DR 2012 Mission Trip - Day 7

It is 10:30pm on Saturday as I post this update on yesterday's activities.

Friday was our final day in Catalina and it was a wonderful (and very long) day. As we dragged our tired bodies back to the hotel, there simply was no energy left to write and post the day's blog update.

What a truly remarkable week this has been. Pictures can not capture the magnitude of what has occurred in this small village, 50 minutes outside the capital city of Santo Domingo. The church that sits alongside what is now a major highway connecting the capital to Catalina, Boni and beyond, is now a major focal point along this heavily trafficked roadway.

The 40ft. long steel container that sits roadside now serves as a billboard for the church. Kim R. & Zack J., two of the most amazing high school seniors you would ever want to meet, took on this massive project. Blessed with Kim's incredible artistic ability, the container is now a vibrant blue with two hands clasped together and the church name, service times and a scripture verse. The container is in full sun most of the day so they coined the phrase, "Painting on the surface of the sun!" What a privilege it was to watch them painstakingly hand write it all out, paint and edge every letter. It is a work of art! Thank you to all the helpers who assisted Kim in this project. You are all shining examples of a genuine work ethic as unto the Lord!

Mama's garden is a Catalina show piece. Mama is still mourning at her sister in-law's house adjacent to hers but she was willing to come outside yesterday and see her new garden, and memorial tree for her brother. To see the look on her face as she rounded the corner of the house with Diana C. at her arm was a sight I will not forget. I felt so humbled at this moment to be a part of this gift to her. Pam I. and Dawn L. along with an incredible team of Donna L., Sue and Sara C., Mary J., Melissa F., Alejandro and many others her over-run garden was transformed to a "Better Homes and Garden" picture. New planters and plants full of color. Mama was overjoyed with one plant in particular with bright pink flowers. She said, "I see these throughout the village and always say, 'I would love to have one of these they are so colorful and pretty and now I have one!" How amazing that a shrub that cost 10 US dollars brought her such delight at a time of such intense sadness for her. The mock water feature and memorial mango tree brought her to tears as she shared, "I have always wanted to do something with this side of my garden but never had the chance." The mission team all initialed 2 stone tiles and Kim inscribed a Scripture verse about living water from John and placed the three tiles in the memorial garden. This beautiful woman of God who has blessed and ministered to us for years was now blessed with a special gift just for her. She repeated over and over again how much she loved us and felt our love.

With our VBS team done with their amazing work in the villages with the children, teens and mothers, they focused their attention on helping the projects finish up and their extra hands blessed our weary bodies. 70+ "Americanos" bustling around the church buildings, Mama's house, the HOH house and the container made a roadside exhibition. Horns would blow and people wave at us. Pastor Vernon's church is now known as the place God and the Americanos love! What an amazing testimony to unity amongst believers and what the family of God can do when they come together as one in Christ.

In the afternoon many of the VBS group went to Pastor Vernon & Nancy's to "feed a village." This is a practice we have done for the past few years now where we purchase bulk rice, beans, baby items and repackage them into family portions. Then typically we go to that village and sing songs, visit with them and hand out the packages. This year they were invited to Pastor's and we entertained them with songs and cold drinks and their food packages. To see their smiling, grateful faces just brings tears to our eyes and overflowing hearts.

The construction team labored intensely all day, including a team of 10 that came out at 6am to get an early start. The roof is complete, walls painted, ceiling fans and lights in place, the donated sound system up and running, banos (bathrooms) cleaned and ready, benches and chairs brought in and placed on cleanly swept and mopped floors. Our team rushed back to Pastor's for showers or "baby wipe showers" (which amazingly removes oil based paint from the skin and smells much better than turpentine!) and we all put on our church clothes. The worship service of our two cultures coming together is a favorite part of the mission week. Singing in both Spanish and English, Pastor preaching, a beautiful testimony shared by Haley H. and interpreted into Spanish by Janet W. was so heart wrenching and beautiful. As you looked over the group it was a mixture of white, DR brown, Haitian black and it was so very beautiful. There was a drama skit and a concert with Kim, Bethany, Becky L., Lydia C. and by Beker at the end singing our favorite two songs. As always we end in tears and long hugs.

We then bussed over to Pastor's and were blessed with a 11:30pm quick supper then back to the hotel by 1am for a much needed sleep. There is SO much more to tell and I will be collecting stories Saturday at our beach day! Get ready for some amazing blessings as I recount individuals experiences and life changing moments that will touch your heart! Dios te Bendiga! God bless you!

DR 2012 Mission Trip - Day 6

Thursday, July 19, 2012

"For even the Son of man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many." Mark 10:45

What an incredible day to serve others!

