More Pictures from Nicaragua

The Dream Team:

Steve, Chris, Katie, P. Tony, Papa Seals, Yuri, Daniel, Tim

Dominicanos Go Nicaraguense

It’s been a while since we’ve posted. Since we’re back in the United States, the flow of exciting news is a bit slower. However, in the last 2 months much has transpired and we are excited to share it with you.

First of all, Mile Deep International, the non-profit that we founded has received approval for both Federal and California State TAX-EXEMPTION! Praise Jesus! We went through this process for two primary reasons. First, we sought out tax exemption so that our supporters could have peace of mind regarding their physical/emotional/spiritual investment knowing that we have a greater amount of accountability. Second, for our financial supporters, it provides the benefit of all donations being tax-deductible. So if any of you were considering sending a support check, DO NOT make a check out to Chris and/or Katie Seals. DO make checks out to Mile Deep International.
Second of all, one of the members of the board of directors, Michelle Stamper is finishing up a 2 week visit to the Dominican Republic. She spent her first week attending a Spanish teaching seminar in Punta Cana, and spent this past week working with the Dominican church and staying with the De Leon family. We’ll touch base with her after her return and post another blog entry with updates and pictures about her trip.

Finally, we (Chris and Katie) spent 10 days (June 20-30) in Nicaragua working with BBF missionaries Brian and Rachel Weed through Victory Baptist Church. It was a great experience that we’re glad we had. In addition to taking in the incredible beauty of the Nicaraguan countryside of Pueblo Nuevo, we got to observe and learn from the ministries that Brian and Rachel have started up in Leon, Pueblo Nuevo, Los Hatillos, and Managua. This definitely inspired us not only to continue our work in the Dominican Republic, but to also continue seeking out opportunities to learn from other experienced ministers and missionaries. Rachel’s sister and brother-in-law have a church plant in the works in Santiago, Dominican Republic, so the next time we head out to Santiago, we will attempt to touch base with them and consider our options for partnering with them to change the communities in and around the city through the local churches. We’ve posted some pictures of our Nicaragua trip. We hope you enjoy!

No Es Una Despedida, Mas Un 'Hasta Luego'

Construction
The viga is on its way to completion. Half of the viga is poured and dried, and the other half has been framed and will be poured today. YAY! Now, all we need is the roof to have the first floor done.

The Youth
Saturday night we had another special youth service. Due to our contacts with the directors of Teen Challenge in Santiago, we arranged to have the Saturday night youth service at the new Teen Challenge facilities. Many of our youth kids are reaching the age in which they are being tempted to try out “the things of the world”, knowing that it does harm, but not realizing how much harm. José, the director of Teen Challenge, being an ex-drug addict himself, was able to explain to them how easy it is to get caught up in and addicted to drugs and the awful things that that lifestyle brings upon families and futures. Nelly, José´s wife and also Co-director of Teen Challenge, told them about the new project of beginning a program for the women of Santiago. In Santiago, studies show that there are more women addicted to drugs than men. Also, these women work as prostitutes for a living to support themselves and their kids. Nelly explained the gravity of this lifestyle and again how easy it is to fall into prostitution, and through prostitution, drugs. Most of the students in the Teen Challenge program came from good families, some even Christian families, but somehow the enemy worked its way into their homes, and into their lives.
José and Nelly spoke words of warning to our youth, but also words of hope for their future careers and families.
After blessing the youth, Pastor Natividad (Dominican Dad) was given the honor of blessing the new Teen Challenge facility, asking that God would have His hand in their work and in the lives of each student sent there to better his or her life and to work for the furthering of the Kingdom of God.

The Last Night
What a night! Our last church service at Casa de Dios Puerta del Cielo was beautiful. The service, although still an offering to God, was dedicated to us, to honor us and thank us for “the things we had done” in the church and community. We were asked to sing a few songs for the last time, and then we were given several surprises that really touched our hearts. Heriberto gave us thanks and told us what we meant to him and presented us with two big blocks of cheese (we really liked a certain type of cheese he had at his house). Cristina recited us a poem she had written about us, talking about the things God had done through us and how we would be missed. Grandma Juana also explained how important we were in the developing of the youth and that what God had done through us would not be forgotten. Then (the part when Katie became a real mess!), Yanalín, Crismelis, Reina, Rút, and Johanna, five girls from the youth, each said a few words of thanks, and then sang a song that we all had sung together at camp. One of the girls was crying so much she couldn’t finish the song and ran out in the middle of it. The last surprise was when Nati and the Deacon Board presented us with a plaque they had made for us as a ‘thank you’ for our work and commitment. We said our goodbyes, which was tough, and went home a little sad because the community we had invested in would be missed. Goodbyes are never easy.

