We just received a few pictures and a written update. Steve Brauning wrote:
"Things are moving along!
Francisco has the floor and porch finished, most of the stucco done, all but one door made, and the windows are ordered.
We are moving our office next Friday! The Lord has provided had some good helpers and a little bit of extra funds.
Please share these with the rest of the team. Thanks!
Steve"
We wanted to share the good news with all of our supporters and to once again say "Thank You!" for all that you did to make this trip possible. God has blessed us, our brothers and sisters in the DR and the Brauning family. We pray and trust that he will bless you for your generosity.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Saturday, February 21, 2009
- This could be the last post
We leave this afternoon for the resort where we will spend our last two nights before we head home. This will be a time of fellowship with the Brauning family, a time to reflect on the work of the past week and time to continue and finish up the devotions that we have enjoyed doing every day this past week. We are not sure what access to the internet we will have, if we can we will keep you updated concerning the weekends activities. We are all anticipating spending Sunday morning in worship with our brothers and sisters in Duquesa. The bond of work for and of the love of Jesus Christ our Savior has brought these two groups together in a way that is beyond description. Once again we thank God, our heavenly father, for the gift of this mission trip. And we thank all of our families, friends and supporters for helping to make this trip possible. May God bless you as he has blessed us and those we serve in the Dominican Republic.
Friday, February 20, 2009
- "I cannot believe it is Friday already."
Both groups made good progress today. The Duquesa group completed the roof, this was the construction goal for the week. The ministry center group completed the majority of the finish drywall work and started on painting the room, while others in the group began wall construction in another room. Steve said that he was "thrilled" with the progress we made this week. The team is thrilled with the friends that we have made and the time we could spend being used by God this week to further His kingdom. Tonight there are 18 very tired team members spending their last night at the ministry center. Tomorrow morning a group will go to the tourist's market. In the afternoon we will pack up everything and head to the resort, where we will spend our last two nights before the group heads home. The weekend will be spent with the Braunings, going to church in Duquesa and hopefully visiting friends we have made on previous trips.
- A small correction and a Thursday report
It was reported that the group at the ministry center had completed all of the work intended for us except for some minor electrical work. That was incorrect, the work of sanding and mudding the first room continued, for some members of the ministry center group, Thursday and is continuing today. The electrical work has been completed and work on new walls has begun in another room. The members of the groups have been changed over the last couple of days. This was done to allow everyone the chance to experience the work that is happening at both sites. God has blessed us with construction leaders who are capable of directing the work at both sites. We always want to finish the work that we are asked to do, but we also understand that the work is just a part of these trips. Relationships with the people here is very important, but can be time consuming because of the language barrier.
Both groups had a very long day yesterday. The group at Duquesa started the day removing the forms from the concrete that was poured on Wednesday. In the pictures you can see that the concrete is a darker color than the rest of the house. At this point the concrete is still fragile and can easily be cracked. We have to be careful as the work progresses. Forms for the rest of the concrete work have to built and a sill plate, wood 2x4, needs to be installed on top of the new concrete so that the roof trusses can be installed. This will allow us to install the roof before we leave. The money that was raised for this trip will be used to complete the house with a combination of volunteer and contracted labor. Add some windows, some doors and a concrete floor and the pastor and his family will be able to use the house while the rest of the work is being completed. The Duquesa group stayed longer last night to finish the concrete work. When the Duquesa group returned to the ministry center last night, the ministry center group was also working late to finish a coat of mud. Today the group is doing finishing sanding, minor mudding repair and working on new walls. As on every trip that we have made there is so much more work that could be done and we would like to do. The Lord gives us our time here and helps us to trust that when we leave the work will continue. In all cases, maybe not according to our North American time schedules, the Lord is good, the work continues.
A couple added notes:
The question was asked about the cloths pins on the arms while playing dominoes. It was determined that the more cloths pins on the persons arms, the more they are losing. The exact rules for this have not been determined.
Also a big "Thank You" to Dave Horjus, the letter that you wrote to Jeff was shared with the group last night. It was well timed, very accurate and helped some very tired bodies laugh.