This group of amazing people are such a blessing and true example of what it means to have a servant's heart. Another day of glorious blue skies and billowy white clouds. God has provided a steady breeze each day cooling our skin that is working in the blazing sunshine. I have never seen so many filthy dirty, ridiculously happy people as those serving on this mission trip. We are covered in cement and saw dust, paint, dirt, sunblock, bug spray, wet bandanas, and loving every minute! So much went on today there will have to be a blog of stories to follow. But for now the highlights are:

VBS was as busy as ever ministering in adjacent villages with Bible stories, songs, hugs, warm smiles and lots and lots of children! Each darling face is eager to hear about Jesus, who loved the little children with all His heart! It is a common sight to see our youth with two or three Dominican children on their laps, climbing their shoulders, swinging from their arms. The sound of laughter and music carries all the way back to Catalina! The team's boundless energy is such a joy to see and brightens us all!

Heavy construction will complete the massive additions, roofing and platform side room projects by tomorrow afternoon. The church walls are all painted with one coat of paint, with a second being applied tomorrow. Mounds of dirt were shoveled, loaded and brought to us from a local sugar cane village to fill our newly made plant box. The cement block, skim coated box measures 16' long by 4' wide and will be a beautiful curb appeal for God's house.

Light construction is so excited to see the plants be installed tomorrow by two team members who are landscapers by trade. What a blessing! Mama's garden is absolutely beautiful and although she is still in mourning for her brother, she did see some pictures of the progress outside her house and she broke down and cried. She assured us they were tears of joy and gratitude! The 40' container is almost finished with 8' high hands, one brown and one flesh color, holding each other, joined together in Christ!

Pastor Vernon's ministry main floor is completely painted and gorgeous. We were delighted to be served dinner there this evening, the first missionaries in the finished space!

Todays was "Fiesta" day and at 3pm a large group of us teamed up with our Catalina family and prepared for the community guests. Tables were set up for face painting, balloon animals, games and prizes, music and fellowship. Our Catalina church family prepared 1,700 hotdogs, packaged cupcakes and an orange drinks for those in attendance. There wasn't a single morsel of food left over. All of this is free to the community and is a wonderful testament to our love of Jesus and His love for people.

 Ironically, what ended up being the highlight of the event was a quick passing downpour that sent our community guests scrambling for cover. An enormous tarp had been brought to the Fiesta that was the size of an olympic size swimming pool. Quickly, our team all grabbed sides and corners of the tarp and lifted it as high as our arms could reach so our guests could run under and stay dry. The community children looked at all of us in amazement as we got soaked, smiles on our faces, keeping them dry.

Immediately after there appeared in the sky directly over head a double rainbow! We had God goosebumps!! Truly incredible! We put many of our San Jose guests on our buses to drive them back to their village safely and we all walked back to Pastor Vernon's house for a late dinner, exhilarated by God's blessing upon us all.

Please pray for our music and drama teams as they have practiced so diligently for tomorrow night's worship service in Catalina. For our construction teams and our VBS team who will be joining in all day tomorrow to ready the church and Mama's house adjoining the Handfuls of Hope House for our time of worship together. This will be the first service held in the newly expanded space and we get to praise and worship our Lord together, united in Him!

Buenos Noches!

DR 2012 Mission Trip - Day 5

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

The half-way-day is typically challenging but from all accounts today seemed to be a highlight for many! A team of 10 headed out early in preparation for the two day teacher's conference where 75+ teachers were in attendance. They will resume again tomorrow and our teaching professionals are so excited at the outcome and fantastic response to what they are sharing. A tremendous amount of prior preparation and attention to details from our ladies is making this such a success and blessing to so many! We'll be sharing more details of the teacher conference in tomorrow's update.

We were so happy to have our final team member arrive today, welcome Bethany S.! She had to take her nursing exam, then boarded a plane for the DR because she couldn't think of missing this trip for anything! We love you Bethany! You are an incredible example and inspiration!

The Heavy Construction team have completely erected a new roof, ready for the final tin sheathing tomorrow. The wood "addition" to the block addition is now in place ready for a new roof to be sistered into the existing church roof and the newly constructed one. What an amazing process! This group of men, women and teens would impress the most professional construction sites in the USA!! Two side preparation rooms will be added on the new platform where Pastor Vernon will preach from. A beautiful new sound system, donated by a very generous Handfuls of Hope supporter, will be put in place, all in preparation for our worship service on Friday night! Fantastic job, team. Your genuine love and respect for one another is such a testimony. Thank you all for what you do!!

The Light Construction team was busy finishing the painting of Mama's metal garden fence in a rich black sheen, and her memorial garden is coming together beautifully! A group worked exhaustively on removing a huge pile of cement block chunks alongside Mama's garden and it looks fantastic!

The shrubs and flowers were purchased at a local nursery who gave a generous 20% discount when we told them what we were doing. It is such an encouragement when you see fellow Dominicans respond so favorably to our being here to help those less fortunate in the outskirt villages.

A dynamo team worked exhaustively all day at Pastor Vernon's, nearly completing all the painting from the ceiling down, including the front porch and stairwell. The large room just gleams, ready for ministry and a blessing to so many with Bible studies, youth gatherings, etc.