Mile Deep International News
Upon arrival at home, we received mail indicating that Mile Deep International now has federal tax-exempt status! YAY! Now we are awaiting state tax-exemption, but are able to receive donations at Mile Deep International and they will be federally tax deductible!

Prayer
Please ask in prayer that God would guide us into our next step in life, whether it be staying home for a while to work and save some more money, or to find support to go back to the Dominican for a longer period of time.

El Gusto Es Mio

Papa Seals, Chris’ dad, flew down to Santiago to spend a week with us before continuing on his business travels. What a great blessing that was! He was a huge help with all of the activities, and having someone from home share in our experience was very encouraging to us and the local church members. In addition to helping with the work that needed to be done, he also treated us and the de Leon family to a couple of dinners and a night in the local Marriot (thank God for reward points!). This was just as important for the de Leon family, if not more important, than the work he did for the church. Being a pastor or members of a pastor’s family often times leaves little or no time for leisure, so it was a much NEEDED treat for Nati, Jacquelin, Estiven, and Yanalin. They enjoyed and appreciated it greatly!

Construction
The Viga has been poured! You know… that thing that joins the top layer of cinderblock to the columns and serves as the top border of the window holes. We’ve been talking about it all this time and now you have some pictures to see what it is! Half of it has been poured, and construction will continue today and tomorrow until the viga is finished. Also, refill material has been bought (i.e. dirt) and the guys are raising the floor level approximately 2 feet, which is a big task. Papa Seals and Chris had the opportunity to help with filling wheel barrels in that process.

Ladies’ Tea
Wednesday afternoon, Katie coordinated a Ladies’ Tea complete with fancy finger foods, games, and prizes. Along with Katie, Chris and Papa Seals helped make the Iced Tea (hot tea would be ridiculous in the 90 degree + humidity weather), sandwiches, appetizers, and dessert. The majority of the women in the community are stuck in the house all day, cooking and cleaning up after everyone, so, an activity that honored THEM and pampered THEM was a big treat. The ladies started their time socializing and eating the appetizers (veggies and olives with dip and peanut butter) beautifully prepared by Katie. Then they were served cucumber & cream cheese, tomato, green olive & cheese, and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. PB & J is not a common dish here, so it was a delicacy for them. Then after playing a number of bible quiz, word puzzles, and leg-crossing games, they enjoyed bananas and Nilla Wafers dipped in chocolate. Altogether it was a wonderful time!

Youth Activities
Saturday night youth service started with a high energy crazy time. Given thirty seconds, youth (and a few adults) were blind folded and told to collect cotton balls on the floor with a spoon, and deposit them into a bowl, with no assistance from their other hand. The team who collected the most cotton balls wins. You can imagine the difficulty in attempting that. Afterwards, Chris demonstrated his cottonball-gathering expertise (acquired by playing the game before) and related that to how young people can learn a lot from those who have previous experience. We then moved into a time of answering more questions from the question box about lying. Next Saturday we are going to take the youth to the new location of Teen Challenge where they will soon launch their ministry for women who are trapped in a life of prostitution and drugs in order to show them the freedom they have in Christ. This will be a great opportunity for the youth to learn a lot from people with a lot of life experience.
Also, a great answer to prayer is that three church members have committed to working in leadership over the youth group. Gregory (a recently baptized member in his early twenties), Yelis (a young woman fresh out of her teen years), and Nancy (a mother of one of the youth who has much previous youth ministry experience) are going to take over the current Sunday School curriculum and Saturday night services and hopefully add much more.

All in all, our early 2008 trip is starting to wind down. For the rest of our time here we’re going to continue working on tying up loose ends and finalizing some things for the ministries here before heading back to the U.S. We’re still working on finalizing a date for our return to the Dominican Republic and we’ll keep you all posted as those details develop.

