La Chikungunya, la chiku...what?

Have you heard of this nasty illness that recently jumped the Atlantic and is spreading like wild fire through the Caribbean? CHIKUNGUNYA, aka, CHIKV. It is now spreading through the Americas.  In other words, it will arrive in your town at some point if you live in an area where the Aedes aegypti mosquito dwells.

This is mosquito is the same mosquito that carries dengue fever and urban yellow fever.  A significant portion of Southeast Asia, Africa, Central and South America, and all of the Caribbean are home to this little beast.  This mosquito is also found in the southeast United States.

The Dominican Republic, like the rest of the Caribbean, has faced the threat of dengue for centuries.  There is no vaccine, although scientists are working hard to develop one. But the medical community is very experienced in treating the fever in these areas.  ChikV is entirely new.  There has been a public information campaign and the medical community has guidelines for treating patients. Mosquito 

So what is this terrible new infection and how do you pronounce it?  In English, it is pronounced "chik-en-gun-ye."  Here in the DR it is pronounced "Cheek-oon-goo-ya."  Don't ask me what happened to the "N" when it got here.  It probably went the same way as half the Spanish "S's" "D's" on the island, caught by a tropical breeze and now floating somewhere over the ocean.

The scientific details of the illness are readily available at www.cdc.gov and www.who.int.  Here is what I have observed as I have watched ChikV rip through the villages where I work and knock down many of my friends in Jarabacoa.  After the first case in a neighborhood, people start dropping like flies.  The whole family may become infected within a week or so and on it goes from house to house.  So many people become ill that there is doubt that it is from a mosquito.  Surely it must be in the water or be spread like the cold, people tell me.  It is well known that the mosquito carries dengue.  But the outbreaks don't sicken the majority of an area like ChikV.  Why?  Because many people have had one or more types of dengue and are immune to the type in the current outbreak.  No one has immunity to ChikV.

Typically, people are sicken rapidly with chills, high fever, and joint pains. One friend left my house feeling fine and by the time she arrived home, 15 minutes later, she went straight to her bed with chills and pains.  She stayed there for 3 days straight.  The rest of the week she continued to be ill.  There is a nasty rash that arrives to further torment the sufferer.  The initial infection seems resolve after a week.  There are no medications that speed healing.  Acetaminophen is the only medicine prescribed or recommended here.  Patients are urged to see a doctor and have a blood test to rule out dengue, as many of the symptoms are the same.  It is a great blessing that very few people die from ChikV, even a 91 year old woman, Dona Maria, in El Montaña survived by spending several days in the hospital receiving palliative care.

Woe to anyone who has a chronic illness, especially arthritis, or anyone beyond the mid-forties.  They will suffer from joint pain and swelling for a month to years after they recover.  It is truly miserable and no one can predict how long it will last.  

I have sat with many of my friends or their family members and heard the tale of their illness and subsequent arthralgia.  I can relate as I have inflammatory arthritis.  This is essentially what ChikV sufferers face.  I have even heard people say that old surgery sites and injuries are particularly painful and swollen.

So we pray together for endurance, relief of suffering, and that ChikV would subside in the Dominican Republic and elsewhere.  Privately I pray earnestly that I will not fall victim as I already live with these symptoms.  So far our family has not been stricken.  We are vigilant about using DEET and thankful for screened windows!  Ultimately it is God's mercy that has spared us.

Apparently I am not an American....

It is well-known fact that U.S. citizens traveling south of the border should not call themselves Americans.  Instead, they must call themselves "Unitedstatesians."  It sounds a little strange, doesn't it?  If a U.S. citizen answers the question, "Where are you from?' with "I am an American,"  they will be chided and lectured to the effect that "We are all Americans."  In other words, how dare one country seize the name of an entire hemisphere for themselves.  Yes, those "Unitedstatesians" are greedy little buggers.