The morning VBS session was held in Catalina and, in the afternoon, in Santa Rosa. The girls shared that the Catalina children are so full of love and appreciation for this annual event with their American friends! Santa Rosa is a new location for VBS this year and our program was warmly received.

Six teenage boys accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior today, to the delight of the teen boys ministry team. The Lord is good!

While walking from Carreton back to Catalina, our group stops to pray with "Georgie", a member of the IBCJ Church, who is stricken with cancer.

We had our first rain on the drive back to the hotel. Everyone changed quickly and converged on the hotel pool which had been granted us extended access as it closes daily at 6pm. We were joined by a bus load of our Catalina family. What a joy to see everyone laughing, splashing, and mixing together like best friends do! Everyone then gathered under the tented platform for pizza, soda and singing. The blended voices of these two cultures came together like a symphony that lifted to heaven above! The love for one another is so real and evident and our 25 mission trip "newbies" all have blended right in as if they had been on every trip prior! Only the family of God can look this authentic and alive in love and compassion!

We are all so excited for Thursday! We will head out early and scramble to start wrapping up all the projects. The afternoon will be our "Fiesta" which is a free festival for the community. Details about this work and fun day to follow tomorrow evening! As hot as it is here, we enjoyed a steady breeze though the sun felt well over 100 degrees but from what we are hearing...New Jersey is sounding hotter and more humid than here! You all should have come down with us to cool off!

DR 2012 team send their love and hugs to our family and friends! Keep the prayers going; we truly covet each and every one!

DR 2012 Mission Trip - Day 4

Greetings from sunny Dominican Republic!

What a wonderful day we had in Catalina!

The construction team worked like a bee hive full of worker bees all buzzing around knowing what their jobs are and getting it done. What a cohesive group! It is a sight to see as our Dominican family come up alongside our very diverse group and just blend as if we had worked together every day for decades. The new roof rafters, joists and trusses went into place so quickly and the back wood constructed room is being assembled onto the back of the church addition.

It is truly amazing what can get accomplished when hard working, loving people come together as one. There are no egos, no agendas, only a deep desire to help this Christ centered church and forward the gospel to Catalina and the surrounding villages.

The Light Construction team got much accomplished with more of the church front and side getting painted, a cement block wall skim coated for painting tomorrow, scraping and wire brushing of the metal fence in front of Mama's house. We are so excited to make this a flower garden for her to enjoy, and bring some joy to her during this time of deep mourning of the loss of her beloved brother. The entire DR team chipped in to buy Mama a beautiful mango tree that will be planted in her garden as a memorial tree in honor of her brother along with colorful flowers and shrubs. Precious teen girls spent hours gathering piles of river rock for us to use as landscaping in the new garden.

Our VBS Team ministered to children in two villages, with a morning session in the Village of San Jose and Carreton in the afternoon. Songs, a Bible story, games and crafts, all make for a super fun time for the children. Best of all, however, is the way our team is able to share the love of Christ with kids through their smiles and hugs. It is pure joy.

The road side 40 ft. metal shipping container that has been used for storage but an eye sore for some time is being transformed into a beautiful "billboard" announcing the church's worship times, ministry offerings and a scripture verse for all to see on this heavily traveled highway. What a blessing!

Some of our precious women spent all day preparing in an adjacent village for the upcoming teacher's conference. This is such an amazing opportunity for the teachers to attend as they typically have very minimal access to curriculum resources and supplies. Approximately 80 teachers are expected to attend. This should prove to be one of the highlights of our trip, and for so many hard working teachers in the DR.

7pm arrival back at the hotel followed by much welcomed showers, then a delicious buffet supper.  We had a brief wrap up meeting and were treated with special music. Kim L. sang a beautiful song, "Speak for Me" accompanied by Jared G. followed by Beker accompanied by the Lambertson  sisters in harmony, singing "Lord I Give You My Heart" and "Alabra Dios" with Don I. on guitar. What a way to end a fantastic day of ministry!!

Prayers for Wednesday as it is notoriously the "hit the wall" day. Fatigue starts to set in, we are all more comfortable with our surroundings, and satan tends to look for opportunities to shake up the unity that has been getting tighter and tighter. Father, protect us from the evil one and his traps and may tomorrow reign victorious for You and You alone! Amen and Amen!

DR 2012 Mission Trip - Day 3

Monday, July 16th, 2012 - Our first "official" day of ministry in Catalina, Dominican Republic.

Our schedule of events for today got a real test of being "flexible-flexible-flexible." With great sadness we received word that Pastor Vernon's beloved "Mama" had lost one of her twin brothers who had just passed away. Their culture is for friends and family to gather for a day of mourning followed by a 4pm funeral service. Fortunately, Mama's youngest son, Beker and his wife Melissa were with us, and planning to spend the day serving in Catalina with our ministry team so they instructed us on what to do. After a few phone calls it was confirmed that they still wanted our group to come out to Catalina.