Both groups had a very long day yesterday. The group at Duquesa started the day removing the forms from the concrete that was poured on Wednesday. In the pictures you can see that the concrete is a darker color than the rest of the house. At this point the concrete is still fragile and can easily be cracked. We have to be careful as the work progresses. Forms for the rest of the concrete work have to built and a sill plate, wood 2x4, needs to be installed on top of the new concrete so that the roof trusses can be installed. This will allow us to install the roof before we leave. The money that was raised for this trip will be used to complete the house with a combination of volunteer and contracted labor. Add some windows, some doors and a concrete floor and the pastor and his family will be able to use the house while the rest of the work is being completed. The Duquesa group stayed longer last night to finish the concrete work. When the Duquesa group returned to the ministry center last night, the ministry center group was also working late to finish a coat of mud. Today the group is doing finishing sanding, minor mudding repair and working on new walls. As on every trip that we have made there is so much more work that could be done and we would like to do. The Lord gives us our time here and helps us to trust that when we leave the work will continue. In all cases, maybe not according to our North American time schedules, the Lord is good, the work continues.
A couple added notes:
The question was asked about the cloths pins on the arms while playing dominoes. It was determined that the more cloths pins on the persons arms, the more they are losing. The exact rules for this have not been determined.
Also a big "Thank You" to Dave Horjus, the letter that you wrote to Jeff was shared with the group last night. It was well timed, very accurate and helped some very tired bodies laugh.
- Long hard day on Thursday
By the time we finished up what we wanted to accomplish yesterday, had our group time and devotional time, it was to late to blog. Here are a few pictures from Thursday, we will send more of a report later this afternoon.
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Click on "View Album" to see full sized photos.
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Click on "View Album" to see full sized photos.
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Wednesday, February 18, 2009
- "To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning and Your faithfulness at night."
This verse, from Psalms 92, was a part of our devotions for today. This morning the group at Duquesa declared the lovingkindness of God in the morning as he blessed us with weather that was perfect for the heavy concrete work that we were doing. And tonight we declared his faithfulness to the whole team, for the good weather that helped us accomplish so much today.
The group at the ministry center also had a good day. They completed the mudding of the drywall in the room that they have been working in. Except for some minor electrical work, the room is do as far as our team is concerned, others will do the finishing work.
Devotions and team unity are very important aspects of all of our trips. We have truly been blessed by Pastor John's worship leadership. God was truly leading him in the selection of the devotionals that we are covering this week. We thank and praise God for Pastor John's leadership and we thank God for the gift of this mission trip. We again want to thank all of our supporters for helping us to make this trip possible. God has blessed us and so many others here thru your generous support.
An extra item for prayer - Kyle got a little to much sun today and then a little to much sports drink. The sports drink and some of lunch did not stay down. Nurse Robyn and Jeff have him comfortably resting in bed. We trust God to heal him completely and help him return to the worksite ASAP.
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Click on "View Album" to see full sized photos.
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The group at the ministry center also had a good day. They completed the mudding of the drywall in the room that they have been working in. Except for some minor electrical work, the room is do as far as our team is concerned, others will do the finishing work.
Devotions and team unity are very important aspects of all of our trips. We have truly been blessed by Pastor John's worship leadership. God was truly leading him in the selection of the devotionals that we are covering this week. We thank and praise God for Pastor John's leadership and we thank God for the gift of this mission trip. We again want to thank all of our supporters for helping us to make this trip possible. God has blessed us and so many others here thru your generous support.
An extra item for prayer - Kyle got a little to much sun today and then a little to much sports drink. The sports drink and some of lunch did not stay down. Nurse Robyn and Jeff have him comfortably resting in bed. We trust God to heal him completely and help him return to the worksite ASAP.
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Click on "View Album" to see full sized photos.
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- Pictures from Tuesday
As we were completing devotions on Tuesday night, it began to rain lightly. The best place for wireless network connection and working on the blog, at night, is outside, next to the ministry center office. The computer does not like blogging in the rain. Here are some pictures of Tuesday's activities at Duquesa and the pastor's house. Another hot day while we worked, but the evening cooled off nicely. We had hoped to begin pouring concrete, but we had not completed all of the prep work. God blessed us with a wonderfully cool Wednesday morning, perfect for pouring concrete. We finished the concrete that we had prepped for and started on and completed the trusses for the roof. A lot of hard work was completed today, thanks to the blessing of cooler weather. We will post today's pictures later tonight. We hope you are enjoying the pictures and reports.
