Building Community: Celebration with the DR

1 Corinthians 16:13-14

Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong. Let all that you do be done with love.

DR MARRIAGE CONFERENCE

Hey team! Check out this video and our musicians, Julie and Mike Tiemanns blog for more info.

http://www.arclight.net/~julieandmikemusic/
D.R.%202007%20Stream.mov

http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction
=blog.view&friendID=104151584&blogID=289709628

Check out Andys website!

Andy Doetch, a member of the first VBS has put together a wonderful site of pictures for the DR...check it out!

http://andydoetsch.us/

CONSTRUCTION TEAM: Look at the progress!!!

Here is a pictoral update on Pastor Alex´s apartment in Bávaro: (sorry about the sideways pictures, for some reason it doesnt save the rotated pics...hope you don´t hurt your neck!)


The kitchen


The bedroom


Front porch


back window


Living room

FINAL NOTICE: 30 days past due

Where did the time go??? The 1st VBS (Vacation Bible School) team came on June 16th…and its now July 11th! I think I crashed on my bed every night since then exhausted…but satisfied. That is probably the best word to describe my summer…SATISFIED. I feel as if my heart has finally found a home. I ache thinking of leaving here but still looking forward to seeing my friends and family and continuing my process of coming back here as a missionary.



The first VBS team was lead by some dear friends, Steve and Suzanne Puett and their children Taylor and Casey. It was their first time leading a trip and they covered every aspect like champions! We spent our first day together at the beach, riding in the back of a truck…what a wonderful way to start a trip, by enjoying natures best!



Monday…as a group we served at the Buenas Nuevas Biblical Church in the morning to put on ¨Dar Una Mano Amiga¨(Give a Helping Hand), the theme of this years VBS. We had around 150 children show up ready to get into action! In the afternoon we split up into two groups, one going to Rendención Biblical Church at El Cerro and the other to La Malena Biblical Church. (All of these churches, 7 in total, are a part of the 1st Biblical Community of Higüey) We had a smaller group, about 90 by the end of the week, at El Cerro and were able to connect with just about every child…so for that reason it was really nice! At La Malena about 250 children showed up…WOW! Kidstuf (our closing drama and service) on Thursday night was packed and everyone was asking for water…so guess who took her first drive in the DR…ME!!! Raquel (one of the leaders) lent me her car and I ¨robbed¨ (took all their inventory…paid for, of course!) about 5 little colmados (convenient stores) along the way…but everyone got their H2O!



Wednesday we each joined a DR family for dinner. I went with Deb and Ally to Miguel and Carmen’s house. Their three girls (picture in last blog) have become like nieces! We spent the night making ¨comets¨ as they’re calling them now…God’s Eye as we call them in English. Deb and I also found out we both lived in MN and I went to high school with her nephew…small world!!!



Friday we spent the day exploring Higuey: the basilica, the marketplace, the tobacco factory…pretty neat!

Saturday we headed out early to Hotel Carabela to enjoy a final day on the beach at a ★★★★ resort! We spent the day relaxing on the beach, swimming out to the buoys, playing volleyball, a delicious dinner at the gourmet restaurant, a original rendition of Gilligan’s Island…did anyone save a copy of it? Lol Ending the night with a walk on the beach, lighting our newly purchased cigars, watching the fish breaking the water…



Memories shared with this wonderful group of people will never leave my heart….Andy thank you for reaching out to me, listening and sharing. Kayla, Casey, Kaileigh and Cristin…our adventures in the back of Juan Carlos’s truck…what can I say…NO MORE RED BULL for Kayla and Rob! Shara, Aaron and Lauren, it was awesome to serve with you at El Cerro and to see your family serve and grow together…your story is a testimony and a blessing! Leslye, you have a beautiful heart, it was great serving with you and watching you with all the children at El Cerro. Cristin…keep your head up, God has great plans for you! Oh and I just found your note in the book you gave me..Im enjoying it so far!!! Michelle, my love, thank you for confiding in me…Ill never forget our walk in the park. Steve and Suzanne, thank you for all your encouragement and allowing me to become a part of your team! YOU DID A WONDERFUL JOB!!!! Taylor…I finally got to see the pictures of your baptism here…what incredible memories. Ekman family…your smiles and encouragement will never be forgotten. Becky…thank you so much for the white tea! Mark you have a wonderful and very intelligent family…I hope to serve with you all again next year! Rob and Jake…thank you for all your hard work, it is really appreciated here! Deb and Ally…I’m so glad I got to know you, discovering we have walked the same streets! I hope your entire family can come next year. Thank you all for my bag of goodies! See you soon.