So we all boarded the buses and with a truck full of ministry supplies we headed for our beloved Catalina. Due to the circumstances, we were not greeted with the usual "fan-fare" and hundreds of eager children who would have walked miles to attend Vacation Bible School in Catalina that day. Instead, with VBS canceled out of respect for Mama and the family's loss the VBS team played with local children and did some painting at the Pastor's house. The construction team just hit the ground running and within minutes ministry bags were unloaded and stored, tools were out and buzzing and the church roof project was underway. The Light Construction Team could not begin the landscaping project as originally planned so, instead, began scraping and applying a fresh coat of paint to the front of the church.

It was truly amazing to see 75 people just "shift gears" and adapt so beautifully. Soon our Catalina family began arriving to shower us with warm hugs and love-filled reunions. The church and community volunteers began arriving and soon it was a DR/USA combined effort! What a beautiful sight all to the Glory of God!!

This sign welcomed us "home to Catalina A creek that runs alongside the church was quickly relieved of mounds of garbage and broken tree limbs and leaves. Bright colors now adorned the face of the church and the church expansion was underway. Our Catalina family had already begun the enormous task of expanding the church building and it was so exciting to see our team come in and pick right up as if they had been there all along.

 Before we knew it, the lunch bus came and we all reunited at Pastor Vernon's for the most delicious home made meal of fried yucca, chicken, potatoes, carrots, a delicious salad, cake and coffee. A five star meal prepared with love and kindness! After paying our respects we all gathered onto buses and left Catalina to honor the 4pm funeral service preparing to start.

About fifteen minutes away from the hotel in deep traffic one of our buses broke down. Eager to get back to the hotel several of our team offered to walk the rest of the way so that others could stay on the one bus. As they headed off we could see them all handing out tracts to people commuting home from work or walking along the busy roadway.

 As our bus inched along it was in awe that we watched from our window seats all the people who had received tracts, stopped and reading them intently! A broken down bus quickly became an incredible blessing to countless others. We will never know this side of Heaven how many came to faith in Christ from those tracts. Not a single tract was seen tossed on the ground! Incredibly, the bus arrived at the hotel only two minutes ahead of our faithful walkers! Showers and a quick swim in the pool revived us all for dinner and a meeting to plan for our Tuesday in Catalina, and getting back on schedule.

Bob E. gave a brief sermon on some thoughts and perspectives he wanted to share from past mission trips he had attended. What has stuck with him over the years were the profound words of a young boy he spoke with who shared with Bob, "The only thing that matters is Jesus in your heart!" Such wisdom for a young boy, who had no real material blessings but all the wealth of Glory because of his faith in what is to come! Bob read Psalm 96 and encouraged us all to have a "fresh new song in our hearts" tomorrow as we get to minister in Catalina. He reminded us that we can do missions because of what Christ did on the cross for us. His final challenge: How is God  transforming me into a better worshipper of God? Begin now to start to live your life as an act of worship to the Lord!

Blessings of restful sleep and that God would touch those who are struggling with sore throats. May His Spirit empower us for the work ahead and that we would be granted divine opportunities to share the good news of the gospel message with those whose hearts are prepared to receive. Hallelujah! What a Savior! 

DR 2012 Mission Trip - Day 2

Sunday July 15, 2012.

The group enjoyed breakfast followed by a dynamic worship service outside. We opened with incredible worship songs of praise led by Don I.  We reflected on some of the words of the songs we sang, particularly the bridge to "Here I Am To Worship" that says, "I'll never know how much it cost to see my sin upon that cross."  We then read Psalm 103 and confirmed again that our statement for the week and life is, "Praise the Lord!" Because we get to do this ministry!! Don C. preached on Abram being called fourth by God and how he was faithful to do so, and settled in Bethel. But when the famine came he relied on himself and took his family to Egypt, out of God's will. How many of us are in our own "Egypt" in our lives? Don challenged us that when we are in "Egypt" we miss God's power, His promises and His peace. It's time to get back to "Bethel" in our lives. Don had smooth rocks collected by our Catalina "family" and sent to the hotel for us to each take one along with a black permanent marker and write on the stone what is keeping us out of "Bethel" and in our "Egypt." We had ten minutes of quiet individual prayer and then were encouraged to bring our rocks to the front "altar" of stones and give up to God whatever is keeping us from His will in our lives. God says in Scripture if we don't give Him our all we give Him nothing. After service we prayed for healing for those who were not feeling well physically or spiritually.

We had some pool time, followed by lunch, then preparation for Robert Reed Children's Hospital. Bags of Beanie Babies and hand puppets were loaded onto buses along with balloons for balloon animals and instruments for music. Upon returning back to the hotel, many shared their hospital experiences. Some of them so deeply moved by their experience, they could barely speak. What some shared:

Paul R. said the older child patients really enjoyed the puppets and the Beanie Babies handed out to each child are always a huge success.