Happy Easter!

Camp… wow

Though we have camped many a time before, in several ways, camp this week was a very new experience. We’ll break it down into three sections for you.

Logistics: Bathrooms, Food, Bathing, Activities.
The thing about the bathrooms was that… there wasn’t any. Well, that’s not entirely true. Nati, Uncle Samuel (Jacquelin’s brother), Jose (a youth from Casa de Dios), some random older guy, and Chris dug a 2’X 2’ X 6’ deep hole for the ladies which was surrounded by a tarp for privacy. After the first couple of people used the bathroom, it was not an attractive alternative to digging one’s own hole in the woods… which we think is what most people chose to do, judging by how the woods looked and smelled. Food was well prepared, always plenty of starches (pumpkin, Rice, Boiled Unripe Bananas, etc.), and successfully satiated the appetites of the 100 campers. Bathing took place in the nearby river that seemed to be running lower than other years, and was full of algae that didn’t seem to bother most but definitely bothered Chris (which may be boiled down to either early childhood experiences, or texture and downright grossness!). Either way, we all had an opportunity to bathe; which is a good thing because we played sports, it was hot, and trees didn’t provide much shade. We are in the Dominican Republic, so clearly the main activity was baseball. One of the players, a 17 year old, was just recently signed to the Atlanta Braves and goes in for spring training in April. Watch for his name in the papers… Wilson Rivera. We also played dominoes, volleyball, and burned trash. Lots of fun!

Spiritual Activities: Morning Prayer and Devotional, Charlas, and Cultos.
Every morning we were woken up at 6am by a loud whistle and the night watchman yelling “Matutino! Ponte a Orar!” or in English “Morning Prayer! Pray!” The members of each tent then prayed together for the first hour of the day. At 8am we had the morning devotional which was some worship songs and a short exhortation. After breakfast we would have a Charla (or discussion) at 10am in which we would discuss the theme of the camp, “Renovando Nuestra Fe en Dios” or “Renewing Our Faith in God.” Friday, we gave the Charla about faith and works, and Saturday, Dr. Melido Zorrilla gave the Charla on a lot of topics from Moses crossing the Red Sea to sex and dating. The rest of the day until the night time was spent eating lunch and dinner, and playing games and sports. At night time there was a culto (Spanish for “Worship Service”) in which there would be a lot of singing, dancing, clapping, and preaching.

Extras: Other Activities.
One night we had a Bible knowledge competition… Guys vs. Girls. That proved to be fun. In the night times, small groups of men/boys thought it would be funny to serenade people tent by tent from 2am to 4am waking them prematurely from their slumber. Katie (and Chris, since we slept in the same tent…obviously) was the first victim.
The last night there was a singing competition. Katie was asked to enter in the competition and tied for first place which resulted in a final round sing-off where she ended up placing second and cousin Juanairis won first place (Katie forgot the words in the first verse). For the intermissions between singers in the competition, a reggaetonero (Carribean Style Rapper) from one of the churches entertained the crowd. After the competition we had “Noti-Noti-tiempo: Noticias del Campamento” (ne-ne-time: news of the camp) in which two leaders from one of the churches recapped the activities of the camp in a very funny manner, including stupid things people did and said, and who ended up dating who.

The pictures are chronologically ordered: top to bottom, left to right. We also included a picture of Katie's crazy bug-bitten ankle.

All in all, it was a good experience. Before camp we spent the night with our friends from Teen Challenge and they showed us their planned projects for working with the prostitutes of Santiago. There's a huge need there and we're very glad that they're stepping up to work with them. We spent yesterday (Sun) winding down, and allowing our bodies to recuperate before another busy week. Talk to you next week!

Tranquilo Bobby, Tranquilo

Thursday night of this week we had an official Church meeting in which all of the members came to put their ideas together for future projects. The main topic of the night was fundraising for the continuing of the construction of the new Church building. Members put their heads together and have planned a number of fundraising activities including food sales, appliance & electronic sales, donation activities, and a raffle for a motorcycle (the most common form of transportation around here), washing machine, and fan (much needed in this country). Also, last week we sent in the appropriate paperwork for Mile Deep International to receive tax-exempt status. We will return from our initial trip here in April and upon arrival will begin setting up a Mile Deep International corporate bank account so that any who want to continue supporting this ministry can make a donation which they can write-off in their federal and state taxes. Another issue talked about in the meeting was that of the youth programs we have helped establish. The adults expressed interest in the youth and many volunteered to continue teaching the Sunday School curriculum that we are writing and to continue discussion with the youth concerning their questions deposited in the question box.

