Brother David - Dominican Republic Base -

Ministry in Haiti

Thu, 21 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Bony beni ou (God bless you)

"I think I'm going to pass out" said a woman next to me while I was working translating in a local clinic, another lady replied "the earth is shaking" and two minutes later it appears on the news. The begining of a nightmare.

Since then everyone is moving.

Last thursday Miguel and I went to Jimani a town next to the borther, there were choppers landing every five minutes, and each one came with a bad new, someone with a broken leg, arm or simply about to die.

I visited the Hospital and the situation was critical. People kept comming in, doctors made sure everyone got assistance, a back door was kept open to receive the bodies of a group of 30 Dominicans that were working as engineers in a building in Port o`Prince that colapsed during the earthquake.

The church miguel and I stood in started a ministry that I really felt identified with. because the doctors were so busy, no one was realizing that the people in the hospital still had needs even though they were meically assisted, they needed water, food and hygene supplies.

Before we went into Haiti to try to find people to work with, we went to store to buy food for those in needs, still looking to help in creating refugees for those that will have to start a new life from now on.

I spoke at my home church after arriving so we can get food and supplies togther to take them there, tomorrow me and a friend are going to take 200 pnds of food + toothbrushes, soaps, etc

Please keep praying and interceding for those people, there's a lot we can do, but the only one that restores the heart of those is Jesus.

re-adapting

Thu, 17 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Blessings to y'all

Quick update on what-s going on>

Spiritually

God has been working in me the awareness on spirituall warfare, while understading what does it mean to be a son of His an to be interested in the things He is interested.

Ministry

Recently I shared the gospel with a freshman classa leading for kids to Christ that night. Imediatelly I put my self in charge of discipling two of them and teach them how to grow in Christ as well as developing a friendship relationship instead of a leader follower thing. (even though it istill is).

Just started working on some guys that have the same call to the missions field, by going to Guachupita with them, soon we might do some vision trips to different places to find a place where we can work on a longer term basis.

Health
Twisted my anckle two days after arriving from Peru, so i'm still recovering. Otherwise I'm excellent.

Guachupita

is doing great we just Had cellgroup there yesterday and people were very happy with the presence of some guys I took down there (these 5 girls 2 guys actually kept visiting guachupita while Miguel and I were gone). Prayer is needed over them (I'll go over that later).

THANK YOU

Mon, 14 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

First of all, I pray that the blessings from God may be poured onto you.

The reason I'm wwriting this is to let you know (in case you didn't know) that I was in Peru for around three months and it was an excellent time there. Teaching in churches, training the youth for ministries, evangelism, personal disciplechip.

Now it all happened because of your spiritual and financial suport, without the key elementes of intercession and material support this trip would not have been made possible.

So I want to thank you all for caring about this, caring about my heart towards the Nations, towards the mountains here in the DR and Haiti.

Now I'm back in the Dominican finding that the youth group I used to lead has grown vertically and horizontally. That my spiritual choldren are still in the truth and growing more and more and a team of guys that also have a heart towards the missions. Lots of work confirming God's full time call.

Still I have a request, and it is to keep praying for this: in January I'm going to Haiti with a couple Guys, to preach and teach in the church I was last year, please pray for provision and spiritual covering.

Blessings nad thanks once again

Future Missionaries

Fri, 18 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

recently due to my trip to Peru, a lot of people have expressed me their desire to become missionaries, most ogf them young people.

However most people have the mentality that being a missionary means to travel around the world and if it is possible preach the gospel to someone.

But I've met a group of girls (sisters actually) the three of them have a huge call to go and minister preaching the gospel in unreached nations.

Obeying a call means to do what God asks you to do wherever you are, these three girls that went everywhere with the kandela evangelism team, Have a specific call to Africa.

Connie, the oldest sister, 21 is actually working as a sound video technician in our church.

Connie, Whay do you wnat to be a missionary?

Because I'd like to go to ifferent parts of the world mionistering specifically to the kids,. I believe hat they are the futur of our world, and because I like to see them having fun while we teach them bible verses and sing with them, besides the fact that teaching them the word of God being children they'll be better man and women of God, and they'll be an example to others.

Betsy, 20, Worship leader in youth group

Betsi, If you ever make it to Africa, where would you like to work there? I'd like to minister more specificcaly to teenagers, meeting their need to develop a good relationship, and to hear about God. I'd like to help them bringing them the message of salvation, and let them know that they are not alone and there are people praying for them and willing to encourage them.

DTB

Mariolis, 18, youth group's worship leader

Mayi, what really made you upload pictures of kids in Africa on your facebook?

Well I was looking at some pictures of Africa on the web and I found a lot of pictres that atracted my atention, most of them have a pretty bad nutrition, suffering in hunger while we are all wasting so much food.

Another kid had some shoes made out of water bottles, again while our wardrobes are full of shoes we don't use. I uploaded those pics so my friend can see the materialism we are in, and that at least they can think about it, and feel compassion towards them.