Love,
Eliana

ESCUELA BIBLICA DEL VERANO

Dominican Republic Family Trip 1: Vacation Bible School Team
June 16-23



¨Dar Una Mano Amiga¨ backdrop

Lets Get Down to Business...

Time has flown by so quickly. Since I’ve updated my blog, I’ve had my first stomach virus, and hopefully the last, spent an incredible week with the construction team, translated 50 pages of curriculum, and spent many odd hours planning, coordinating and meeting about the rest of the trips that will come this summer!

…and I’m tired!...but God continues to fill my exhausted body with energy and spirit.

The stomach virus started on Thursday, and it’s the first time I’ve ever been sick while in the DR. Friday I spent the ENTIRE day in bed, feeling useless and sorry for myself…but I knew I had 24 hours to get back on my feet because…the FIRST TEAM WAS ARRIVING!!!

I was really nervous about receiving this team because I hadn’t had much contact with them beforehand. Mark, their leader, along with his wife Karen, is a Spanish teacher so he doesn’t really need me to communicate much! Saturday morning I was still lagging a bit but once we got to the airport adrenaline took care of me!

We immediately drove to the hotel in Bávaro where the team and I would be staying. I was greeting by some really friendly faces and hand shakes, trying to keep all the names straight…a few confused looks, as if they were thinking to themselves ¨she’s American, where’d she come from?¨ lol And somehow in the rush of all things checking-in to a hotel Dominican style I was left with the team…AHHH! for me at the moment. I was already feeling strange enough. But as usual…God knows best.

I joined the team for a bite to eat and was able to help a bit with the ordering, except that I confused an Italian Tortilla for a pizza when in reality it is a quiche type dish…good to know. After sharing with everyone, on an individual basis who I was…¨in the process of becoming a missionary for North Point…have worked in the DR for the past four years…God put on my heart…ect…ect…¨ I felt a bit more comfortable.

We were received by the church in Bávaro and several who came out from Higüey in a wonderful welcoming service that was a surprise to all. In the past year the church has put together an International Reception Committee whose sole purpose to is make us feel welcome, make sure we have everything we need, and to thank us. They have done an amazing job and I look forward to seeing what they have in store for the rest of the teams.

I headed back to Higüey that night to spend my last night at home…yes Pastor and Zoilas house has become to be like home to me already! Sunday I stayed home and relaxed for most of the day. Packed and got ready for church. The church service was biblically rich and vibrant as usual and Carolina used the outline I translated to translate Pastors message for the NP team!!!

Our fearless leaders...


It only took the trip back to Bávaro with the Construction team for me to feel like one of them…and over the week I spent with them they became my family.

We sweat together (Andy, have you washed your shirt yet?!, or did you just throw it away), we rode motor bikes together (Cindy, I love you!), we created our own internet café at the church (Ben, thanks for taking the lead on that), oh, and a shout out for Steph for taking the hit for the team (she broke several bones including ones in her cheek, nose and jaw and still worked with us as much as she could…despite the disbelief of the doctor back in the US!), celebrated birthdays (Stephen, just turned 29…for the rest of his life…lol and Steph, a lovely, what is it, 20? Lol)

Kristen, thank you for my beautiful DReam Team t-shirt and for lugging my bag to the DR (well thanks to Tray for doing the hard work)! I found my soul mate…my other half in Kelly. She and I are truly kindred spirits…and I think we annoyed the entire team with our silly antics and crazy schemes.

All the couples: Mark and Karen, Kim and Ben, Stephanie and Shaun, Carrie and Will, Hillary and Tim…you are an inspiration for all of us a hope that a Godly marriage is possible. Thank you for your honesty and confidence in us to share your stories. Natalie and Emily…thank you for being a true friend and listening to whatever it was I had to say… Nikki thank you for reminding me that I’m not crazy and spiritual warfare is real! Tray and Connor…you give me hope that there are still single Godly men out there…wait for your Godly woman; she’s out there somewhere! Karen thank you for all your encouragement. Jeff I don’t think I’ve seen anyone work harder…well maybe Andy…jk and making the sacrifice to be away from your wife and kids. My dear friend Esmeralda…keep her in your prayers. I look forward to seeing here again at Las Leñas next week when I head back out to Bávaro. Andy and Connor, it was a pleasure to go to Jáhiro and Jocelyn’s house with you and eat her wonderful cooking. And thank you to all my friends back in Higüey that came out to help us!