Kyndra M. and friends visited with Mom's whose children were in the ICU. There were about 15 parents in the waiting room so Kyndra and a few others sang songs and prayed with them. They were warmly received and appreciated.

Tom W. said his heart goes out to all the parents, families and children in the hospital. "They really wanted our prayers for their children. That touched my heart. We witnessed to some of the parents but one mother was open and honest and said she knew all about Jesus but wasn't ready to make a decision because she feared being harassed and discriminated against by her family and friends who want her to party with them." Tom shared with her that none of us know if we have another "tomorrow" to make that choice for Jesus. Again, she understood that but the pressure was so strong. She knew her children loved Jesus so that was enough for her for now. "That is so hard to deal with," Tom stated, "there isn't much more you can do after that other than pray!" Tom also noted that the encouragement from the local church that teamed up with us to assist in translation really made the experience more impressive. Two local churches have made it their Sunday mission to alternate Sundays so that each Sunday of every month there are groups visiting the patients with juice and cookies.

Zach J. shared, "As the group was getting ready to leave the hospital, Sean L. started playing a Spanish song on his guitar and Don I. joined in. The group formed a line and filed out singing the song. To their delight, parents, doctors, nurses and staff all came out of rooms and stood in doorways to watch and even sing along. Even mobile patients stood holding their IV bags, smiling and singing as the group filed out of the hospital."

Faith M. one of our teens handmade 50 pillow cases that she got to dispense at the hospital. She had the joy of bringing some into the children's cancer ward.

Don C. held an adorable abandoned baby and stated, "This is why we need to get the Handfuls of Hope orphanage up and running so we can be the conduit between the hospital and Christian families both in the DR and USA to get these abandoned children into loving homes. We were overjoyed to discover later that the baby was adopted today by a Christian family! Hallelujah!

We joined together for dinner in the conference room and discussed our Monday trip to Catalina!! Our real "home base!" We have 25 first timers on this trip, with 26 different churches represented in our group of 75. We have 28 males, 47 females and 45 of them are under the age of 25! Remember...the youth are our "secret weapons" and it will be so exciting to see how God uses them in a mighty way the next several days in the villages.

James M. closed our evening out with a reading from Matthew and a challenge to go that extra step further as Christ did for us. Rob C. has provided everyone with index cards to share encouragement with those we see doing something special and notable. This is such a wonderful way to edify one another.

Prayer Requests:

Pray for Pastor Vernon, his wife Nancy and "Mama & Papa," Vernon's parents as they have prepared exhaustively for our arrival. Pray for all the helping hands who attend Pastor Vernon's church and have become our dear friends and God-family

For our traveling mercies as we travel in 2 buses 50 minutes out to Catalina to greet our Dominican family! We will hit the ground running with hundreds of children awaiting our arrival

Many mothers and children will walk for miles to be there for the Vacation Bible School program

Pray for the teens who will have their own VBS program

Pray for the Mother's who will have a craft and Bible teaching time

Pray for the teacher's conference and training

Pray for the construction teams as they work on various projects

Pray for light construction - landscaping team

Pray for all our VBS helpers, leaders and attendees

Pray for open hearts, changed lives and hope in our Savior, Lord and King!

DR 2012 Mission Trip - Day 1

Hola from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic!

Our group arrived safely on Saturday and were quite the sight in the "sea" of royal blue t-shirts brandishing the name, "Handfuls of Hope DR 2012" on the front and on the back, "One Spirit, One Mind - Philippians 2:2, 'Then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose.' "

After collecting mounds of ministry suit cases, carry-ons and backpacks the group headed off to an orphanage that is the home to 25 disabled orphans. Some were blind, in wheelchairs, disfigured, and all in need of a loving word and gentle hug. Ray J. from the group shared how one of the little girls, named Lisa, who was around five years of age,  was such a spit fire. He admired her will to overcome and even proclaimed she would be a future female Billy Graham!

Tommy W. shared how we tend to think God needs us to carry out His work but He has people all over the world caring for others because He puts it on their Hearst to do so. Don C. commented how each year we see how the youth become our "secret weapon" because they are so approachable and are so at ease to just get right down on the floor and play with these precious orphans and bless the hurting children here in the DR.

Janet W. said at first when they all arrived at the orphanage, she felt bad that they didn't have gifts or supplies for them but then she quickly realized all they wanted and needed was human interaction. She had the awesome privilege of sitting with a 19 year old girl who looked about 15, and shared the gospel with her in Spanish. The girl was so moved by her love and kindness that soon she was nestled up against Janet, hugging her and interacting. This girl had been at the orphanage for 6 years without any family or friends to come visit her. Janet noted that there are indeed material needs there such as art therapy, and structured events for daily activities. Janet was so moved when this dear girl shared that, "Jesus says be patient, one day you will have a day of victory!" Janet shared, "This girl gave me the gift, she taught me that all she wanted was love, touch and my time!" Sue C. noted that getting books to the orphanage so that the children there could be read to, and talk therapy would richly bless them. I think we will certainly be looking to collect coloring books, paints and brushes and other art mediums to bring to them to help brighten their worlds. So very little can make such a big difference to these little ones, to whom Jesus referred to as "the least of these."