They need someone to help them

Anything else to say?

God bless you so much...

yeivi and me Haiti video

Tue, 18 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT

these videos have not been edited, I didn't take any vids that had to do with ministry or people, they are all about Yeivi, my 3 year ol roommate.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FanK4XCvEyw

Youth Group

Thu, 13 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Blesisngs to Y'all

So, I hevn't blogged in a while and I wanted to share a couple things that have happend during this time, one of them is youth group.

the firts three months of this year was focused on the evangelism through living topic, so we tought a lot on disciple making, living in purity with hope and boldly, it was awesome and had a great impact on the tennagers as well on the older guys which experienced a challenge by discipling these guys.

A month later, we had a cell group orinted campaing where the kids themselvs were supposed to invited other friends and joing church, it came our t with 12 more lives for Chirst.

Right Now as I'm planning on my peru trip, I'm training Francis, a 2 year old guy with a great hart for youth group and a great relationshp with the Father.

Please keep praying for them so the growth is steady

blessings againg

China/Peru

Tue, 11 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT

hello

I'm REALLY sorry I haven't blogged in a while, I've been so inmersed in ministry and relationship that I hardly get any time for internet except for email checking.

Really quick Ill tell you guys what's going on with my mission trip and later on I'll write aboout my actual ministry life.

First of all I need to thank you all for your paryers, words on encouragment and financial support, it's been a great blessing.

My plans of travelling to China sadly didn't work, arranging the paperwork for a visa, besides ministry there was under a threat. I kept praying aboutit and later on GOd showed another door opened for me to minister there: PERU

Until now everything is set for me to get there on Sept 01st, and stay in the jungle and the capital till nov 28th.

ministry there will include most likely what i've been doing here, church planting, personal and group discipleship, teaching-preaching, and personal evangelism, it might include manual labor, but I haven't confirmed it yet.

family members and church are excited about this trip, confident that God will perform his perfect will in the laves of the people there as well as in mine.

please keep praying for this project, so that everything gos smothhly as it has been

blessings

what has been going on....

Fri, 6 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT

bendiciones

sorry guys I haven't blog in a while, due to a couple things that as the titke say have been going on.

first of all, after receiving the world race team I got seek. apparently it was mumps, so I needed a total rest according to my doctor. after 20 days (aprox) without getting out of my house my next visit to the doctor showed that it wasn't mumps, but a neck infection. after a treatment with antibiotics, and a lot of prayer from muy church brothers and sisters and you guys, I'm finally doing well.

I wen't to Guachupita, the church there is doing great, they were really happy about the world race team that worked with them. Alex is talking a lot, Clemente is going to have him checked in the capital next week, please keep praying for him. In Guachuita, there's been some fights recently, so pray that God delivers peace to these people.

I remenber telling you guys that my mom had accepted Christ while I was in Haiti, well dshe got baptized two weeks ago, and its amazing how she's learning the scriptures and preaching. So far two of her friends have already accepted Christ, pray that God helps them as well to keep rowing in knowng Christ.

TESTIMONY

While Marcos (a teacher in the Christian high school I accepted Christ in) was teaching the religion* class, the believers of that class decided that they need to pray for their classmates, the whole class said it was ok and imediatelly, in the middle of the class, they started praying.

What happend was amazing, 45 students started weeping and crying out to God for forgiveness.

The presence of God was real. Mariolis, a christian student in the class said: " it was really weird, I couldn't stand , nor sit I just knelt and pray"

God 's willing to do great things among the youth in this town keep praying that they all become Disciples of Christ.

According to myself, I'm doing great, willing to go to the mountains, as soon as my body recovers totally from my sickness, staying in the house for so long, makes me feel sore now that I' exercising and walking. againg THanks for your prayers.

I'll blog soon about missions and what's the next step.

* In the D.R. is normal and accepted by the goverment that the bible is tought in the schools. Specially in Christian Schools

what I left.... what I found

Tue, 23 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT

blessings to y'all

So I'm back, and my time in Haiti was great, learned a lot about my self and ministered a lot teaching in church and preaching every morning. The church planned a mission trip to another town in whch I helped the church with teachings about intercession and spiritual warfare.

Learned a lot about the bible, for the pastor I stayed with always helped me with that, memorizing scripture and reading alot of books about theology. I will detail soon what my time in Haiti was like, but this time I want to let you know about what I found here now I'm back.

During my time in Haiti I was really concerned about Hombre o na, HDF, and a lot other stuff. God gave me the promise that he would take care of them I trusted Him and this was the result.

Hombre O na. The guys never stopped meeting, this time they would meet every night at my mom's house to pray for me and my brother, as a result of this MY MOM ACCEPTED CHRIST!!!, as well as her friend. Right now both of them attend to church while my mom (because of her maturity) helped a couple of the guys deal with some not- so -good stuff that happened to some of them while I was there. While all of this was happening I had a dream where she was leading a church, I get here and that's what I find out, Lenin keeps helping the guys and my mom, that for a long while has always kept the discipline of reading the bible and praying, is helping her friend and my brother's girlfriend to know more about Christ.

