Christmas Service in Los Calabazos

Spent the morning at one of the small church plants named Los Calabazos. It is December 26 and only 9 people there today, including my family. It's always a small group. We praised God, celebrated His birth. After a time of worship. I shared a message. At times, I feel discouraged and unsure of how to help such a small church. Today as we celebrated Christmas together, I was struck with the low level of fan fare when Christ was born. Yes, the angels sang and that had to be amazing...but it seems most others missed what was going on that first Christmas.

Spending Christmas in the Dominican Republic is a different experience that we are used to. We miss all the celebrations that our church in Minnesota has each year. Today, we enjoyed a small celebration with some simple mountain folk. Christmas for them isn't about giving presents. There are not any big programs. In fact, the service wasn't any different then any other Sunday.

Trying to make a little different, we requested that we sing some Christmas songs and they could only think of one song. They sang it and we sang Joy to the World to them (in English). Julito said he had heard that tune but didn't know the words. When we asked how they celebrated their Christmas Eve and Day...they said they fasted. Most Dominicans have a big meal and they decided to fast.

Once again, I feel I am learning more from Dominicans then I could ever teach. My message to them was to avoid distractions and focus on Jesus a Christmas and at all times. Fasting is a great application of that message. There is a beauty in stripping away distractions. It helps us focus on what is really important.

I got to see a little of that today. I am not saying that we all need to fast or that programs are bad...I love them. And I know that programs are meant to help us focus on Christ. It is just refreshing to see a different way to celebrate.

Ministry Snapshot

We thought it might be good to give a snapshot of each of the areas we are working.

El Montana: Working to disciple men and women to become the leaders of the church. We have seen a lot of growth. 2010 was spent helping people turn from sinful patterns, teaching them to forgive, and presenting God's plan for the family. Rick spoke many times in the church and both Becky and Rick lead weekly Bible study groups.

Boma: We have been invited to help the church leaders think about how they minister. Each Wednesday morning we meet with them. We have focused on topics like - Spiritual education for children (in the church and in the home), God's grace, and helping people leave patterns of sin.

Los Calabazos: In 2010 Rick taught on the purpose of the church. This community has a great vision for the community. Rick challenged them to think about the role of their church in the community. In the fall, they decided to make some changes and they started meeting on Sunday mornings.

Buenos Aires: After a community survey in 2009, God led the people in Buenos Aires to start some new ministries. Alex and Carol shared this vision with us in January. 2010 was spent helping them start new ministries to children, youth and adults. In many ways, this is how we want to do ministry. We want to see how God is leading Dominicans and join them as they follow God's leading.

Seminario Biblico: Studying God's Word and relating it to the ministry opportunities and challenges within a local church. In 2010 we finished 3 courses - Old Testament History, Old Testament Prophets and the Life of Christ. 6 men from 3 different communities continue to meet weekly to go deeper. We study outside of class and meet to discuss what we have learned. Rick gives special attention to make sure that the teaching is practical, relating to every day life.

In all of these areas, our focus is to equip leaders. Relationships are key. While we do see many areas that need to be addressed, we listen to hear how God is working and give priority to those areas. At times, because of the patterns in the culture, the challenges in one community have caused us to do some "preventative" teaching in the communities. We are learning and we trust God to guide us as we serve.

There is much more that could be shared but in the interest of keeping this a "snapshot" I will close. If you think this is a good idea, let us know. Our desire is to keep you informed of what we are doing.

We thank you for your partnership. Your prayers are vital. Your communication is encouraging. Your gifts provide for us and the ministry. We feel blessed. We know you do this out of love for the Lord. It is a service to Him. How blessed we are to be a part of the body of Christ, to experience the fellowship within His body. We hope this snapshot is a blessing to you.