During this week’s Saturday night youth service we had our first discussion/message about the questions deposited in the question box by the youth. There was a definite difference in the attitude of the youth. Almost everyone in attendance engaged in the topics with much interest and the night was filled with laughter, serious moments, sincere advice from adults, and good questions from the youth. Now that we can address the topics that are important to the youth, hopefully there will be many more Saturday nights with the youth that are like this.

This Sunday in between the two church services, there was a baptism service. Two young people from Casa de Dios Puerta del Cielo were baptized along with one teenager and two adults from Centro Cristiano. It was a powerful service with good time of talking and snacking afterward.

This coming Wednesday we leave to set up for the Easter-week youth camp that takes place from Thursday to Sunday. We have been given the responsibility of working with the older youth, late teens to early twenties, and we will be conducting a discussion about renovation our faith. We have heard many stories about these camps (including the pranks committed by these young ones!) and we’re sure that we will have plenty to tell when we come back! Pray for our safety. PLEASE.

Self-Sustainability and Future Planning

Construction has still been at a stand-still but this week work will re-commence. A couple of generous souls decided to contribute which has provided the funds for the building of the viga (concrete union piece at top). Now the big job of saving, working, and fundraising to put on a roof will begin.

One of our main responsibilities during our stay has been to work on developing the youth group program at Casa de Dios, Puerta del Cielo. Other than a poorly attended Saturday night service, the youth in the past has had nothing to call their own. Through working on relationships with the youth during “non-church” hours, we have been able to begin a Sunday School class and have helped give the Saturday night youth service more formation. Another element we’ve added to the youth ministry here is a Question Box (See Pictures). The purpose for this “Question Box” is to allow the youth to ask questions that may be on their hearts, but they are too embarrassed to ask and we want to be able to address the things that are important to them. During the week they might think of a question they have or an issue they want to know more about and they can write it down on a piece of paper and drop that in to the Question Box when they come to the service. We ask them to deposit their questions anonymously so that they feel no pressure that others may know which question was theirs. Later the youth leader(s), currently us, reads those questions and prepares to address them in the service either by giving the questions to other members of the church or by answering it themselves. Also, the older members of the church have an opportunity to answer their questions and engage in dialogue about issues brought up by their teenaged counterparts. More teenagers from the community are getting plugged into the faith community at Casa de Dios, Puerta del Cielo, and we are thankful to God for that.
At this point we are beginning to move into the next phase of our purpose for coming to the Dominican Republic: To set up a support system for the ministries that we’ve been able to augment so that they can be self-sustained and operated by members of the local faith community. In the case of the youth ministry, this support system will include leadership training, the creation and writing of a challenging-but-relevant Sunday School curriculum, and equipping church laity to work with the youth. Please pray that God will continue working in our minds in order that He (through us) can bring new innovative ideas to this community.

Saturday, Chris spoke to the youth about the revolution that Jesus made available to everyone in His arrival to earth called the Kingdom of God. The youth were challenged to change the way they see the world, and as a result change the way they live their lives, treat their friends and family, and make decisions that will face them. Sunday we explored the parable of the Hidden Treasure (Matthew 13) by hiding 25 pesos in an old rusty tin can. It provided a valuable learning experience that we hope the youth won’t forget. (See Pictures: also included the plants that were planted in the good soil GREW!!! Mat 13 also).

Next Sunday we will be going to the Yaque River for a baptism service. Three members from Centro Cristiano and two members from Casa de Dios, Puerta del Cielo have completed their baptism/new-Christian classes (Pictures of classes attached) and will be making a public demonstration of their new-found faith.

E' pa'lante que vamo'

Unfortunately, construction for the new temple has been temporarily put on hold due to insufficient funds, so there is no news regarding this portion of the blog.