To see pictures and other blog entries by Construction team members see: http://www.newtourera.com/globalxDR/galleries/index.htm


Leaving the construction team at the airport on Sunday was really hard…I felt like I was saying goodbye to my family. I am so encouraged to receive all the team correspondence that’s been going on since they got back and I look forward to seeing them in August!

Back to work as usual…Sunday service was great, we started a new series entitled ¨Where is your Heart?¨ Discussing our basic necessities and our unnecessary obsession with them Luke 12:22-31.

22Then Jesus said to his disciples: "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. 23Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. 24Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! 25Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? 26Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?
27"Consider how the lilies grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 28If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith! 29And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. 30For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. 31But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.

How we come to value our lives based on what we have in our possession and our standard of living, instead of focusing on the One who gives us everything, the Provider of all of our needs.

It is so wonderful to be spiritually fed here…

The past four days I cant even tell you everything that I have worked on…VBS curriculum and planning, coordinating team information for the International Reception team, providing numerous vital informations to the marriage conference team and organizing small groups based on various aspects…I’ll have to show you the database sometime…truly displacing how nerdy I truly am (mom, how I will always remind you of my love for fax machines at the age of 5), discussing decisions for the youth camp…its amazing that somehow I kept it all straight…AND I AM LOVING THE WORK!!!

I also have been working along side my friends, Darwin, Lenín and Thomas, who sum up the Projection Team for the youth camp, towards the completion of a series of videos we will be using at camp. This is where God is teaching me some hard lessons…not with them but with communication, confrontation and Dominican culture.

On almost a daily basis I can see how Satan is trying desperately to use miscommunication to tear us apart and as always God prevails…things are worked out but I know peoples feelings are hurt, some are sad, and not many and it doesn’t last long, get angry. This may sound strange but the struggle is so encouraging to me…because it only means were doing something right! Ministry is messy…and if it isn’t, it may mean something is wrong…


Wednesday night I went to Miguel and Carmens house for dinner. Earlier in the day Carmen picked me up and we went to the supermarket on her motor bike...I love riding them...one day maybe I´ll drive...yikes! I spent the evening playing cards with Miguel and his three daughters Micarlis, Carleny, Micaelis and we watched Patitas Felices (Happy Feet).



Yesterday, Juan Carlos, my friend and fellow camp leader, took me to the market. So neat to see everything out in the open. Little shops selling clothes, odds and ends. Dozens upon dozens of fruit and vegtable vendors, meat and fish as well!

Today, I’m sitting in my pajamas (yes its 3pm), and sitting in the heat. The daily power outage is in effect at the moment. By the way, for those of you that don’t know the reason there is a daily power outage is to make up for the stolen electricity. The Electric Company is working on fixing the problem…in the next 5 years…but to compensate for the cost they shut off the electricity. It’s not like this in all cities, like the tourist cities and Santo Domingo for example…but here in Higüey that is still the case…

As for my Dominican family: Papi (Pastor), Mami (Zoila), and my two wonderful brothers Rafi and Israel…what a blessing they’ve been to me and are truly becoming like family.

Tata for now!

The first VBS team comes tomorrow and we start the camp on Monday! Please keep us in your prayers!

Love,
Eliana

CONGRADULATIONS RIC FOR GRADUATING FROM THE ART INSTITUTE OF ATL...I am very proud of you!

What a journey...

The past nine months have gone by so fast. Thank you so much for your love, support and most of all, your prayer. I give thanks to our loving Savior that throughout the time leading up to my arrival in Dominican Republic, through the excitement, the hard work, the joy and the sorrow of this past year He gave me hope and vision to continue in His discipline and towards the role He has prepared for me in His glorious story. Each step I have taken towards a future as a missionary in the DR He has bought people in my life to teach and counsel me, opportunities and experiences to develop my skills and talents to better serve here in the DR and to equip me to better understand the mission and strategies of North Point Ministries, and most of all patience and confidence in God for His timing in all things. That perspective, to me, is vital in order to serve His purpose rather than our own. It is my hope that I continue on this path, please pray and for those of you in my confidence please keep me accountable! All of this would not be possible without you; I cannot thank you enough…

I have only been here a few days and already I feel as if I am at home. My first night here we had a meeting with a group of leaders of a nearby church in Yuma. They are excited this year to be a part of our VBS camps. They will come and observe the first trip so they can better understand what we do and so they can equip their leaders for their camp later in June. It was an honor to be invited to sit in on this meeting to observe and learn how the Biblical Community continues to reach out to neighboring churches.

