creating a curriculum library for the churches and preparing the figures for the tough concrete churches.  Tonight we will be in El Montaña helping them think through their plan for the biblical education of their children.  And we will soon begin helping people learn the stories and teach them.

Pictured below, some girls from El Montaña help protect the figures.

 CUTTING!

LAMINATING!

GLUING FELT ON FIGURES!

WATCHING!

Thanking the Lord for His provision!

Beginnings of Kid's Sunday School!!!

No fear!

How do I raise my children to know and love God?  Last spring Pastor Dave & Nancy of Rochester, MN came and spoke to this topic.  Recently Pastor Brian, Gill & Danna came from Village Baptist Church (VBC) of Aurora, IL and continued teaching on the topic of parenting.

Teaching in Buenos Aires

They came for a week and were quite an encouragement to many who didn't grow up in a Christian home and wanted to do things differently.

Teaching in El Montaña 

They brought flannelgraph sets and demonstrated how they can be used.  Some parents were amazed that their children sat so still listening to the story!  Now we are starting to train Dominicans to use flannelgraph!

Preaching at the mid-week service in Boma

Our schedule involved formal and informal meetings.  We focused mostly on the villages of El Montaña and Buenos Aires but visits were made to all of the places that we work.  We are excited that VBC plans to send teaching/equipping teams on a regular basis.

Since the VBC team came, Becky and I have been working hard with each of the churches to help them create a plan for teaching Sunday School.  As one of our Dominican ladies said - "We have known our church needed a kid's class for a long time.  We may not have the best space but now we have the resources to teach.  Let's start doing it!!!"  This was exciting for us to hear.  Please pray for these churches.

Praying for some Boma Youth

            Pictured:        Juan                   Omar                    Yoncarlos

                                          Selena                                            Yokonia

This past summer, a group from First Evangelical Free Church, Minneapolis, came and ministered in Boma. They experienced Boma life first hand as they slept there and adjusted their schedule so that it fit with Boma. Pictured are five youth who I started meeting with since that team came.  Pray for these youth.

Pray that they would…
     - Fall in love with God
     - Find good jobs
     - Become leaders in the church and community
     - Discover the joy of serving Jesus

Thank you!