On a brighter note, we met a missionary couple the other night at a couples’ dinner of another congregation. This couple is working with the organization Teen Challenge (Desafío Juvenil) here in Santiago in La Ciénega, close to Casa de Dios Puerta del Cielo. (For those unfamiliar with Teen Challenge, it is a Christian organization that works to bring in drug addicts to house them, to put them through a curriculum which teaches them about freedom and God’s love, and to help them work towards a holistic healing and healthy lifestyle. So, a rehabilitation center that creates redeemed Christians who graduate and eventually become pastors themselves to help others find freedom from drugs and the lifestyle of drug addicts.) We were able to spend a few hours at the Center with some of the graduates of the rehab, and we were invited to participate in a going away party for the current pastor. It was beautiful to see a very large group of “manly men”, previously very hard men, say heartwarming things about another man whom they love. Very touching.
After the party, the missionary couple took us out to dinner and we were able to share a little about each other. They are in their late 20s and have been married 4 years. They have been redeemed by God and have amazing stories to tell. The man, José, is actually a graduate of the rehab program, and will be taking the place of the pastor leaving the center. His wife, Nelly, emigrated from Mexico to the states and experienced an incredibly disturbing life B.C. (before Christ), and she is working on opening up a women’s rehab, as they do not yet have one here for women. Dinner with them was refreshing (they also both speak English) and they were able to help us process things we’re experiencing as “missionaries” (they kept calling us that).
They invited us onto their radio show on Wednesday, which apparently can be heard online. We’ll let you know if we plan on doing that. We hope to be able to build somewhat of a friendship with this beautiful couple in the time we have left here. Nelly says that since seeing us, she has believed that we will have a future with Teen Challenge in some form. We’ll see 

At Centro Cristiano and Casa de Dios, it seems like members have begun to see things a little bit differently. Instead of just attending church services, they have been more motivated in recent days to look a little more outwardly and it has been apparent because they are actually seeking out friends to bring to the services.

The Youth Camp is coming up soon, so all the kids are counting down and getting really excited. There are several kids who don’t have enough money and are bummed that it looks like they might not be able to go, so we are trying to come up with some fund raisers here to help raise the money for those who don’t have it (it costs RD$800, so about US$25). We’re thinking of having a ‘homemade Chocolate Chip Cookies’ party with those who want to raise money and they each can take their batches and sell them. People make sweets and sell them a lot here, and since they don’t really have chocolate chip cookies here, we thought it would be a good sell! Any good ideas of some easy activities, let us know.

Agua De Coco Es Buena Para La Vejiga

Construction this week was a bit slower due to the nature of the work. Filling the columns of the building to the level of the ‘plato’ (the concrete/rebar roof) was a slow process due to drying and availability of wood for framing. So, two things were completed this week: All of the columns were filled to the level of the plato, and that big pile of garbage and excess dirt was moved out by a big truck. Next week we work on the ‘viga’ (the concrete part at the top of the walls that ties all the four walls together), but first, we are going to raise the level of the floor by one more row of cinder blocks to ensure that the building sits well above the level of the street for rain drainage purposes. Hopefully by next week we’ll have everything prepared to start working on the plato when there are sufficient funds.

Also, we had our first adventure with the medical system here and it turned out to be quite a positive experience. Katie came down with a bacterial infection, and after a sonogram, blood test, urinalysis, and two doctor visits, everything still came out under $30 USD. She’s got the proper meds and is on the road to getting better.

We took part in yet another quinceañera (this time a surprise quinceañera!) and it was a great success. We were asked to arrive early to clean and set up balloons and decorations around the party area and cake table (and also a throne chair set up for the birthday girl). It was nice to be involved in Yohana’s special day. We got to meet and make connections with a lot of people from the community and the new fifteen year old had a really good time.

In the Music School, things are progressing. There are four pianos being used, each of them occupied by a number of students. There are three sections of guitar classes, each with three to five students. And, the drum and percussion classes are consistently growing in size.

This Sunday in our Sunday School class we found bean plants growing where we had previously illustrated the parable of the sower (Matt 13). The seeds on the path disappeared, the seeds on the rocky soil didn’t take root, and the seeds in the weeds are nowhere to be found, but the seeds in the good soil are growing very well. Definitely helped in the illustration!!

Hope all is well back in the good ol’ USA. Miss ya’ll.