Sunday was a lazy day; I woke up late; nearly the time everyone else was returning from children’s church (which they have in the mornings in several of the churches here). Zoila and I took a taxi to the Centro to a restaurant for lunch…true Dominican food! (Not as good as Zoilas cooking…if any of you get the opportunity to eat dinner at Pastors house, you are in for a treat!) We then sat in the park and walked some. I cannot wait to explore the city more! At the evening service I saw many old friends and met many new ones. I recognized many of the worship songs so I was able to sing along. The presence of God is so powerful here, I have only attended service here 3 times but each time I am overwhelmed by the love of the people and the peace that fills me.

The speaker, a visiting pastor, was finishing a 3-part series on evangelism. Preaching from Isaiah 6:1-8 he encouraged us to draw near to God for the following reasons: Drawing near to God gives us a clear vision and majesty of Him, a recognition of our need of forgiveness and a strong calling from God for evangelism. The sermon really spoke to me but as I found out in the meeting last night, although the preaching was well done and we know that the Holy Spirit will fall on people when the word is spoken, the leaders of the Biblical Community in Higuey desired the series to speak more to seekers vs. believers. Pastor communicated to his leaders that although the desired outcome is not alway realized when visiting pastors come to preach but it is vital to the mission of the church to invite and invest in surrounding churches.

Monday I spent the whole day in the house, and let me tell you, I got pretty restless!!! In the morning, Israel (Pastor and Zoilas younger son), Omar (a friend) and Elias (the youth pastor) watched Happy Feet in Spanish, very entertaining. Then Israel and I worked on translating worship songs and singing together. I have been practicing my guitar and learning how to play Holy is the Lord, its great to have so many musicians around me. Israel and I translated Holy is the Lord and it looks like I may be singing with them next Sunday…hopefully it will go well!
Last night the leaders of the church had a meeting to begin evaluating their ministries. Pastor led the meeting, which has become a rarity but he wanted to make sure everyone understood why they were evaluating the ministries. He explained that the purpose of the evaluation was not to criticize their work but to determine the purpose and goals so that they focus, eliminate the unnecessary and better the ministry. I was very impressed with the process. Next week the individual ministries will meet with their supervising pastor to discuss their evaluation where they will specifically discuss the goals for the ministry from June-December 2007 including a short description, the abilities necessary to run and assist and a clear mission statement.

We also celebrated the 8 baptisms that took place on Saturday, the day I arrived, with 200 people attending to share in the celebration. ¡Gloria Dios!

I was encouraged to hear Pastor say over and over again that they are in a learning stage in all that they do and that evaluation is essential so they can continue learning and growing in their ministry.

Closing the meeting we discussed the upcoming Ministry Fair that will be held on July 22 to give the congregation an opportunity to meet the leaders and current volunteers of all the ministries and to become aware of the various opportunities to volunteer. What a great idea, I cannot wait to see what will transpire from this event.
Their goal is to have 60% of their congregation involved with a ministry at the church.

Today I woke up early, 7am! My friend Francisco was gracious enough to pick me up and bring me to the Basilica to run…YEAH! There were several people running and walking which helped me to feel very comfortable. The track is probably just under a mile and surrounded by palm trees. On my third time around two young men joined me and we finished our run together. Manuel and Felix are both baseball players and run every day the Basilica. We talked about several things; I hope to invite them to church next week…maybe this will be another opportunity to invest in others. I hope to meet more people tomorrow; Francisco said he’d be willing to bring me there every morning. Well off to my next adventure… I hope you are all doing well; please email me or drop me a message here!

Love,

Eliana

indescribable...

The letters are out!

Yeah! Lisa (NPCC) and I finally worked out all the details for my summer trip to the DR...the letters are sent...whew!
If you'd like to take a look at the letter: http://www.student.gsu.edu/~lackland1/DR2007.pdf

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Thank you so much for checking out Finding my place in God's story... I really appreciate your support. If you'd like to receive an email each time I update my blog so you can keep up with this journey please contact me at ellianlingo@gmail.com