After a sad farewell, the group boarded buses and headed to the local downtown market. This is truly an authentic experience of Dominican goods and wares shopping. After getting the group safely to the hotel, we all met for a buffet dinner at 7:30pm followed by the group all coming together in the meeting room. There, mounds of bags and suitcases of ministry items such as medical and school supplies, construction tools, clothing, Beanie Babies and mothers' gift bags for the hospital were sorted and piled up ready to go bless those in need! An information meeting followed and we were delighted to be taught the fruits of the spirit in sign language by Laura W. and the Spanish translation of each by Magda Y.

A wonderful start to what should be a most amazing week as we "get to do this ministry!" A pleasant night sleep to all, here in the DR and our friends and families back home. We covet your faithful prayers and please know that your thoughts and prayers are what sustain us to do this work for the Glory of God!  Please check back each evening or early morning for our daily updates. Some will be posted quite late as we will be staying later in the village of Catalina certain nights.

Sunday, July 15, 2012 schedule:

9am breakfast at the hotel

Group Worship Service out side 10:30am

Free time

Group lunch

3:00pm leave for the Robert Reed Children's Hospital

Dinner

Meetings for construction, light construction, VBS, drama & music

Dental/Medical Mission Update

In February 2012, our team embarked on a five-day dental/medical mission trip to the 

Dominican Republic. For most of the poor who live in rural villages in the DR, basic 

health and dental care is unavailable or financially out of reach. Many are in urgent 

need of dental care, especially young children. Partnering with the local church, and a 

small group of dental professionals from Santo Domingo, our goal was not only to treat 

as many patients as possible during our 5 day visit, but to begin to lay the foundation 

for a regular program that will lead to impoved health in the future.

Upon arriving in Catalina, the team quickly began setting up the clinic and making 

preparations for the hundreds of patients who were expected to take advantage of the 

free dental and/or medical care. Within hours, patients were lined up, streaming into the 

clinic from the nearby villages. Young and old, they came. Single moms with babies in 

their arms. Young children. Teens. A 100 year old man.

Each was greeted at the check-in table where cases were assessed, patient info was 

recorded, and a number was assigned and given to the patient on a slip of paper - pink 

for the medical clinic, blue for the dental clinic. The check-in process was organized, 

efficient, and welcoming.

The team worked tirelessly, for 12 or more hours at a time, to care for each and every 

patient. The doctors and nurses in the medical clinic treated everything from skin 

infections, to allergies, to high blood pressure, to diabetes and other ailments. More 

than one child was diagnosed and treated for pneumonia. Meanwhile, in the dental 

clinic, there were extractions, fillings, cleaning and more. Toothbrushes and 

toothpaste were distributed. Medication was dispensed to those who needed it (thanks to 

our generous donors who donated thousands of dollars in medications). Instruction was 

given on proper brushing and oral hygiene. In all, nearly 1000 patients were treated.

Diane Grabon, dental hygienist, shares her perspective below -

"Going to Catalina for our dental mission trip, I was hoping to make a difference by 

touching people’s lives.  I never expected that one of those lives being touched would 

be mine.  I would like to share the story of a young woman that I saw during our trip.  

She was a young beautiful woman very much pregnant with 3 small children with her.  On 

the day she came to the clinic, she and her children were seen by the medical doctor.  

I am not sure what they were treated for but I did see that the doctor prescribed 

medications for her family which she got from our “pharmacy table”.  Having her bag 

filled with medicines, she made her way over to the dental side of the clinic.  There, 

her children had their teeth cleaned by the hygienists and 2 of the children were 

treated by the dentists. 

As a mom myself, I can only imagine how that woman felt that night as she lay in bed 

thinking about that day.......

Her family was taken care of! 

  To know that her children were cared for in a way that she is not able to provide had 

to be an incredible feeling for her.  When I think of my trip to Catalina, I think of 

that mom-and I cry.

What a wonderful experience!  I am so grateful that I was a part of it!" 

Diane Grabon, RDHS

HOH is planning future dental/medical mission trips and we hope to soon have our 

medical clinic

equipped to provide regular dental care. If you are interested in 

supporting or participating in a future medical mission trip please contact us for more 

information.

Visit our Photo Gallery for additional photos.

Days 6-8

Psalm 113:1-3

“Praise the Lord. Praise, O servants of the Lord, praise the name of the Lord. Let the name of the Lord be praised, both now and forevermore. From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the Lord is to be praised, both now and forevermore.  From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the Lord is to be praised.” 