My sister, realized her need to seek God and for the last couple weeks I've been talking with her about God. She hopes she can go with me to haiti or to the mountains to experience God's presence.

Ministries (youth group, sunday school) are doing great, and the leaders in charge did a great job while I was not here, it was very benefitial for them.

I changed, but I must admit that is hard to mantain that change God has made in you, is easy to notice how hard it is for people to get used to the new David, and is a temptation to become like they want you to be. My trip made me know a lot about Christ, knowing God in a new way, listening more to HIM.

Thanks for your prayers, all these cool stuff that God did were thanks to your prayers, Thanks for your financial support, and thanks fro your encouraging comments.

MAY GOD BLESS YOU ALL, AND MERRY CHRISTMAS.

The inward journey- finding my true self

Sun, 30 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT

HOLA A TODOS

During my trip, being by myself, with friends I met when I came here I've had a lot of time to pray and to think about my future. here are some thots.

Most times our personality es based on the enviroment that we live in. Our spiritual life has a lot to do with our personality, ergo our spiritual laife might be based on the enviroment we are in.

Why do I say this?

Would I be able t do the things I'm doing here, if I were with my friends and family back home?

Do I really need to make it a month long?

maybe, maybe not

During this time in Dajabon and Haiti, more than ministries I'm looking for a closer relationship with God, and I've learned that HE's the only one I should trust in, and rely on. Make HIM my priority is my main goal.

For a couple years God has been working in my heart doing a transformastion and setting me free from bad habits, and and self steem stuff. Later HE made clear HIS call to be a missionary.

Ministering in GUachupita and discipling my guys was how I put t in practice. It helped me to develop my lidership personality. it wwas at that point that I decided to give up everything (school, work) to serve HIM. Living by faith was a hard time in my life.

I get engaged and as every man you'd like to buy the qwhole world to please the most precious woman in the universe, but you simply can't. God blessed me in a way I could not understand by that time. He gave me a woman that would totally understand what's my call. "being a man of God, is the best present I could ever give her" she says.

With 3 to 4 hours of prayer a day in haiti I got enough time to ask God and listen from HIM what are his future plans for my life, but more than promises he clarified what HE wants to make with me. it was frustrating me the fact that I don't know how does my future looks like, but "making plans to change your character a lot easier than changing your character to make plans"

Do I really have to give up eveything in order to serve God? the answer depends on who you are and if you are willig to do it.

I'm far from my family, my church, m,y friends, my disciples, but Im finding a lot of junk I would never find if I were around them, my only friend here is God, He's the only friend that speaks a language I can understand, and He's really Honest with me telling me what I need to work on in my life. HE wants to change my character before I get involved in things like work or studies.

Apenas estoy a 10 dias de haber partido y ya he visto como el ha hecho cosas en mi.

Thanks to all of you who are supporting me with your prayers. and " gracias a Ana por ser mi apoyo espiritual sin condiciones"

"Dios les Bendiga mucho"

HASHEM

Haitian culture

Sat, 29 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT

hola a todos

I hope y'all doing good.

so, last week I was in Haiti, after waiting a couple hours in the border and then traveling in the back of a motorcicle for 1 hour I got to a city called Capotillo.

IT WAS GREAT!!! high up in the mountains and really cold and green, yes like los montasitos, except that I don't understand a wiord of waht the people say. Most people specially older ones speak Spanish.

The Pastor I'm staying with, the Main pastor and I hiked for about 7 hours on mondaydoing visitations, because of all the rain a lot of brothers and sisters could not go to church, so we went up in the mountains which looked like the jungle and prayed over lots of families. On tuesday we went to the market, is th type of market where everyone goes and even school stops because of it.

I asked a couple people and they said they are really happy about Barack Obama being president of the United States

Antoine, My host, studied Theology here in the dominican Republic for about 10 years, and while I was there we studied a lot from the Bible. His son Javi (5) is adorable, asking me how do I call things in spanish (et a?). His wife who's pregnant cooks really good food.

Culture is really different, church is very legallistic, and the main sport there is Soccer, I might leave all the balls and bats I brought here in Dajabon.

I'm going back to Haiti on monday and this time I'll spend there 20 days, no phones, no internet one hour a day of electricity, and going to bed at 6 pm to wake up at 4.

Happy thanksgiving BTW

Blesisngs

While in Dajabon

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT

bonjour!!

After two day of raining finally today I got the chance to go to the Haitian embassy to look for my Haitian visa.

This morning I sat down with pastor Eddie and Pastor Orlando, to arrange all the stuff and the shedule and ministries that I'll be doing in Haiti, Pr. Orlando wants me to help him at an activity they are having for a Family service, so I'll be acting as Zacheus.

I'll leave to Haiti on sunday to be back on wednesday, and then go back into Haiti on monday 1st.

I'm doing GREAT, physially, spiritually and emotionally, God has been talking and preparing me for a lot to come.