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Click on "View Album" to see full sized photos.
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Monday, February 16, 2009
- Today is Wally's birthday
Wally Oldham is 45 years old today. Mary said that he was spoiled, this was the longest birthday celebration that he has ever had. We had a good time celebrating with him.
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- "I never knew that a cold shower in February could feel so good"
It was HOT today, so hot that a cold shower felt great and helped lower the body temperature. The group started the day all working at the ministry center while Steve went to purchase the lumber that we needed for concrete forms at the pastor's house. By 10:30, 11 members of the team were at the pastor's house beginning their portion of the work there. The first day is always the slowest as there is a lot of setup work, including chalk lines for the forms and building scaffolding. Good progress was made today as the team members naturally formed smaller groups and completed tasks in various areas. Also thanks to the preparedness of Debra Mead the majority of the local children who showed up to see the "Americanos" stayed away from the work site. The afternoon was very hot with little shade and very little cloud cover, it was good to take a shower.
The 7 members who stayed at the ministry center made great progress on the walls and should have the first room completed in a couple of days.
The entire team gathered together for the evening meal, a little time to relax, evening devotions and soon it will be bed time. We hope you are enjoying our reports and our pictures. If you have any messages you would like to share with the team or any questions, you can click on "comments" below, comments and questions will be shared with the team and we will post answers to your questions if we can.
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Click on "View Album" to see full sized photos.
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The 7 members who stayed at the ministry center made great progress on the walls and should have the first room completed in a couple of days.
The entire team gathered together for the evening meal, a little time to relax, evening devotions and soon it will be bed time. We hope you are enjoying our reports and our pictures. If you have any messages you would like to share with the team or any questions, you can click on "comments" below, comments and questions will be shared with the team and we will post answers to your questions if we can.
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Click on "View Album" to see full sized photos.
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Sunday, February 15, 2009
- Shall we gather at the river?
After breakfast Sunday morning, the team, the Brauning family and many members of one of the local churches loaded into vans, cars and pickup trucks to gather at the river that flows thru Santo Domingo. We gathered to witness the sacrament of baptism and to join in welcoming new brothers and sisters into God's kingdom. This morning the river that flows thru Santo Domingo truly flowed past the throne of God and all his angles rejoiced.
The rest of the morning was spent at the ministry center at a worship service that involved members from six local churches and one from Michigan. We also had members from 4 different countries, the DR, Haiti, Italy and USA. The Holy Spirit was with us as we sang songs, learned about God's grace and greeted one another with hugs, kisses and greetings of "Bendiga". Bendiga is short for "que Dios te bendiga" or "may the Lord bless you".
After lunch and a short rest period, we were off to explore the Colonial zone of Santo Domingo. We visited the Fortress of Santo Domingo also known as Fortelaza Ozama. The fortress was built in the early 1500's, shortly after the island was discovered by Christopher Columbus. Just down the street is a house that was owned by his son.
Dinner was devoured by 18 very hungry team members, chicken and rice and vegetables. There is something special about the way they are fixed here. Devotions and a discussion about tomorrow's activities before a period of relaxation and time for bed, finished the day. Tomorrow looks like it will be another GREAT day. We thank you for your prayers and ask for prayers for safety as we start the heavy work at the pastors house tomorrow. "Bendiga"
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Click on "View Album" to see full sized photos.
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The rest of the morning was spent at the ministry center at a worship service that involved members from six local churches and one from Michigan. We also had members from 4 different countries, the DR, Haiti, Italy and USA. The Holy Spirit was with us as we sang songs, learned about God's grace and greeted one another with hugs, kisses and greetings of "Bendiga". Bendiga is short for "que Dios te bendiga" or "may the Lord bless you".
After lunch and a short rest period, we were off to explore the Colonial zone of Santo Domingo. We visited the Fortress of Santo Domingo also known as Fortelaza Ozama. The fortress was built in the early 1500's, shortly after the island was discovered by Christopher Columbus. Just down the street is a house that was owned by his son.