Okay, you can tell from my tone that this is a pet peeve of mine. Here in the Dominican Republic, all U.S. citizens are called "americano/a,"  AMERICANS! Much to the chagrin of my Canadian friends, they are also called "Americano/as."  Because this term is so widely used in my adopted country, I get caught when traveling to another Latin American country by blurting out "Soy americana," before realizing I am about to receive "The We Are All Americans" lecture.  So I am supposed to say "Soy estadounidense," (I am a Unitedstatesian,) or  "Soy de los Estados Unidos" (I am from the United States.)

Here is what I would like to preach back at my lecturers:

1.  When you ask me where I am from, you are asking for a specific country of origin, not a continental origin.  There is a difference between saying "European" and "French" or "Asian" and "Chinese."  If I ask you (latino/a) you will respond some form of your country's name ending in "ano" or "eño"as in Mexicano or Brasileño, not the continent you are from.  You don't want me to call myself an American, but you really don't call yourself that if I ask where you are from.

2.  The United States of AMERICA is the only country in the world with "America" in its name. (Also, I am not from the United States of North America . That country does not exist.)  Historically many countries have used "United States" in their official name:  Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela, and half a dozen others.  The official name of Mexico is "Estados Unidos Mexicanos" or The United Mexican States.  So saying "Soy estadounidense" (Unitedstatesian) is quite general, and I don't here these other countries telling me I can't say this because they are "estadounidenses"(Unitedstatesians) also.

3.  In the entire rest of the world, if you asked someone for my national identity, the response would be some form of "American" in the appropriate language.  This indicates a person from the United States of America, not someone from the continents of North and/or South America.

4.  There is no such word as "Unitedstatesian" in English.  "Estadounidense" is a not translatable word!  The best translation would be "United States citizen."  Saying my nationality this way gives the impression that my rights as a citizen are being threatened or that I am in legal trouble in another country. As in "You can't do that,  I am a United States Citizen!" yelled in English to people who don't speak English.

5.  I REALLY believe that every country in the world has the right to decide what word or words will describe their nationality.  A prime example would be Costa Rica.  Costa Ricans refer to themselves as "Ticos."  Should I argue with them and tell them they are really "costariqueños"?  That would be rude, wouldn't it?

Sometimes I have answered the origin question by saying, "Where do you think I am from?"  Since I don't have an American accent in Spanish, it can be a bit of a stumper.  Swedish and Puerto Rican are guessed at as often as "Estados Unidos."  I am actually of Swedish descent, so that is a lucky guess! Thankfully no one has ever said, "Gringa" or "Yankee."  These can be derogatory.  Like other ethnic slang names, I can call myself that, but it is rude to refer to me that way, especially to my face.

Next time I am asked where I am from, I think I will say "I am a Viking."  This incorporates my ancestral home, Sweden, and my home state of Minnesota.  Oh, wait, I was actually born in North Dakota.  Can I still say I am a Minnesotan since I only spent 15 months in North Dakota and over 23 years living in Minnesota?  Plus, I have a Minnesota accent (in English).  Hmmm.  Where am I from anyway?

As American as Apple Pie

On November 27, millions of Americans sat down together and feasted on turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, gravy, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie.  We were blessed to celebrate the day with a group of North American friends in the Dominican Republic.  Because Ben and Elena attend a school primarily run and taught by Americans, they were dismissed at 12 on Thursday for a long weekend.

During the week leading up to Thanksgiving, I found myself explaining the holiday to a number of Dominican friends and acquaintances.  I told the story of the "First Thanksgiving," detailed the feast we have, and encouraged Dominicans to take time to thank God for all that had happened in the past year.  Many are aware of the holiday, but most don't know the specifics of the celebration.  One friend said, "So it is like the start of your Christmas celebration.  We have a feast on Christmas Eve."  Well, not exactly, but it is sort of.

A Johnson family Thanksgiving is to have pie for breakfast on Thanksgiving morning while watching the Macy's Parade.  Don't ask me how this got started, but it is hard to get into the groove of Thanksgiving without it.  This year, due to a little case of food poisoning earlier in the week, there was no pie to be eaten.  However, I did find the 2013 Macy's parade on youtube and watched it while I began to prepare mashed potatoes for 24 people.  Watching Al Roker and company excitedly announcing the imminent start made me smile. But when the first marching band came on the scene, it felt like home.