Al Nivel de Plato

The title of this blog is “at the level of concrete-roof-plate” and it is an appropriate title because that is where we are at in the construction process. What is left before putting up the plato is to fill in the rest of the columns with concrete up to the level of plato and build the viga (a layer of concrete around the top perimeter) which will frame in the persianas (the metal window things they use here instead of glass) and the doorways. Excuse the lack of English in the construction terms; we’ve never helped construct a cinderblock building in an English speaking country. Apparently the plato is the most expensive part of the construction process. Since it is both the roof of the first floor and the floor of the second floor, it will need a significant amount of rebar reinforcing it. Though we have not yet received an official estimate, the contractor’s rough guesstimate was somewhere around RD$200,000 which is approximately $6,000 USD. God has provided in amazing ways through many of the readers of this blog and through members of the community here in Santiago & we’re excited to see how he provides next.

In other news, Centro Cristiano officially kicked off their children’s ministry & started providing a simple bread and hot chocolate breakfast for those who come on Sunday mornings. There have been over 20 kids who have come to the last two Sunday services. And though getting people to show up for a Sunday service is not the end goal, it can be a very useful way to plug these young ones into a healthy community to help them develop into people who will change the world for the better in the name of Jesus Christ.

Katie preached last Saturday night for the youth church service. She spoke on being the salt of the earth and the richness of the illustration that Jesus was providing us. Surely the youth walked away with a deeper understanding of their role in the world as a preserving/protecting force and as a people who add flavor and season to a bland world.

Also, Sunday we had our first Church service at the new site. We had a work/worship service in which everyone in the church pitched in and helped accomplish all that needed to be done before continuing the work process today. It was a short, informal, good time together of worshipping God in work, song, and poetry.

"Inch Wide & Mile Deep"

Mile Deep International: Yep... that's the name of the non-profit that's being founded in order to aid the multi-faceted ministry here in the Dominican Republic and hopefully in other locations as well in the future. And, yep... WE'VE BEEN INCORPORATED!!! YAY! So Mile Deep International officially exists! Onto the next step... lots and lots of paperwork. But it's all pretty much done. So that's good.

Temple 411: This week, a lot of block was laid for the new temple…but Thursday and Friday there was little work because there wasn’t any money left neither to buy the rest of the proper materials nor to pay the workers. Friday, we went to the other pastor’s house to use the internet and we checked our bank accounts online…$300 had shown up which ended up being enough to pay the workers for last week and the next! Thank you to those who donated!!! It looks like this week the workers will be measuring for the windows, reinforcing with rebar, and finishing the laying of block to leave us with the first story of the new temple! YAY!

Bar guys: Also this last week, we stopped by the bar on the corner again (where the men drink and play dominoes outside all night) after a Bible study, and we were invited to sit down and watch them play. Dominican dad came to join us and we ended up having some really good conversations with a few of the men. One of them was very moved by our conversation (well, he was also drunk), and he began crying, saying how he loved the LORD but felt stuck in what he was doing and the life he was living. We were able to encourage him and his friend, so we hope to visit them again in the near future.

Our hike w/youth: Saturday morning, we set out with Fernando (a guy our age from Centro Cristiano), Isaac (a young guy who grew up in Casa de Dios Puerta del Cielo), and Yanelis (the girl from the youth group who had the Quinceañera) and we caught a jeep up the mountain to the part where the hike begins and goes to the peak. It was a hard workout! Then, after the hour and a half of hiking the steepest and muddiest mountain I had ever hiked, we ate our lunches at the top, and took an hour to climb down, expecting that a jeep would pass by to carry us back down the mountain (the part that is not the hike, just the rocky road)…it never came! We had to go all the way down the mountain! We didn’t get home until around 5pm. Enduring such a trip with this group brought us closer and hopefully began a developing of closer relationships.

Saturday Preaching: We did the preaching as a team on Saturday night for the youth (Saturdays are the youth services…we were very tired from our hike). We took an idea from our former pastor of Mosaic, John Edgar, to show that if the church is going to succeed in changing the community around it, everyone needs to play their part in it. We brought in a pile of big rocks and asked volunteers to pick up the entire pile of giant rocks and move them to the back of the temple in one trip. No one could do so, of course, because the pile was too big and the rocks were very heavy. We then asked EACH person to pick up one or two rocks and move them to the back of the temple, and we would see how much easier the task was and how much quicker it was done when they all worked as a team. We read 1 Corinthians 12 and explained the importance of each person and their efforts in the work of God. It went pretty well. Kids always like illustrations and activities.