Dinner was devoured by 18 very hungry team members, chicken and rice and vegetables. There is something special about the way they are fixed here. Devotions and a discussion about tomorrow's activities before a period of relaxation and time for bed, finished the day. Tomorrow looks like it will be another GREAT day. We thank you for your prayers and ask for prayers for safety as we start the heavy work at the pastors house tomorrow. "Bendiga"
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- More Saturday pictures
It is said that a picture is worth 1000 words, 29 pictures is easier than 29000 words.
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Click on "View Album" to see full sized photos.
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- Saturday
Saturday was a work day, no sight seeing, no taking it easy, no time to acclimate to the hot weather. After a quiet time for personal devotions and breakfast, there was work to be done. There was drywall and supplies that needed to be moved to the second floor of the ministry center. Converting one of the big rooms into several offices is one of the added projects that Steve assigned for us to do. The team was then split into two groups, some stayed to start the construction of the walls and checkout the electrical work that needs to be done. The rest packed up tools and supplies and headed to Duquesa and the pastors house. Steve had been informed that the local contractor had already begun construction and that most of the block had already been laid. When we arrived, we discovered that this indeed was true and there was very little for us to do. It was not a wasted trip thought. We meet the pastor and his family and saw the house that they are currently renting. We are more convinced than ever before that this is what God wants us to be doing this week. Steve told us that pastor Francisco has been in Duquesa for four years and has been a very good pastor to the community. We also found out that the they have been working for three years to make this project happen. God's timing for us to be in the DR again this year, as always, is perfect. Steve knows what supplies we need for Monday morning to build forms for the columns and lental. After lunch back at the ministry center, most of the team spent the afternoon working on the drywall walls. Deb Mead spent some of the afternoon playing and working with the local children and thanks to Mark Brauning discovered that it's not always a good idea to repeat what the kids say, oops. Mark Brauning also taught the young men in the group to catch lizards and how to make a natural leash to keep them as pets for the afternoon. Dinner and evening devotions were at the Brauning's home. We discussed Sunday's activities before returning to the ministry center. Fellowship and games helped everyone relax before one by one we wandered off to bed. It had been a GREAT day, we can hardly wait for tomorrow.
Saturday, February 14, 2009
- We hit the ground running.
Here are a few pictures of our Saturday activities. It is to late to post the details. We will post more pictures tomorrow along with more details. We kept busy today and enjoyed spending time at the Brauning home for dinner tonight. God is answering so many prayers.
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Friday, February 13, 2009
- Safe arrival
Praise God, we have arrived safely. The day was VERY long, but the traveling was easy. A big "Thank You" to Mike for a timely, safe trip to O'Hare airport. We had plenty of time at all of our stops. Steve met us with 3 vans, that we quickly filled to capacity. We have moved into the ministry center, enjoyed a typical Dominican meal cooked by the same ladies who cooked our first meal here 10 years ago on our first trip. It is now time to wind down, take a shower and sleep, tomorrow promises to be another full day. Here are a few pictures from our first day.
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Tuesday, February 10, 2009
- Genesis by Dr. Seuss
We just cannot say "Thank You!" enough to all of our supporters. God has blessed us thru you. We trust that He will bless our brothers and sisters in the DR thru us.
We would like to thank the Tinted Glass Comedy Troupe for planning and performing at our last fund raising event. Thank you to all of you who attended despite the cold/snowy weather. If you missed the performance or would like to see it again, we are working on posting the videos of the individual skits on youtube. Just click on the following link to view the first posting.
Genesis by Dr. Seuss
We hope that the members of Tinted Glass will continue to use their God given talents to entertain and to witness at the same time.
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We would like to thank the Tinted Glass Comedy Troupe for planning and performing at our last fund raising event. Thank you to all of you who attended despite the cold/snowy weather. If you missed the performance or would like to see it again, we are working on posting the videos of the individual skits on youtube. Just click on the following link to view the first posting.
Genesis by Dr. Seuss
We hope that the members of Tinted Glass will continue to use their God given talents to entertain and to witness at the same time.
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Thursday, February 5, 2009
- Pre-trip project photos.
We just received photos showing the site where we will build the pastor's house. And a link to photos of the construction that has been happening at the ministry center where we also will be working. Below are the pictures of the pastor's house building site, the gentleman in the first picture is the pastor. Below that is a link to the ministry center photos. Once again we thank our supporters for making this work possible. We will keep you informed as work progresses.