It brought back a flood of memories:  chilly nights at football games, the comradery of my college band, the national anthem.  Did you know that marching bands are very American?  Their origins are military bands, but the use of marching bands for high school and college sports is as American as, well, American football.  Certainly, there are bands in many other countries, but the tradtion and use is different.

Well, I enjoyed the parade and we went "over the river and through a village" to the VanDerMolen's to eat, relax, and thank God for His manny blessings.  Canadian missionaries joined us, although their Thanksgiving was in October.  Thanksgiving is a uniquely North American tradition. And I am so thankful to be able to celebrate it!

So what other things are so American, that they are rare or non-existent in other cultures?  Food is an easy one as every country or culture has their cuisine.  Some items that seem to be unique to the U.S.A are root beer, peanut butter, and baked beans.  There are also foods that originated in the U.S. and are now sold around the world.  CocaCola, cold cereal, and SPAM come to mind.

The other day, I was chatting with a Dominican and an Argentinian.  I told them what foods we prepared for Thanksgiving.  Some dishes were familiar, like mashed potatoes, but others like cranberry sauce were harder to explain.  But the Dominican had tried turkey and didn't care for it.  The Argentinian said they grow turkeys in her home country so she likes them.  She described a meat dish that was made with a lot of sugar and we cringed to hear her describe it.  But then she said that she had tried coconut fish, a Dominican dish, and couldn't stand it and we all agreed that what you eat growing up sets your palate for life.

I am currently planning a small sewing project, a kitchen aid mixer cover.  I say planning, because I have been stymied trying to find the perfect fabric and batting.  I want a quilted look with kitchen themed calico fabric.  At home, I would simply stop in at my local fabric/craft store pick out a set of fat squares and some batting and get to work.  On a recent trip to the fabric section of downtown Santiago, I found kitchen themed upholstery fabric (very pricey), plain cotton fabric, cartoon and children's themed cotton and a couple of choices baby blanket pre-quilted fabric.  How do you explain what calico is to someone who doesn't know what quilting is?  And what is the word for "batting" in Spanish anyway?  Needless to say I struck out.  I did get some beautiful fabric for Elena's Christmas dress however.  The fabric stores mainly sell upholstery and decorating fabric or fancy dress fabric.

The United States has a rich history of quilting. But quilting is not unique to the U.S.  Evidence of padded fabric and clothing has been found as far back as the 12th century in Europe and Asia.  But there is a uniqueness to American quilting that certainly is not found in Central and South America.  An American quilt evokes may sentimental and nationalistic thoughts and feelings.  Grandmas, quilting bees, homesteading and its accompanying poverty, log cabins and cold winter nights.  I even think of Betsy Ross sewing the flag, although this is largely a myth.

We are very excited to welcome Rick's brother Bob and family to Jarabacoa for Christmas.  They will be bringing some Christmas gifts and hard to find American products.  Many American food products are available here because as more and more Dominicans have spent time in the U.S. they have acquired a taste for American cuisine and CAFTA ensures that items imported from the U.S. are not outrageously expensive like they were in the past.  Still, there are some things that are just hard to find and we miss them.

As you head into the Christmas season, stop and thank God for all His many blessings.  His blessings run so much deeper and plentiful than material goods and holiday food.  Love, Grace, Mercy, Peace, Joy and Hope can't be bought or worked for, only freely received from the hand of God.

2014 in Review

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

• In the Dominican Republic just about everyone believes in God and God is often mentioned ("thanks/glory to God" or "if God wills"). But for many these are traditional sayings. Pray that God would lead us as we help people discover Jesus anew and His importance in our lives.
• Pray for more Dominican leaders!  Specifically, pray for those 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.
• Pray for God to reach Dominican youth!  We are praying that churches in the Dominican Republic will be more intentional about reaching youth.  Two that we work with, are doing just that!
• Pray for the sick and injured!  So many are sick and struggling in every community we work.  This year Chikungunya has ravaged the country.  The young bounce back quickly, but middle aged and older folks are suffering for months following the initial infection.
• Pray for stable jobs for so many!  The majority in our churches work daily jobs, meaning they find a job for the day and then have to find another the next day.  You can imagine the stress they live under.