Gerald, the guy I live with, has been very sick and its been a encouraging thing seeing all shis family members come by and pray for him even before reccomend him a doctor.

Please keep praying and don't forget to intercede for the Haitian church.

Blessings

leaving

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT

sorry guys I don't have a lot of time , but I just wanted to stop by an let y'all know that I'm leaving to Haiti for 5 weeks. Lots of people are praying for me right now and a lot more committted to keep me in prayers. I'm arraghing a lot of stuff before leaving, I don't know If I'll have internet access or phone service, but please leave me a comment to let me know you are praying.

blessings

Set up Trip to Dajabon and Haiti

Tue, 4 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT

For those of you who know.... Que lo Que?

My time in dajabon and Haiti was great, even thou I just went to talk personally with a couple people. First of all I met Pastor Orlando and his wife, a married couple of puertorrican missionaries. It was hard at first because when I told him I wanted to stay in Haiti for 6 weeks he confronted me asking me a lot of questions that I thought about but didn't except him to ask me. Then we talk for a while about the trials that as a missionary you might find (homesickness, cultural shock, etc).

After that he sent me to have a talk with a Haitian guy that works for the church, where he would give me a little cultural orientation. The next day was mostly hanging out in Dajabon. The last day I went to Haiti, where I spend like 3 hours hanging out with some teenagers in the school that knew some French. And then I talked to the Haitian Pastor that I'm going to work with.

He was very excited, apparently I'll be working at a youth group in a city called Capotillo, most kids there speak both Spanish and French. The rest of the schedule is going to be set after I go there.

Blessings to everyone and I'll be posting soon about other stuff before leave, (I don't think I'll have internet access)

P.S happy election Day

Life update

Mon, 27 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Hey guys, fisrt of all thanks for you encouragment comments, they've been really helpfull these days.

Well, God has been doing great things in my life recently, preparing me more than anything to be patient and obedient even in the hardest moments.

Recently I talked with my mentors, and they gave me a good recommendation, and after praying about it for a while, I have decided that while I get the documents here, I'll go on a 6 week mission trip to Haiti. I'm still working on the arrangements and tomorrow I'll go to dajabon to visit the chruch there and go to Haiti to find a house to stay in.

This will help me a lot and I'll possibly have the chance to work at an orphanage there (which I'd love). I pray that in my time there, is not only a blessing to me but to the people there.

I'll finally leave on November 18th, so please be praying about this and interceding for the country.

My frustrations

Wed, 22 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Buen dia a todos
Just wanted to stop by and say hi, since I havent posted a blog in the last month.

Recently, God has been doing amazing things in my life. Specially when I took some time to complain again about certain things that I want to happen in my own way.

This blog is to share a Lil bit with you guys what is my frustration about, and how has God ministered in my life.

As most of you know, I committed to go to the missions field for a time of six months. after praying a lot, my heart moved towards the other side of the world. I thought it was pretty far, but seeing people with a desire of the word of God being preached and willing to support financially, and what is more; the amount of people that are praying for it, I realized that is not as far as it looks.

Today, a month and a half after my supposed departure, I'm still here, waiting for some documents so that can get the visa to that country. After I have the visa, Ill be able to go through Europe easily.

The time has come when people ask me when am I leaving , and I don't have an answer, or some question the fact that I'm going so far, when only God Knows why he called me to go there.

There are people that are not very close friends of mine, That I can see they don't really care, but those that are close friends, don't want me to go.

In the other hand God has done a great job killing me, instead a lot of new things are transforming my heart and mind. I've learned to be patient, and to understand that God is the one in control not me. Because I don't know when I might get all that paperwork, I can not make plans further than two weeks, cuz I don't know If I'll be there or here.

My personality has been totally changed. I used to be an agenda-guy, now my life has no plans. Used to work really hard, now I need to follow God and get involved in as much ministry as I can if I want to feel productive. Good mentors are hard to find, specially when the ones you had were so Christ-like, my hope of finding spiritual fathers is almost gone, which has led me to realized that is not about people but about God.

That's why I go to Him, Normally I spend a good time complaining a nd then I feel His grace, I think I'm running out of tears. I just take my frustrations to Him.

It feels like following some footsteps in the darkest night, you know you are following Jesus, but you don't know where is he taking you to. Is in times like this that one gets to understand Israel, Moses trying to get them to this "promised land" that sounded more like a fairy tale compared to Egypt.

My mom is starting to feel depressed because I'm not studying nor working,

Sadly there's nothing I can do, I'm not from this world, I'm dedicated to God, committed to do what he asks me to do. It was my choice a couple years ago not to live according to this world. If Im to die in the missions field Ill know That I havent wasted my life.

I wont deny though That I miss living a "normal" life sometimes.

PLease keep praying.

Blessings to y'all.