Youth class Sunday: Then, Sunday, we taught the parable of the sower (Matthew 13) using 4 different surfaces of soil outside. As I read and asked questions to get the kids thinking, Chris acted out each explanation of the seed and soil with a shovel and beans picked from the surrounding vines. It, also, went well.

Work Progressing… Construction & Relationships

Above are the pictures of this last week’s progress. There aren’t any pictures from Monday or Tuesday because that was mostly cleanup and shoveling. Wednesday, we tied the rebar for the support of the foundation and also the rebar for the structures columns. Thursday, we dropped the rebar into the trenches and fastened the columns into their proper positions. Friday, we poured the foundation and laid the first row of brick. Saturday, additional rows of brick were installed. It was very important to not get any heavy rain while the trenches were open. We had a few light drizzles and mists, but never any heavy rain until the day after the foundation was poured… and then… IT POURED rain (Chris wants to say “It rained like nobody’s business!”). God’s pretty awesome like that. Yay! Oh yeah... P.S. Ochoa (the hardware store) in addition to donating 1000 cinderblocks, also gave us a discount that saved us about $360 USD. Wow.

Chris spent all week working with the construction workers. Katie spent some of the week helping with construction, but spent most of the week with one of the girls in the youth group named Yoanna and her mother Aracelis, intentionally building relationships with them. On our lunch breaks together, we spent time with some of the younger boys in the youth group, wandering through their banana, guava, and sugar cane field getting snacks. On Saturday afternoon, we went to the Quinceañera (15th birthday party… very big deal here) of a girl in the youth group named Yanelis and took pictures for the family so they could remember the special day. Also, there’s something we’ve neglected to mention all of these past e-mails. Random people show up to different services and dedicate their lives to follow Christ and begin their journey as a Christian. That’s always pretty exciting. Street evangelism is uncannily effective here which is kind of disorienting to us as it is much different back home in the U.S. So... another hooray. Below, we’ve attached some pictures of the non-construction activities of the week.

Supplies Bought, Trenches Dug, & Chris Preached

Faithful Monday-checking blog-readers, we sincerely apologize again for being a day late. Please still love us. :) So here's what's been going on here.

This week, for the precise skilled work of digging the trench for the foundation of the new temple for Casa de Dios Puerta del Cielo, a crew was hired out and the work was finished in a couple of days. A lot of rich dark dirt was excavated in the process, so the dirt will be taken and used to give fresh soil to the gardens that we're working on at Centro Cristiano.

Yesterday, Monday, about $3,400 USD (or RD$117,000) worth of Cinderblocks, Concrete, Gravel, Sand, Rebar, & Wire were bought for the first stage of construction (i.e. pour the foundation & erect the walls of the first floor of the church). With a combination of the grace of God, church fundraising efforts, and donations from those of you who generously supported the cause financially, we've been able to witness and take part in this first step. Next comes building the roof of the first floor (also the floor of the second floor). This is a significantly more expensive process, but we'll cross that financial bridge when we get there. If construction continues at a quick rate, that bridge will probably come quickly. *****BREAKING NEWS! Ochoa, the hardware store, JUST donated 1000 cinderblocks to the cause! God is providing everyday in new ways!

In other news, Chris preached for the Sunday service at Casa de Dios Puerta del Cielo on I John 1:5-2:6 (it's toward the back of the Bible). Awesome passage... I dare you to read it.

Also, we're reading a great book right now called "A Generous Orthodoxy: Why I am a missional + evangelical + post/protestant + liberal/conservative + mystical/poetic + biblical + charismatic/contemplative + Fundamentalist/Calvinist + Anabaptist/Anglican + Methodist + Catholic + green + incarnational + depressed-yet-hopeful + emergent + unfinished CHRISTIAN" which is really challenging us to rethink and rediscover the path of following Jesus and what that should look like. Even more challenging is trying to rediscover that path and apply it to our current Dominican cultural context in an appropriate way. Pray for mercy. Hope all is well back home… or abroad… or wherever you are.