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. One idea has been to have regular conferences filled with excellent teaching. As a result, they have begun to develop relationships with other churches across the island. 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 official pastor!  He is Pastor Alex Balbuena.  2014 began with Pastor Alex undergoing spinal fusion surgery. Praise God, the surgery was very successful. And as he was able, Pastor Alex and Carol began to minister as they did before. In 2014 the church started a youth ministry and in August a team from Chicago came to work with this group.  With time, God has been restoring this church as a light in it's community.  In addition, God has also brought some new families and while the church is small, they are a solid, faithful group.  God has taught them much in these last years and they have been strengthened.  Becky and I feel encouraged and look forward to see how God will work.    

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 2013-14 has been in helping them create a plan to disciple their children and youth. Rather than quickly offering a plan for children's, we slowly worked with them helping them think through and create a plan.  Late 2013 they adopted the statement - "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."  Now at the end of 2014, the formal trainings ended long ago and Praise God, they have started a Sunday school for the kids.  Our role has focused on helping these new teachers be successful. Please be in prayer.  Also in 2014, Rick started meeting with 4 young men that attend El Montaña, discipling them as present and future leaders.  For years, we prayed for God to send some men to the church and God is answering that prayer!  Praise God!!!

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.  In late 2013 and into 2014 we focused on developing a Sunday school.  By spring of 2014, a plan for teaching children was formed and functioning.  We also worked to start a Bible study with unchurched adults and youth.  This seemed to be going well but then fell apart when key individuals moved away from Boma.  In the last few months, we have not had regularly weekly ministry but have attended services and preached at times.  We have had many discussions with the leadership of the church and are asking the Lord to give us wisdom as to what can be done for the church to reach the community of Boma with the gospel.  Please keep Boma in your prayers.

Nueva Vida of Los Calabazos
As we shared in January, 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, Buenos Aires 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!

Mackey's on the move!!!

Plans aren't set but August, 2015 - January, 2016 we are planning our next "HOME MINISTRY."  In days of old, this used to be called furlough.  It will be a time for us to reconnect with you, get some extra training, and visit colleges with Ben!  That last point is somewhat of a shocker but it's true.  Ben is a 10th grader this year and next year will be his junior year, a good time to visit college.

While years ago, missionaries went to the field for 4 years and then returned for 1, it seems today we see missionaries on various schedules.  A lot of it depends on what you are doing and how costly it is to travel to the USA.  Missionary school teachers, for example, tend to go home every summer.  In this hemisphere, many are able to return home for Christmas break as well.  We have many friends who do this.  In fact, most of our missionary friends here go back to the USA at least once a year.

For us, it seems best to be here for 2.5 years and then return for about 6 months.  Every time we go and return, there is adjustment.  And so yearly visits would seem emotionally hard for us.  At the same time, being away for 4 years seems too long.  We feel it is really important to be face to face with supporters and family.

As we begin to make these plans, we want to let you know.  If you work at a church and there is a mission conference, please let us know its dates as soon as you can.

We hope we can see YOU in 2015!

Elevator Entertainment

Yesterday a fellow missionary and I spent half a day in Santiago at the most modern clinic and hospital in the country, HOMS (www.homshosptial.com). In the DR consultations and most medical tests are not scheduled ahead of time. Patients are seen on a first come, first serve basis.  Doctors take whatever time needed with each patient.  This can be as brief as five minutes when a patient is returning to have test results reviewed or as long as 45 minutes for a complete history and exam for a new patient. Procedures, surgeries, chemotherapy, and more complicated tests are scheduled.  So Phyllis and I left Jarabacoa early and arrived before our doctors to put our names on the list for the day.  Our names were on or near the top of each list.

I rode the elevator many times as each of our doctors were on different floors and I had to retrieve some test results.  As any world traveler can tell you, riding an elevator in another country is a new and interesting experience.  The US has rigid, unspoken rules for elevator use.  Everyone faces the door, strangers do not talk to one another and rarely make eye contact.  People traveling together or those who encounter an acquaintance on the elevator speak briefly and in hushed tones. No physical contact allowed unless there is child or disabled person who needs assistance.

