Love is not selfish!

Man A - "I have never seen anyone love like that before." Turning to the man next to him, "Have you?"

Man B - "No"

Rick - "Well, this is the kind of love God has for us and it is the kind of love He wants us to have for others - our wives, family and everyone."

Man B - "Well, no one I know loves like this."

Rick - "What would happen if you loved like this? And what would happen if your whole village loved like this?"

The conversation continued as we talked about how different life would be. They said many problems would be solved. They even talked about how contageous this kind of love would be.

Rick - "This love is very different than what we normally see."

Man A - "Yes, it would be like starting something completely new."

Rick - "Then let's start something complete new!"

Both men agreed and that is what we are working on. What started with some marriages in trouble has enabled Rick to ask some very direct questions of two men who wanted change. We watched the movie FireProof and are using it's book The Love Dare as a guide. God is teaching all of us (yes, me too) about the love He has for us and wants us to have for others.

The Nueva Vida church plants consistently have more women attenders than men. We have talked with the male believers about how to reach men for Christ, they have voiced their view that men are more spiritually closed than women. It is as if it is "easier" for a Dominican woman to follow Christ than for a Dominican man. This is frustrating.

In the United States, Becky and I asked a Colombian pastor for advice on how to reach Latin men. He shared "You need to go to the core. The Latin man wants to be respected, especially by his family and kids. But he has few examples and doesn't know how. Talk to him about this desire and help him see that God can help, and the Latin man will be reached." And with those words of advice, we have been trying just that. Most importantly, God is working. No strategy or program will have eternal significance without God's involvement. And so we are asking God to change the definitions of love, family, and marriage in this society to fit with His will, for His glory.

Please pray for this group!

A Typical day? What's that?

Many times people ask "What is a typical day like?" It is a hard question to answer because every day is so different. Some days are spent studying and preparing. Today, I am in my office catching up and preparing for tonight's seminary class. Some days are spent working on legal things, like getting our permanent residency. And many days are spent in the villages with the people. Yesterday, was one of those days.

In the morning, Becky and I headed to Boma for a Bible study with some of the leaders and adults from the church there. The church is new and because of varied educational levels and reading abilities, Bible knowledge is limited. So, we have been teaching about the church - it's purpose and mission. Yesterday we talked about the need to equip workers for ministry to children. The Boma church has few children in it and no specific ministry for children. There are a few adults that probably could teach the children but there are no resources. All in all, there was agreement that there should be something for the kids. We need to teach them God's Word.

Becky and I agreed to bring some resources next Wednesday.

We like going to Boma. The road is adventurous and you never know what will happen. Yesterday, about half way back we found ourselves with a flat tire. Fortunately we were on the paved road, past the cliffs and more remote areas and in an area were our cell phone worked. We were a little surprised by the number of Dominicans that stopped asking if they could help. Many seemed to know who we were - not too surprising since we go every Wednesday. Dominicans are great road watchers. The neighborhood watch "system" seems strong. After a while, our friend Alexi arrived and with a pump and we limped back into town. About $1.50 later, our tire was patched and we were off.

In the afternoon, I, Rick, headed out to Montaña. I have been meeting with two men, focusing on the topic or learning how to ¨Love our wives.¨ Slowly, we are working through the book ¨The Love Dare.¨ Weekly God´s Word contrasts itself with Dominican culture. Culturally, it is ok for men to have girlfriends on the side. Culturally, it is ok to openly have a few families, as long as there is support for the children. Culturally, a man is a man because he has many women. Culturally, a man is the boss of the home but has little to do with it. Culturally, a man expects his wife to have food ready for him and if she doesn´t, he can beat her. We are in need of a cultural change and no better place to start, then in the church of Montaña. Please do pray for this study. Willy and Jose Oscar need your prayers. Although not in the study, Manuel and Arjenis need your prayers. Everyone of these men are struggling. Some have made some big mistakes and it is known. But the good thing is, they know they are struggling. Many men in this society give up and just go with the culture. This men are trying to be different. And yes, it is a struggle. Please do pray.