We apologize for the lack of entries the past few days as our team has been very busy, rising early in the morning and going until late in the evening.

Thursday was a day filled with activity. The painting crew continued painting while others went to work on preparation for the fiesta that afternoon.  The construction team started laying block for a bathroom in a nearby village. A teachers’ conference was also held that morning and Friday morning where 60 teachers from surrounding villages attended. The topic was Differentiated Instruction. It was a wonderful opportunity to provide encouragement and instruction to these women.  The fiesta was filled with hundreds of children and adults. They just kept coming and coming! Songs were sung, the Word was given and then the children dispersed to different tents with balloon making, face painting and games. It was a great time!

 Friday morning consisted of the teacher’s conference, painting, final completion of the roof and preparation for the concert in Nizao that afternoon.  The concert was an amazing time of worship and praise. The whole town of Nizao was invited and the concert was heard through a huge sound system we rented all throughout the city.  This was probably the most memorable night where our Dominican family and we Americans were worshipping together in Spanish and in English. It was a taste of heaven! Words cannot describe this!

Saturday was a very special ending to our week. We traveled into San Jose, a village very close to our hearts, to deliver food, clothing and shoes. Afterwards we went to the beach with our Dominican family and spent some great time there and made many memories. Our goodbye was a hard one. It took an hour to say goodbye. These people are our true family and we love them so much! We cannot wait until we see them again.

 Our day ended with a very special time of reminiscing of the week and sharing stories with one another as a team. We cried, we laughed and we prayed.  We have become a family here and have shared experiences we will never forget! We look forward to seeing our families but it will be a hard goodbye. God has blessed us with an incredible experience to come and serve Him here in the Dominican! Thank you for your prayers!  

Day 5, Matanzas

“Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.”   Psalm 100:1-3

 So guess what kind of day we had? AMAZING! The day was a blessing as VBS took place in a village called Matanzas. The word was spread and we praise God for that! The construction team had a very full day of work on the church roof. It was completed just in time for our teacher’s conference to be held for the next 2 days.  The painting crew continued to work on the Handfuls of Hope house and it is coming along well! Kim Radwanski did a beautiful job painting the Handfuls of Hope logo on the house. The baseball clinic was a success with 53 kids ranging from age 7-16 years old. 2 boys came to know the Lord today! A room was also built for privacy in the clinic. We also had the opportunity to hand out tracks and concert flyers in the town of Nizao. This is where our concert will take place on Friday night.  The concert team has been practicing for months and all this week so we are very excited about this event. We pray that hearts will be moved and that people will come to the saving knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ!

Our day ended with very special guests- Pastor Vernon and his family came back with us to the hotel to swim, eat and fellowship together. We had a moving worship time together praising our God both in Spanish and English. It was so special.   

A favorite quote from today from a young lady who accepted Christ a week ago said, “I am happy today, tomorrow, and forever!” When asked why she responded, “ Because I have Jesus in my heart!” May we all have her joyfulness!

Until tomorrow- Dios te bendiga! 

Day 4, Carratone

“That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”   Romans 10:9

What power the word of God has! This verse was used today in the teen VBS. Many Dominicans here believe that if they sin they weren’t ever really saved. Some say they don’t “feel” that they’re saved. This was a focal point in our discussion where we spoke of God’s promises and His grace as well as the importance of studying the word, obeying the word and teaching the word. I’m not surprised to tell you that today was another incredible day! The spirit of the Lord was all over and filled us to speak the truth in love. The word of God was spread throughout hundreds more and over 40 people got saved! Praise the Lord! He is good and His word accomplished salvation today!

Much was accomplished in the physical realm today as well. The construction crew completed building the trusses and installed them. The painting crew completed the baseball field and started working on painting the Handfuls of Hope house.  The baseball clinic was a success and will continue into tomorrow.

Our day ended with a nice hot shower, a delicious meal and another time together as a team. Our friend, Kiko from SCORE International, came to share from the Word and passionately shared his heart as how we are to live as believers in Christ. It was an amazing day! Tomorrow we visit a village called Matanzas for VBS and then on to another village called Nizao to street evangelize and pass out invitations for our concert we’ll hold there on Friday afternoon. 

We expect a lot from God!! He has already done SO much! Thank you for your prayers- Dios te bendiga! (God bless you!)

Day 3, Catalina

“As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth; It will not return to me empty but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.”    Isaiah 55:10-11

Monday, our first day in Catalina, was definitely a memorable one. Once again, God was at work! The word went out today to hundreds and it will accomplish His purpose!  The group was divided into VBS teams and construction/painting teams.  The VBS team visited two villages- Catalina and Carratone.  Children, teenagers, mothers and teen mothers were all broken into groups where the word of God was spoken.  The teen mothers group was an especially blessed moment where 9 very young moms were encouraged with the truth of God’s purpose in their lives and in their babies’ lives.