Not so in the Dominican Republic.  Entering riders give a generalized greeting to those already aboard and acquaintances greet each other in typical latino fashion.  Eye contact is made! Dominicans are courteous to one another giving preference to mothers with infants and toddlers, pregnant women, the elderly, and anyone with a disability. The elevator is a sardine can and must be packed until the overload buzzer sounds and the last person in steps back out.  Thus physical touch, or should I say squishing, is the norm.  Floor numbers are called out so an attendant or someone who is smashed near the button panel can order the right stops.  Stops are made on nearly every floor!

Sometimes though, unusual and amusing things happen.

1.  I followed a woman onto the elevator who was playing a game on her android phone at full volume and continued to play on the ride up until she walked off still playing her game. Maybe that happens in the US a lot, but here it was just strange.  She didn't even look up to greet her fellow passengers!

2. I got in an elevator where three male employees were talking.  Two were young and the other over 60.  The older man was saying, "I have more sex appeal than either of you.  You can never have my sex appeal because it comes with age."  It was hard not to laugh.  I didn't think any of them had sex appeal.

3.  I got on an apparently empty elevator to find a woman cowering by the button panel.  She was extremely please to see me.  "Oh good, I am not alone on this elevator.  It is very bad to ride alone.  What could happen?! So scary."

4.  After squishing into to a full elevator, a man in back began to serenade the elevator and probably continued long after I left.

The week before, I was on an elevator that was taking on more people with each floor.  There was a very pregnant lady who ended up in the back and was trying not to be squished.  She called out, "Be careful I have a belly to protect."  Then someone in front repeated it, "Make more room! There is a belly on the elevator."  Everyone squished toward the front to give her more room.

Now, if I could just ring the neck of the architect who planned three small elevators to service an 11 story medical clinic with about 18 consulting offices on each floor!!  Remember that Dominicans don't go to the doctor alone, so for each patient there is at least one friend or relative along for support.

Phyllis and I complete three consultations by lunch time and left with treatment plans and prescriptions in hand.  It was a good day.

Discipling Men in the El Montana Church!

For years we have been praying that God would bring men into the church "New Life of El Montaña"  During the last year, God has been answering that prayer.  Four men who have known Pastor Damaso for years and have been mentored by him, have made New Life of El Montaña their home.  They don´t live in El Montaña, but because of their relationships with Damaso and the interest he as taken in their lives, they regularly attend and are helping in various ways at the church.  

In early August, Damaso approached me and asked me if I would help him disciple these men.  He shared a little about them.  Each of them have been reading the Bible and trying to apply what they read.  They often come to Damaso with questions.  He wondered if I could help these men become leaders in the church.  Wow!  And of course I can!

Three weeks ago, we met for the first time.  Damaso met with us and together we affirmed each of the men, acknowledging their growth and sharing how we see leadership ability in them.  We challenged them to continue reading God's Word and also, to commit to meeting weekly with the desire to be equipped for the ministry that God has prepared them (Eph. 4:12).    

Currently, we are studying a book Christian Beliefs by Wayne Grudem.  It's sub-title is "20 basics every Christian should know."  We want these men to be grounded in God's Word and have at minimum a basic understanding of Theology.  Theology is important because what we believe affects how we live.  Each week the men come having read a chapter and prepared to discuss it.  We emphasize relating what is taught to life - and are open about the challenges to live for Christ when many around us are not doing so.    

We don't know the future but Damaso and I feel privileged to give insight into the lives of these men.  We see the potential that they will be future leaders in the church.  It may not always be in the church of El Montaña, but we are preparing them to be leaders wherever God leads them.  

Please remember us on Thursday evenings.  Pray that God's Holy Spirit would continue His work of Sanctification in us as we study, discuss and apply what we have learned.  