P.S. plus the frustration of not being able to beat Mario in my computer games

what I found on a wednesday morning

Sat, 4 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

After all the frustration that I was still going through, all the paper work that I have to wait for,

and the inestability of my plans. One day I woke up.......complaining, asking God why is this all happening to me. First I'm the only rare San Juan guy that is going on a mission trip overseas, second not to a close country but to China, and with a desire to share the gospel in unreached countries that most people don't understand......sometimes I don't understand it either.

That wednesday morning after complaining, I had to shut my mouth up and ask God for forgiveness, A sinfull person complaining the PERFECT ALMIGHTY GOD.

Still, He showed me HIs grace and love, He told me to rely on Him, And not to trust My own understanding.

At That point I fell like opening my little gideon's new testament and try to find something to read, I didnt have an specific scripture, I just opened it:

Cast your cares on the LORD
and he will sustain you;
he will never let the righteous fall.

psalms 55:22

My heart broke, and after praising God I started praying for others, that wednesday was heart changing, I felt like a transformation was done. Since then Im trying to live out Gods promises.

What I found on a Thrusday night

Sat, 4 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

That wednesday, after praying I knew I needed to go to Guahupita, it had been three weeks since last time I was there, due to all the paperwork for the mission trip, I had hard to get a block of time to go down there.

I got ready to go when my cousin asked me why do I go there, and how did I get to know those people, if they are not my relatives nor friends from church or school. So I started the whole story about my heart for Guachupita. I finished my story telling her that maybe they are having a hard time in the guachupita's church because miguel is not here, and I had three weeks without going there.

On my way, I heard some claping, then a song then ....

They were having their thrusday meeting in cellgroup, it excited me How this people, after being kicked out of their area because of the hurricanes, moving three times in two weeks, with the financial problems, and sicknesses they still get together to praise God.

The most interesting thing is that I got there and I sat down and Clemente told me: Ronnie today we are supposed to read psalm 22: (so they did have a plan!!!)

        For he has not despised or disdained
       the suffering of the afflicted one;
       he has not hidden his face from him
       but has listened to his cry for help.

psalm 22:24

I was asked to close in prayer, and then we took some pics. keep praying for this house church.

P.S. Alex is doing good, his eye looks a lot better. and he says hi

Transit Visa

Mon, 22 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT

hey people!!!

Some of you prolly receive my e-mail a couple days ago about prayer requests, in case you didn't let me know, so you can pray for the things that need to be done before I can go to the missions.

Right now I'm at an Iternet cafe in Santo Domingo, because I showed up too early for my appointment. So I thougth it would be good to take some time to post something about the "transit visa".

Well, first of all the American embassy requires you to bring a lot of documents that they are going to check if they want to, cases where people bring a lot of documents and then they don't check are heard very often, but either they check your documents or not, it is a yes or no thing. REALLY COMPLICATED.

I made this appointment a month ago, suppousing that I would get all the documents from the "other" embassy before that, but.... I haven't been able to get the "other" visa yet, it means that I have little proof that I'm really going to "the other country".

I found this in the american embassy website.

Section 214(b) is part of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). It states:

Every alien shall be presumed to be an immigrant until he establishes to the satisfaction of the consular officer, at the time of application for admission, that he is entitled to a nonimmigrant status...

So according to this and some people I have asked before is something about being honest with them, but they can believe you or not.

There might be three possibilities:

1. I get the transit visa, then I apply for the other visa and then I go

2. I don't get the transit visa for lack of proof, US$150 are wasted, and then apply again in a month.

3. there is a little possibility that I don't get the visa because there's a residency visa in proccess from my dad, It means that I'll have to wait like a year befor I can go through the states, or aply for another visa in another country (it means 300 dollars more in flight + paperwork)

Don't forget to pray as much as you can.

The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.

James 5:16

Anyways my interview is in a couple minutes (like 60) I'll let you know how did it go.

A dominican MIssionary

Wed, 17 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT

I remenber like today, that first time I went with my friend anthony to Miguel's house.

He was a missionary I had just worked for as a translator, me and my friend having been called by God to be missionaries previously, thought it would be a good Idea to ask this missionary to "teach" us how to be missionaries.

AS life takes its course, things go where you walk to, my firiend soon got involved in a job, (businesses of life) right now he's working in Spain. All this while I'm planing my 6 months trip to China.

I had to decide to go to the nations to really see what it takes a random dominican to be a missionary. First of all the whole thing you have to fight, agains yourself wether being a likewarm pew christian or a bold follower of Christ.

The whole process of this project helped me to grow in a lot of things as well as getting an insight of the dominican culture. these are a couple things I would never do:

Ask people for money (fund raising)

Leave my family (being sent)

Leave my girlfriend ( value God more than anything)

Not listen to my friends (most don't want me to leave)

I had to accept the fact that while some people are not missionaries, they are the ones supporting missionries, That I'm an oportunity for them to bless those countries. I could see how real is the promise of God when he said that if you leave your family you'll be blessed a 100x with other families. One day Ana told me that if I really loved her I should express her that love by loving God more, my best two friends are getting married while I'm in the missions field they are reallly concenerd About my presence in the wedding, my aunt would prefer me to go to another country, (cuz of persecution)

Sometimes I feel like I'm following God but he's going in the opposite direction, but normaly that's what happens when you follow God. It encourages me to know that I'm not going where everyone is going.