After the small group with the men, I headed to the church and found Damaso and 4 of the ladies of the church preparing for a sale. Periodically, the church raises money by selling used clothes at a very reasonable price.

We then had a time of singing, teaching from God´s Word, and a time of prayer. Two hours later, I was back on my motorcycle heading for home.

It was a great day. Ministry in two locations. Sharing God´s Word and applying it to real life challenges. Is everyday like this...NOPE. But every day is an opportunity to serve the Lord.

Thank you for your prayers for us.

Ministerio Azar-ébyón - Ayudando al Necesitado

Carol begins the day with a Bible story.

Exciting News:

A new ministry has started at one of the church plants. It was created after the church in Buenos Aires visited each house in their community. As they went from house to house, they found some consistent needs and developed a ministry to address those.

The boys are writing what Becky reads to them.

Why?

Because we are created to do good works (Eph. 2:10)

Because God told us to Love one another and we can do that by meeting everyday needs (1 John 3:11, 16-18)

Because as we help others with a selfless love, it is a service unto Jesus Christ (Matt. 25:31-40)

Because they want people to realize that God has met our need (John 3:16)

Reading the story of Creation.

What are they doing?

It's most visible ministry is to children but they have ministries to teens and adults as well. For the children, they have started an after school learning center. For youth and adults, they will be having classes on various topics that have been brought up in the survey. In addition, they will be inviting medical doctors and dentists to give the basic care that many don't get. Their dream is to address needs in 4 areas - Spiritual, Educational, Social, and Physical.

We are very excited about this ministry. It has been birthed and run by Dominicans. Becky and I have helped but the leadership has been Dominican. In some ways, it is a model for how we want to do ministry here. Many ministries are completely run by Americans. This one is not. The vision was developed by the Buenos Aires church while we were in the USA. They were excited to share it with us when we returned and when we heard their plans, we joined in the excitement.

Lots of smiles and kids to love.

This ministry has started. A few weeks ago some friends from Minnesota were here and we spent a morning observing and joining in where they could. This ministry has a lot of needs and for those who visit, there are lots of ways they can join with the ministry. For the children, the program appears similar to a VBS. But as you go and help, you will see that it's focus is much greater. We love that it is on-going and reaches people of all ages.

Please do pray for the ministry. It meets Monday, Wednesday and Friday, morning and afternoon. They are struggling to find workers in the morning. Please pray for this. Also, they are trying to build a support base by asking other Dominican churches to help. The response has been good but there are still needs. And when we were there, we saw that they have some space needs. Praise God, their vision is bigger than their facilities. Becky and I think this is something that the North American church can help with. A plan is being made for the property. Pray that God would provide the reasources for this ministry.

It isn't easy, you know.

It isn't easy, you know.

This is a familiar saying in the Dominican Republic. It is often said at the end of a story of hardship, or by way of explaining how the lack of water, power, gas, money, transportation, or food complicates life.

I think if Jesus were Dominican he would have said this to the many who came asking for healing and salvation and those desiring to follow Him. It isn’t easy, you know, rich young ruler:go and sell everything you have and follow Me. It isn’t easy, you know, Nicodemus, to be born again as an adult. It isn’t easy, you know, Peter to resist denying Me. It isn’t easy, you know, woman at the well, to leave the man you are with and follow Me.

The church in Montana is finding that it isn’t easy. In recent months members have faced numerous challenges. One of the older members fell ill with encephalitis and continues to suffer with seizures and weakness. One family is in crisis following marital infidelity. Another member is facing up to the need to end an immoral relationship of 15 years. A single mom is struggling to parent as Christ desires her to in the face of criticism from an alcoholic family member who lives with her. These are only the “major” trials, I won’t mention some of the minor squabbles that exist between individuals.