A Sunday in Boma

This past Sunday we were able to take the Pace family out to Boma with us.  Patrick is a teacher at Doulos Discovery School (Ben and Elena's school) and he arrived the same year we did, 2007.  We always enjoy when others can partner with us.  On this day, Patrick led worship and Rick preached.

There's something special and fresh about worshiping in Boma.  The church is small.  No microphones are needed.  There is a clock which has needed new batteries for at least 2 years.  The people sing, share testimonies, and love the Lord.

Greater Things

“God of this City” as recorded by Chris Tomlin on Hello Love. (P) 2008 sixstepsrecords. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

Six Messengers of Encouragement

In early August, 4 adults and 2 youth from Village Baptist Church in Aurora, Il. joined us for 10 days.  The goal - To encourage the church of Buenos Airea and teach it's youth how to share their faith.  Our week was filled with activity - Home visits, Marriage Seminars, Youth Training Events, Youth Outreach, and Prayer Walks.  These pictures will give you a little feel for what happened.

Gil Leon led the trip.  Here he is with Pastor Alex from Buenos Aires.

Youth trainings!  Here Keyrol is giving her testimony at a outreach.

 Girls and Boys small groups

 Modeling how to present the gospel using the "Bridge to Life" track.

 Home visits, meeting-sharing-praying for people!

Preaching in three different churches.  This is at Boma.

And always, great FOOD!  Pictured is a celebration with Buenos Aires on the last day.

Becky and I are so thankful for churches that come and partner with us on a regular basis.  They are a big encouragement to the churches and to us.

Why June is hard!

A reminder - This blog is written as a record of our live and ministry in the Dominican Republic.  We want our readers to gain more insight into life here.  We also want to remember and this blog journals many highlights of our life here.  This entry, isn't so enjoyable but it's real and something that we have dealt with each June.  It's possible that what I am about to share is typical on the mission field but we can only share our experiences here.

_____

Every year, June is a hard month for us.  Why?  It's simple.  We watch friends leave.  It's painful.  It's discouraging.  And it makes June a hard month.

Becky recently found an article that talks about this.  It's written for missionaries and is called "Staying Well:  10 Tips for Expats Who are Left Behind."  It's not long and I recommend you read it as it gives some good insights into challenges missionaries face.

Before being a missionary, I didn't realize how close a missionary community becomes.  I suppose in a larger city this may not happen but here in Jarabacoa, the missionary community is pretty close.  By close, I don't mean that we are spending all our time with one another.  We all have different jobs and are busy in our ministries.  But there is a bond in the community and when we are together, we are quick to talk about personal things - joys and challenges.  These conversations create some deep relationships.  

Of course, we are quick to help when someone is going through a challenge.  There is a feeling of "we are in this together."  We all know what it is like to leave family.  We know what it is like to struggle with language and make embarrassing mistakes, over and over again.  We know what is like to leave a place where we knew how to live and be dropped in a land where we have to learn a totally new lifestyle.  We all remember the adjustment of living without conveniences and where ghechos, cockroaches (hopefully not), and at times mice seek to share the same living space.  All of these things tend to draw us together.

When we meet a new missionary in town, it's common to ask "How long have you been here?" and if it's less than a year, the veteran missionary will nod with that knowing look and ask "How has it going?  Do you need help with anything?"  Relationships are formed and they deepen as the veteran missionary shows the incoming how to pay his bills, where to buy this and that, which restaurants can you trust, etc.  

Our desire is that many would come and stay but the truth is that many missionaries only end up staying for 2-3 years.  We have been working here since 2007 and it's amazing the number of people who have come and left during our stay.  And because of school schedules (among other things), June seems to be the departure month.

The article above is a help to us.  We are staying until the Lord calls us on to something else.  Sometimes people comment about our original calling to come and two years and as you know after our first year God made it clear that we should continue.  I like to say, the two years haven't ended yet!  And as stayers, we do feel a loss each June.  

But while it is hard to see people go, we are thankful.  We have had the privilege to meet some wonderful people.  Some have been in Bible studies with us, been accountable.  Some have walked with us through some tough times and we have done the same for them.  And for each one, we are thankful that God gave us this time.