As Time comes nearer the spiritual fight gets stronger (fund raising, paperwork, relationships, and the inner tiredness of working all these things out). the only source of strength is God. Litterally God.

While I'm going through this I think of all the other missionaries around the world, I think of those planing on going on a mission like me, and also I think of those that one felt the called to be missionaries and then didn't respond the call.

Never forget to pray for us, specially those missionaries comming from a background like the Dominican.

Latin americans that were born in a poor background are supposed to work hard to financially help their famillis and accomplish success.

A bold follower of God is supposed to follow Him wherever He goes. That is our eternal success

Thanks for your prayers

Weather Update

Fri, 5 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT

hello everyone, blessings to y'all.

I don't really have a lot of time, but I just wanted to let you know about what's going on here in the Dominican Republic.

Two hurricanes have gone through our country, Gustav went more through Haiti and Dajabon (a border city) in our country leaving a number between 70-120 deaths.

After that we just had Hannah, I'm writing this and today is the first sunny day in the last 3 to 4 days. Apparently we're going to have another one.

Everything's ok here, Families in Guachupita and Mesopotamia (my neighborhood) have been evacuated twice this week. Authorities say they are doing everything to avoid flood by controlling the waters in the damps*.

Please pray for our country, I'll come soon with a more detailed update.

Again thanks for your prayers

Hombre o Na's Ministry

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Hello everyone
Friday night Hombre o Na had its first outreach and I just wanted to let you know about some of the highlights of it

The first thing is that we've been planning this for about a month and it was supposed to happen at a friend of ours church about 3 km from where we live, in the afternoon a big rain started, leaving us without a clue of what was going to happen. Later on we got together and (after drinking some coffee of course) we headed out to the place.

There people received us very warmly.
We had planned each one to have a part in it. I was in charge of sharing the message that later I had to change because everyone in the building was a Christian.
Andres and Ruth (Lenin's wife) led worship while Luis shared a testimony.

Then I shared the word of God with them.

The happiness in the people from the church made us even happier. We spend some time with them after the service while Eliezer (1 year old Lenin's son) played the drums. (pics)

I shared with them what's hombre o Na and what's our goal, as well as encouraging them to have the same kind of fellowship that doesn't have to do with church names, councils or doctrine, but that has a real desire to be a Jesus' disciple and to have real fellowship among your brothers and sisters.

Life update

Fri, 22 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT

hey guys I hope y'all are doing well.

I just want to give you an update of what's going on here.

My beloved, left this morning to Santo Domingo (3 hours apart from me) to college. This semester is going to be really tight for her. Hopefully she'll be back before I leave for my mission trip.

Now that I'm by myself in the appartment, most of my time is spent reading a lot, studyng buddism and "$%&-an culture. As well as the language and reading a lot from the bible.

Mostly during the afternoons I Visit my family and people in our ministry spots (Guachupita, Cienaga) or work for Youth Group.

One good thing that happened recently is that I got the courage to present the gospel to my brother one more time. My heart is broken for him, and I explained him that my desire is to see him know Christ in the same way that it is to see people from other countries to know Him too.

Please keep praying for my family, that they get to know Christ, and they understand His sacrifice for them.

Ana

Fri, 22 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT

I haven't told you guys about someone very important in my life and ministry.

She's "mi amada" her name is Ana.

We had known each other for about 3 years now. I met her in church, and I had no interest in dating anyone, but suddenly one day...... puff!!! I felll in love.

I prayed a lot about it and God showed me it was not time to date her yet. After waiting for about a year we talked and finally got engaged!!

It's been 8 months now, and each day I find a new reason to love her more and more. whenever I go on a trip, she's the one praying fervently for me. She has a great heart for people. Right now she's sudying Psichology, and her desire is to work in the missions field helping people emotionally. She loves kids as much a I do and loves cooking.

We are planing on getting married the beggining of 2011. Ana and I would love if you guys pray for us and our relationship.

Blessings

Training trip to the mountains

Fri, 8 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Hi there.

Do you remenber -if i ever told you- how did I start having a heart for the missions? Well it was once that I went with my friends on a two-days trip to the mountains.

Two days ago I did the same thing with three guys from youth group, and it was amazing!

We headed to the mountains and there I showed them around and told them about the community. It was not easy for them for we slept in sleeping pads on the flor (thing they had never done before) and hiked a lot in the place.

At the end of the trip they were rejoicing on how loving the people are and how beautiful it is up there. One of them was sharing how he's going to value more what he has. He felt that the people there are happy, even though they don't have the comforts we have.

They are excited to go back. Right now they are shar with others the experiences the had there. the only thing we did thou was to pray for the comunity and the families we stayed with, as well as attending to a church service. Right now my back is really sore from the 2 hours ride in the back of a truck.