The construction team worked on building trusses to repair the church’s roof.  This was an amazing team that worked hard and laughed together in the heat of the sun.  The joy of the Lord was definitely present in their work today.  They will continue working on this tomorrow.

The painting team painted the dugouts at the local baseball field. Another amazing team and they did a beautiful job! This will be completed tomorrow morning in time for the baseball clinic that will take place tomorrow afternoon.

I can’t forget to mention our delicious lunch provided by the women of Catalina. Everyday they work hard to prepare delicious meals for our group of 54.  Today we had rice and vegetables with chicken and lime cake for dessert. It was incredible. Can’t wait for tomorrow’s lunch!

Our day ended with some very special team devotions and worship.  Again, we thank you for your prayers! Keep praying! We are so privileged to be God’s vessels here in the Dominican. Can’t wait to share tomorrow what the Lord has done! Praise Him!

Children's Hospital visit

Praying for a mom and her child“I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has given me strength, that he considered me faithful, appointing me to his service”   1 Timothy 1:12

 What a day of seeing the Lord’s hand!  We started the day with our own team church service led by the two Dons. Don I. led us in songs of worship, followed by a message from Don Coords who spoke from 1 Chronicles 21:1-25.  The Lord spoke through him and touched all our hearts, challenging us to get our hearts right before the Lord.

 After some free time in the pool, we had the privilege of visiting the Robert Reid Children’s Hospital with a group from a nearby church in Santo Domingo. This is one of the most special times but hardest times. We see children who are sick and never get well. We see their parents burdened and holding on to hope. But God is good! The church group provided a special program on the roof of the hospital with a puppet show and a presentation of the gospel followed by worship from our team. Several moms joined in singing and worship.  After the program, beanie babies were handed out to each child and special bags were made for each mom which included toiletry items for them.  Both these gifts meant so much to them.

The group then split into groups traveling around to different rooms visiting children too sick to come up to the program on the roof. During this time, a couple of our team members were able to lead a couple to the Lord!  Praise the Lord! Please keep Venetia and Ina in your prayers!
A smaller group from our team visited with families in the oncology ward where they presented  each child with a hand made hat donated by Sherri’s Hat Shop. Their smiles were priceless.

This was a very special time at the hospital- too many stories to write here so please ask us when we come home to tell you more!

The rest of the day involved eating dinner which consisted of Dominican Kentucky Fried Chicken and then a night full of prep for the exciting and busy week ahead.  We are excitingly awaiting our arrival tomorrow to Catalina.

 This is all done for the Glory of God! Praise be to Him! Thank you for your prayers!

Our Arrival In Santo Domingo

The HOH team distributes tracts in Santo DomingoOur flight from Newark was uneventful and smooth. Even with such a large group, check-in at Newark airport was surprisingly efficient and, before we knew it, we were in the air and on our way. Our arrival in Santo Domingo was on time and we quickly found all of our baggage waiting for us, neatly arranged in a "group-only" baggage area. After a quick bag lunch we were on our way to the "Mercado" where we  had an opportunity to briefly browse through the wares of the local merchants in search of a souvenier or two.

Leaving the market, we headed to the Colonial District where the team handed out tracts to the many passers-by in the pedestrian area. It was very encouraging to see how nearly every person who had received a tract took the time to stop whatever they were doing to actually read it. The tracts opened the door to some conversations and we trust that seeds of faith were planted. We may never know the far reaching effects of these little one-on-one encounters.

We left the Colonial District and made our way to the hotel. After check-in there was time for a shower or a quick splash in the pool, followed by dinner. The whole team then gathered for a brief team meeting where we discussed Sunday's agenda and sorted through the items that we will be distributing during our visit to the Robert Reid Children's Hospital. There are Beanie Babies, coloring books and crayons, Bibles, and special care packages prepared for the moms of the many children who are confined to the hospital.

Finally, the day is done and we are ready for some much needed sleep.
Please remember us in your prayers on Sunday as we gather for worship and minister at the children's hospital.

Welcome to the HOH Journal

It is Thursday evening, July 14, and we are busily making last minute preparations for the start of our mission trip to the Dominican Republic. We have been packing for weeks but there remains, nevertheless, a seemingly endless collection of miscellaneous items that still have not found their way into a suitcase - VBS supplies, paint brushes, toiletries, Beanie Babies, etc., the list goes on.

Months of planning and preparation are behind us. There were team meetings, fundraisers, prayer gatherings, shopping expeditions (for supplies), countless emails and phone calls and, in general, a whole lot of fun as the team has worked together to prepare. Time has passed quickly and, on the eve of our departure for the DR, there is much excitement and anticipation. Our team of 54 will meet in the wee hours of Saturday morning, load up our luggage, and head off to Newark International Airport for the start of our adventure.

This journal will be updated regularly throughout the week, so we hope you will check in with us regularly. Please pray for our team - for safety, for courage and strength, for willing and humble hearts that we might serve God in a way that is pleasing to Him. We are looking forward to a wonderful week!