It's a little late for this year but please remember your missionaries in June.  Often it is a time when the local support has been fractured and they maybe be feeling this loss.  It might be a good time for you who are far to send notes to encourage.  I can't speak for other missionaries but suspect they may experience the same.

Thanks for reading and understanding more of the life overseas!

Thoughts About Helping Others

This past year has been an amazing but challenging year.

In God's Word we are told to bear one another's burdens (Gal. 6).  The church is described as a body (Rom. 12:3-5;  1 Cor. 10:31-33, 12:12-26) and of course, we are to take care of our body.  Some of the questions that I have been wrestling with involve how the church in the United States (US) can help the church in the Dominican Republic (DR).  There are many books of this and while I have read some of them, my years in the DR have been a continual learning experience when it comes to donations from the US.  Let's take the following example:  

A Dominican church has a $200 need.  As a church, they can save and it might take them months to raise that money.  But if an American team comes, the team might hear of the need and cover it.  Let's say this happens.  A few months later, the Dominican church has another need, so what do they do?  Some in the church start saving for the need but others might say "let's find an American team that can help us with this."  And so they do and the team generously covers the need praying God for the opportunity to help their Dominican brothers and sisters.  What happens when the church has another need?  Very quickly there is the danger of the church seeking American teams for all of their needs.  If this goes on for long, the Dominican church members may forget the need to give.  

Certainly we, Americans, are blessed to have a lot of material wealth.  Many Dominicans are materially poor.  I often wrestle with these questions, "How do we, Americans, use our resources to REALLY help?  And how do we help in a way that gives God the glory?" 

To be clear, I believe that most people who donate desire to give the glory to God.  And they desire to really help, often asking us good questions to be sure that they are bringing what is really needed and giving in a way that really helps.  The challenge I see is on this end - sometimes it seems that God is forgotten when the gifts are received and a need is met.  And as my example above shows, even well intentioned gifts have a danger of teaching people to see the materially rich instead of God.  

Some of the problems are - 

First, it is so easy to think that those who more have are better than those who don't have as much.  It is easy to judge people based on what they have. Second, it is so easy to relax when we have things and trust in those things. And third, it is so easy to believe that getting "this" or "that" will make everything better.

With each problem, our view of material possessions is flawed.  There is nothing about one person that makes them more deserving of having possessions than another.  In fact much of the inequality of wealth in this world is a result of our collective sin.  Everything we have comes from God and ultimately belongs to Him.  All these "things" are temporary and cannot be trusted.  Do we really believe that "stuff" is going to solve our problems or fill our souls?  I hope not.

These problems seem to be universal problems.  I have seen them in different cultures, with the materially rich and poor.  I can even think of stories in the Bible which convey these attitudes.

This past year, Becky and I have had the privilege of walking through some very tough and uncertain times for Pastor Alex and his wife, Carol.  If you haven't kept up with this story, you may want to read the entry "Lessons in Helping Others".  The lessons I shared in that entry were powerful for me and helped me to keep my focus on God.  They are:  

Lesson 1 - Go to God and ask Him to fix the problem.

Lesson 2 - Wait on the Lord and He will tell you what to do.

Lesson 3 - God is with us when things go well and when things don't go so well.  He is worthy of our praise regardless of the circumstances.  

Thinking about this past year, a few other thoughts come to mind -

1.  We glorify God with our gifts when we seek Him, asking Him to make clear what we should give and how we should give.  He will make this known.  

2.  I believe Christians should be generous.  Acts 20:35 instructs us:  In all things I (Paul) have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how He Himself said, 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'" The question for me isn't "should we help?" Rather it's "how should we help?" Certainly we want to ask good questions, we don't want to blindly give.  

3.  Could it be that God wants us to walk through tough times so that we might feel our need for Him deeply and so grow closer to Him?  While it's hard to admit, it appears so.  

I don't feel that I have answers, but I think it is good to raise these questions.  We have wrestled a lot with these things in a desire to make the most of our time and resources.  We realize the trust that many place in us when they give.  We know that many gifts are given sacrificially and our desire is to use them in a way that glorifies God.