These guys are the ones that have shared with me their desire to be missionaries. I ask you to pray that God encourages them/trains them/ teaches them to be an example of Christ even if it means to work in their own neighborhood.

Pics coming soon

Blessings

Kandela

Tue, 5 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT

I hope everyone s doing good.

Will the Dominican Republic be the next country sending missionaries around the world?

I'm positive about that!!!

Kandela is a group of teenage kids that have a passion for poor and tough places. Where they go, they do door to door, prayer walking and VBS. They have a heart for kids and they don't feel awkward at all in sharing the gospel with people that they might know in a certain neighborhood.

Most of them have a heart for the nations, and a desire to see Jesus expanding his kingdom. They do struggle with a lot of stuff like every teenager, but still they recognize how important God is, above anything here in this world.

Is hard, I know, to go house to house, door to door, telling people that Jesus is the only way. People sometimes find it weird that they don't go with a lot of theological doctrines but with the simple message that we were created by Him and for him, and that after being created he had to pay for us, and there he is waiting for us to go back to him.

I ask you to pray, that from this team rise a new generation of bold followers of God, people with a desire to take the gospel to the end of the world, no matter the cost. If your prayers are answered, a couple Dominicans will be in Africa, Haiti and Asia.

UPDATE

Tue, 5 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Hey people.

I hope everyone is doing good and learning a lot from the lord.

I just wanted to stop by and let you know how things are going here in the Dominican base, and in my life.

SHORT TERM TRIPS

Honestly in the last week I had a hard time focusing on God while I had to do all the set up for the last mission trip that we just hosted. It seems like I was ready to be done for the summer. One thing that I know works really good when you can not go further is to ask God to strengthen you. Well did so and God has been helping me a lot.

The team was all Korean so I learned a lot about Asian culture.

GUACHUPITA

Alex is doing great his eye started to look better just a week after the surgery, me and Clemente went to the clinic last Monday and the doctor sad is going excellent.

Fior and Francisco are doing great, Patricia their oldest daughter (8) takes care of Deiling (7 months old) while Fior works as a maid.

Dulce is doing really good. God keeps talking to her through beautiful dreams. Erika (9) and Emerelin (10) are both the worship leader and the bible readers at the house church.

Corey Jacobs actual project leader was amazed of how the house church started with 5 people and now's 18.

Even thou the people there are doing great spiritually, they are having a hard time financially. Recently, Patria, Silvia and I distributed some food that the last project bought for them, they were really glad.

HDF

Those are the initials of "Heroes De la FE" name of the youth group I lead. Our youth pastor was recently in the states and I was really afraid that now being the leader in charge, having a project coming and setting up a lot for this one, I was going to be extremely busy, but the kids are learning a lot. The evangelism ministry KANDELA is going great and we had an awesome prayerwalking time last Saturday. The whole last week was spent helping a group of missionaries from our mother church in the states to paint our church bulding. Kids loved to spent time helping them and spending time cleaning the building afterwards.

I'm planning a two days mission trip with some of the guys, part of personal training and the beginning of a vision of training Dominican missionaries to go around the world.

DISCIPLES

Last meeting I thought I was going to teach them a lot, but instead they were the ones telling me how incredible all the signs of Jesus' next coming are. One of them said "Jesus is almost here". We had a great time talking about that.

HOMBRE O NA

It seems like big decisions are being made among the "tigueres" (men) of Hombre o Na.

Two of them are getting married next year, one more just got engaged last week and every talk goes around my trip to a country "where they put Christians in jail".

KINGDOM BRINGERS

The summer has been really good for The Kingdom Bringers for we've had the chance not only to be interpreters but also ministers, Isaias had a great time with us. While Tom Hood's team at cienaga there was a lady (I don't know who), that was obviously Demon Possessed, I was not there but after two hours she was SET FREE! Many and Hector accomplished this glorious task.

ADIOS

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Oh!! I can still remember that one night that I came to Miguel's house and asked him if I could be trained in missions.

Well, here we are, three years after that. As I'm writing this I'm using their laptop for the last time and spending with them the last minutes of what seems to be a "see you soon". Kinda hard to say.

They are leaving and I'll work with two more short term trips and then to Asia.

Miguel has been a huge help for me and I know that our brotherhood is going to endure forever.

Still... is really hard to say ADIOS.

Thank you all for your prayers and for your words of encouragement.

In Christ.

Hombre O Na -man or nothin'-

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Hey everyone

I hope each one of you is getting to know more and more about the lord and enjoyiing the richness of living in his kingdom

Just wanted to stop by and tell you about one of my favorite things to do for the lord.

(If it is really ok to have a favorite ministry) it is "Hombre o Na".

What is it?

Well I grew up in church with some other guys, they really love the lord and we used to have a lot of fun together. College, promotions, engagement, marriage, and a lot of other things put us apart.