Ministry Center Construction Photos
Because there was a maintenance problem with the above link, the photos can be seen below. Descriptions of the photos and the work will be available when the maintenance is completed.
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Click on "View Album" to see full sized photos.
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Ministry Center Construction Photos
Because there was a maintenance problem with the above link, the photos can be seen below. Descriptions of the photos and the work will be available when the maintenance is completed.
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Click on "View Album" to see full sized photos.
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Thursday, January 29, 2009
- More than a vacation with a work project.
Early on in our planning for this trip, Pastor John DeVries talked about mission trips and how they need to be more than just a vacation with a work project. Mission trips are a special gift from God. A time to leave our comfort zones, leave our everyday lives behind, encourage our missionaries, meet new people, maybe experience a new culture, often do physical labor that we do not do every day and to grow spiritually. Looking back on the 5 trips we have made to the Dominican Republic(DR) it is easy to see that they have been more than just vacation trips with a work project. If you are looking for a nice warm place to vacation, during a cold Michigan February, the DR is highly recommended. But the 5 previous teams have followed God's calling to more than a vacation, they went to make a difference in the DR. They have completed construction projects, made great friends, encouraged our missionaries, studied God's word and have enjoyed spiritual growth. Spiritual growth thru the study of God's word is what separates a mission trip from a vacation with a work project.
Our study of God's word this year will be centered on:
John 15:1&2, I AM the True Vine, and My Father is the Vinedresser. Any branch in Me that does not bear fruit [that stops bearing] He cuts away (trims off, takes away); and He cleanses and repeatedly prunes every branch that continues to bear fruit, to make it bear more and richer and more excellent fruit.
We will begin each morning with a time of personal devotions during which we will read verses from God's word that we will claim as God's promises to us for that day. During our group prayer times during the day, we will be reminded of those promises and we will gather every night to share how God fulfilled his promises to us during the day. A mission trip is a good time for God's pruning. We are away from our everyday lives, we are doing God's work and enjoying his special protection. It is easier to see what God needs to prune from our lives while we are away. God's pruning is easier on us when we are working with him.
Often when we return from a mission trip to our everyday lives, we enjoy a spiritual high from being used by God and our study of his word. During this time it is easy to keep what has been pruned from our lives from regrowing. Eventually we come off from that high as the everyday pressures of our everyday lives get to us. As we let the pressures and business of our everyday lives interfere with our study of God's word, it becomes easier for what has been pruned to creep back into our lives again. We are so grateful that God is a patient, loving, caring Vinedresser, who "cleanses and repeatedly prunes every branch that continues to bear fruit".
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Our study of God's word this year will be centered on:
John 15:1&2, I AM the True Vine, and My Father is the Vinedresser. Any branch in Me that does not bear fruit [that stops bearing] He cuts away (trims off, takes away); and He cleanses and repeatedly prunes every branch that continues to bear fruit, to make it bear more and richer and more excellent fruit.
We will begin each morning with a time of personal devotions during which we will read verses from God's word that we will claim as God's promises to us for that day. During our group prayer times during the day, we will be reminded of those promises and we will gather every night to share how God fulfilled his promises to us during the day. A mission trip is a good time for God's pruning. We are away from our everyday lives, we are doing God's work and enjoying his special protection. It is easier to see what God needs to prune from our lives while we are away. God's pruning is easier on us when we are working with him.
Often when we return from a mission trip to our everyday lives, we enjoy a spiritual high from being used by God and our study of his word. During this time it is easy to keep what has been pruned from our lives from regrowing. Eventually we come off from that high as the everyday pressures of our everyday lives get to us. As we let the pressures and business of our everyday lives interfere with our study of God's word, it becomes easier for what has been pruned to creep back into our lives again. We are so grateful that God is a patient, loving, caring Vinedresser, who "cleanses and repeatedly prunes every branch that continues to bear fruit".
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Wednesday, January 28, 2009
- Some project information.
One of our projects will be to build the pastor of this church a house.
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Click on picture to see full size photo.
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- Early team photo.
Team photo from our "At the Hop" fund raiser. A fun group to spend 10 days in the Dominican Republic with.
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