If you have any thoughts on this, I would love to hear them!

Two books that have really challenged me in the area of Giving and Helping Others are:

The Treasure Principle by Randy Alcorn
When Helping Hurts by Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert

"Tentmaking" Pastors and Alex's Business

How does a pastor survive in a small church in a village where a majority of people in the village are unemployed?  This is easier to do when you are single or married without children but what about  a pastor who is married with children?  How can he survive?  Does he need to leave the ministry?  This question is one of many that we have had to consider if the churches in rural communities are to grow and have a sustained ministry.

What have se seen so far?  Well, pastors live like everyone else does.  They tend a garden and sell extra crops, some raise animals to sell.  Pastors take any opportunity they can find.  Some may start a business.  In the Bible we know that Paul worked as a "tentmaker" (Acts 18:3-4) and that is what is needed.  We need "tentmaking" pastors.

In Buenos Aires, Pastor Alex and Carol are "tentmaking" as well.  Until he hurt his back, Alex worked as a butcher in Buenos Aires.  Carol worked alongside him, plucking chickens and keeping the business records.  Because of his injury Alex had to close his business.  Now Alex is recuperating and he and Carol were thinking about how they will make a living as Alex continues to pastor.

A few weeks after our initial discussion, Alex shared that after much prayer, he felt he should go back to being a butcher.  Being the town butcher really helped him keep in touch with the towns people. You see, here people buy meat for the next meal or the day.  Many don't have a refrigerator with a freezer.  So instead of buying food for a few days, they buy the perishable food for that day.  As a result, people buy from the butcher whenever they have money meat. As the local butcher, Alex gets to see most everyone in the community during the week.

Now when I first heard Alex's plans, my first thought was…you are going to injure your back again!  But Alex had thought about that and planned to hire a young man to work with him.  Also, he has ordered some pulleys that will make lifting the meat much easier.

I suggested to Alex that he build his business slowly and not get into any long-term debt.  He agreed and said he would be visiting his old clients (schools) in the next week to see if they would be place orders with him again.  A week passed and he called me to say that all but one of his clients were ready to make orders.  All Alex needed was a freezer and he could start.

So we started praying that God would provide the money for a freezer and that night I received an email from someone asking if Alex had any needs.  The timing was of God and the amount being offered was more than enough for a freezer.  A few days later we were able to purchase a freezer.  The plan was made that Alex and Carol would pay back the cost of the freezer and that money would be used to help provide a loan to another who is developing a business.

This past Monday, Becky and I visited with Alex and Carol and right away Carol pulled out their business records.  She showed me all of the orders that they had in just 10 days and the profit with each order.  All we could do was praise the Lord!  Alex said to me "Ricardo, you have been buying our propane gas (for cooking) for some time now and I thank the Lord for that, but now I want to thank the Lord that I can buy the gas myself.  Glory to God!"

It has been an amazing year walking with Alex and Carol.  It hasn't been easy but we have seen God work.  The stories of God's provision are numerous.  And now we are getting to see the pieces come back together and we are stronger; our faith in God has grown.  We give the glory to God!

Escape to Paradise Island!

Semana Santa (Holy Week) is a time to get away.  Schools are closed all week and most businesses and the government are closed part of the week.  Dominicans go and visit family or go to the beach.  We decided to do the same and planned an overnight with friends.

Just off the north coast is a small sand bar that is surrounded by a coral reef.  It is called Paradise Island and we were able to visit it last week.  As you can see, it's not big and hardly an island.

A total of 22 people, four missionary families from 3 different mission agencies, spent a night together at in a small hotel.  Here we are at dinner.  Ben is right in the front on the right.  Elena can't been seen well and Becky and I are on the far end of the table.

The reef is beautiful with many fish to be seen.

On the way back, our boat had a fun ride through the mangroves.

This trip reminded me of how important it is to take time away from the regular routine.  It was really good to have relaxed time with other missionaries and be able to talk about life.  Particularly at dinner, the conversation focused on how we can support one another and work together.  This was exciting and encouraging for us as we have a desire to see ministries working with one another more.  

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!