A couple months ago, seeing that now we are in different churches, and that we needed to really focus in the lord, I announced a meeting. During that time I expressed them my desire to see one another as our brothers again, and more than just have fun, to really seek the lord with as one body.

From there on we've been meeting every Thurs day, to worship, share the word of God, talk about random things like jobs, ministry, and why not? Fiances and girlfrends.

Our main goal s to help one another, keep each other accountable, and help materially and spiritually in whatever we can.

It's seven of us, and I'm the youngest, and even though I'm kind of the leader, I'm learning a lot from them. I just make sure that encouragement and motivation happens along with a time of separating from work, girls and all the duties of church, to seek the lord with all of our hearts.

We call it Hombre O Na because we want to make sure that our manliness is not found in what we can get or what we have, but to recognize that our whole existence depends on our relationship with God. Without God whatever we are (even being a hombre) vanishes.

We've seen great growth in our lives, praying for one another, helping one another, a simple phone call to see how others are doing, debriefing, or meeting the needs that others would have.

Each one of us has a ministry in their own church, - worship leaders, musicians, youth group leaders, actors, teachers, multimedia guy. So we never didn't really focused on an specific ministry, but recently we've felt the call to start the same thing on other communities, spread the message that men can follow Christ, that is ok to be weak and broken in front of God.

I'm encouraging them to have the heart of a warrior; that is a lack of manliness to see that your family and friends are spiritually dying while we are doing nothing; and that we should care for one another as ourselves.

Pray that God keeps leading us, pray that we can minister other men, and pray that God gives me wisdom so that I can lead them n the best way.

Trip to Dajabon- Haiti

Wed, 4 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Hey everyone,

First of all I want to thank all of you who have been praying and asking God to lead me in all ways.

Last week I got the opportunity to go and minister to Dajabon, a city located by the Haitian border. The main goal was to go and minister in Haiti and that would be (kind of) my first time out of the country.

So I want to tell you my experience and how God used these 5 days for his Glory.

I visited Dajabon 3 years ago and the time I spent in Haiti was literally 30 minutes. When I was there I met the pastor of a church that Mike - my mentor- used to work with.

So as I wanted to do some mission work in a foreign country I thought of that pastor, but he was in Puerto Rico, so I could never contact him. I e-mailed him but again never got an answer, I took some money with me and got on the bus to Dajabon, not knowing anyone there, expecting that I would find some members of that church.

It took me 13 hours to get there. Now I'm at a city that I don't remember at 7 pm, it's dark, it's raining, and I'm hungry, still I'm not scared.yet.

I asked a couple people if they knew Roberto the Puerto Rican Pastor, but no one could give me an answer.

Suddenly while Im walking in the streets an old men in a motorcycle asked me if I was lost, I explained him that was looking for this pastor and he offered me to take me to a neighbour of him who is a Christian lady. The lady didn't know the pastor but she knew where the church was. Then she sent me with friend of her who knew where the church was, on the way the guy stopped to do some personal errands and a lady passed by greeting with the phrase "God bless you" as I knew she was a Christian too I asked her if she knew Roberto, she happened to be the co-pastor's wife.

Yaniro was not informed of my arrival as I thought, so I showed up and He warmly welcomed me.

The next day I was taken to a local radio station program held by the pastor of the church, where I was interviewed. During that, someone listening to the program called to ask a question, it was Andres, a good friend of mine who used to live in a town 25 KM from my house and now he was working in Dajabon!! After visiting him at his work place I head to Haiti. There I prayed for the church building, I tried to use the little French I knew to talk with kids from the school that the church had there, And then I helped a missionary crew from Chile and Peru that was visiting Haiti giving people food and clothes.

Even thou there was a big tropical storm going on during those days, I had an awesome time praying with the neighbours around the church I was staying in. Me and Geraldo, a Haitian deacon of the church, went around town while it rained singing and worshiping God in the streets.

Also we went to "Los Miches" a community located in a highway; there Geraldo and I interceded for that community as well.

In that community I met Ana a middle age lady that as soon as we showed up in the house she told us how painful was her leg. So we started praying for her and then she started feeling so happy, and I felt God leading me to read Philippians 3 and how Paul was content in all situations. She expressed her joy with a prayer to God with tears in her eyes. It reminded me again of Philippians 4; 1

At night I would either attend to church prayer meetings, or go around town to pray for the brothers and sisters of that church.

It was a definitely great time up there, there are a lot of small things that happened and things that I learned up there that this blog wouldn't be enough to explain them all.

Still while in Haiti could feel the spiritual/social oppression they are in.

The rate of education is a lot lower than any other country in America, ergo delinquency is very frequent especially in border cities, which raises the prejudice that we have of them. Everyone feels afraid to go in there, and Dominicans are extremely racist towards Haitians in general.

Voodoo and other witchcraft rituals are very common, however the awareness of spiritual warfare within the church is a lot stronger than in other Latin American churches (especially Dominican). They just need our help, in prayers and work.

Finally I want to thank all of those that make my time there to be so amazing.

And thank God for using me to expand His Kingdom.