It isn’t easy, you know! But is there hope? Will this church implode as Satan attacks and seeks to destroy? Jesus said, “ UPON THIS ROCK I WILL BUILD MY CHURCH, AND THE GATES OF HADES WILL NOT OVERCOME IT.” (Matthew 16:18)

I recently listened to a sermon on Matthew 16 by John Piper. He made so many excellent points, but one that sticks out is: I will build MY church. Jesus owns it and does it. As I look at the ladies in my discipleship group who are facing giants of sin and hardship in their lives right now, I rest in Jesus’ commitment to them as a body. HE will build HIS church in Montana and the gate of Hades will not overcome it.

I am also reminded of Paul’s words in Philippians 1:6: “being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” We are so blessed to trust in His faithfulness. Please pray with us for these tender young believers as they grow through trials as a body.

Upper Jimenoa Waterfall

Paul and I hiked to the Upper Jimenoa Falls. Here is a short video of Paul chasing fish and a the falls. It is a beautiful place that can be reached with a little effort.

Guide books and locals say that this fall was filmed in Jurassic Park. I think

that is a rumor, as it is not named as a film location for the movies.

Our Dogs - Dylan & Keela

Recently we got a camcorder. It will be very helpful for sharing our life and ministry. I posted this video as a test. For the techies...the camcorder is the Kodak Zi8. It is a very basic but should meet many of our needs.

How do you teach without books?

I, Becky, LOVE to read! I am always reading several books, both fiction and non-fiction. When I need to find something out, more often than not I google it and read several articles on the subject. When we lived in the U.S. I was a heavy library user. But I am learning that I am not a typical American or a typical world citizen.

Most people in the world learn orally. This means they talk to others to get the information, skills, and help they need. Although literacy rates appear high, people's reliance on the written word is actually quite low. This is because their tendency is to learn in a form most natural to them. In the U.S. only about 13% of the population use reading as their preferred way to learn. This statistic is similar in Canada and Europe. If this is true in developed countries, what about countries like the Dominican Republic?

When we began teaching the Bible in the rural villages, we assumed that most people had a basic ability to read and that with the Spanish NIV Bible, they could read a passage and understand it. We quickly discovered that even if the passage could be read, it was unlikely that it would be understood. Many of the younger people could read, but most of the older folks had difficulty. Some were embarrassed about this and it deterred them from attending the studies. Reading certainly was and is a problem but there was more to it. We noticed that most Dominicans prefer to use their network of friends and family to gain information, solve problems, and make decisions. Their process of learning was obviously different. Teaching them in the same format we had used in the United States would probably not be very effective.

So what to do? Well being the literate people that we are, we got on the internet and began searching for answers. We had heard about missionaries working in "oral cultures" where the language is not even written down or there is little access to education. As we searched, we learned that missionaries around the world, even in developed countries, are using oral methods to evangelize and disciple people. They are finding that when they teach using oral methods a much greater percentage are able to understand and share what had been taught to others.

Oral methods are using stories, dialogue, pictures, films, and drama to communicate Biblical truths. Orality is about much more than whether a person prefers to read or hear information. It is a way of life. Literate people tend to organize their lives and think in a 1, 2, 3 fashion. Oral people rely on their memory of events, stories and people for information. Their knowledge and wisdom is housed in stories. Think about the power of a story. People enter into story intellectually and emotionally. Stories are easy to share and to pass on. No wonder Jesus taught so much using stories and parables.

In September we attended a training conference called "Simply the Story." We learned how to lead inductive Bible studies without using any written material. First we learned a Bible story well so we could tell it in a dramatic fashion. Next we taught the story to our small group and finally lead them through a question/answer discussion to help them discover spiritual observations and applications from the story. We are very excited to bring this method back to the Dominican Republic, use it, and train Dominicans to use it.

If you would like to learn more about orality we recommend the following website:

http://www.story4all.com/

Story 4 all is a podcast we listen to regularly and love it for the information and encouragement it bring us. Under the resources tab, you will find links to several organizations that are using oral methods in missions.