An Eventful Week

This week was quite a bit more eventful and the pace of everything is definitely picking up. We’re doing our best to be obedient and intentional about taking a day of rest to help us through the week. It’s today. J We’ll give you updates in the wonderfully familiar form of an enumerated list.

1. After our day at Sosua we had an opportunity to spend the night at Dr. Melido Zorrilla’s (Senior Pastor of Centro Cristiano) house on Tuesday night. The church just finished their bylaws and constitution and we went to drop off some pictures and artwork that we did on our computer so that the official church seal can be made. After we made a few phone calls and used the internet it was late so we stayed the night. The change was refreshing.

2. On Wednesday afternoon we cleaned up a small garden in the front of Centro Cristiano, pulled weeds, and cleaned up garbage. The first step of a very extensive cleaning project.

3. God has provided for the churches in some very amazing ways. (a) A woman from New York donated a new keyboard to the churches. (b) The lawyer who handled all of the property title, deed, etc., for the new property decided not to charge for her services. (c) 7 or 8 people have committed to buying 100 cinderblocks for the construction process. (d) The campaign for buying meters for Centro Cristiano is pushing forward strong.

4. The “Primer Picaso” or groundbreaking service was a great time. The church, surrounding community, and other local pastors are all very excited for this new site that is committed to use the blessing of God in order to be a blessing to the community. And now that it will be in the name of the Casa de Dios: Puerta del Cielo and not in the name of another owner, the church will remain open as long as it needs to be open, not only at times that are convenient for the property owner.

5. We also taught our first Sunday School class with the youth. We’re going to be going through the parables and teachings of Jesus in the synoptic gospels (Thanks Baloian). Despite the class location (on top of a mound of ants) and the normal squirrelly nature of our Jr. High aged youth… it was a good time.

Attached are some pictures of the Primer Picaso service.

Preaching, PJs, Property

Hi! Several things of some importance took place this last week:
(It looks like a lot, but I have numbered each thought so that this doesn’t look like a long document of ‘blah, blah, blah’ that no one wants to take the time to read.)

1. We had a pajama party with our little brother and sister. We watched Veggie Tales’: Jonah, in Spanish, ate popcorn, and slept in the same room.
2. Our first step toward accomplishing something in regards to the new church building project is that Chris designed an invitation to send out to the pastors and family of the area to invite them to the ground-breaking of the new property this Saturday, January 19th. Also, the calculations for building supplies have been done and stage one of construction (i.e. Foundation & Completion of First Level) will cost roughly $14,500 USD. The funds that we have brought over will be a great start and the church body is working extra hard selling pork, chicken, and clothing as fundraisers.
3. I cooked my first meal for the family: Chicken breast, broccoli, baked potato, garlic bread, and a salad. My little brother has asked several times, “Is Katie gonna cook today?” That’s kinda nice. J
4. We were able to witness the ‘Church Officials’ meeting about the new property.
-Nati mentioned that he was partnering with us so that we would be able to get things done that he would not be able to, due to his work hours.
-He talked about his vision from 2002 that this building will be a church meeting area, refuge for every family that surrounds the entire area, and an orphanage/school.
-He asked Ursula (one of the officials) to be Associate Pastor. That’s a very good thing. Ursula lives close to the new property and she knows everyone who lives in the area. She will do visitations and she will be around always so that the ‘Temple’ can be open 24/7.
-We will start this week purchasing the needed materials to begin construction after the ground-breaking.
5. Chris preached for the first time for the youth. It was really really good. I, Katie, am very stupid and forgot the camera. He talked about Micah 6:8. We discussed and wrote down the kids’ ideas regarding activities and projects that would give more substance to the youth ministry. (Examples: have a party for the kids in the neighborhood in the name of love, an afternoon of prayer or afternoon of praise and worship, etc.)
6. On Sunday, Nati announced that Chris and I would begin teaching the Sunday school for the youth. We have to come up with something this week as far as curriculum. Any ideas???
7. We witnessed the Music School for our first time. Being taught: guitar, piano, and drums.
8. We are trying to muster up the you-know-what’s to strike up conversations with the people who hang out and play dominoes at the corner bar, the bar next door to the city church building. Every other night we walk by and say hello and we know their faces, but we would like to chat with them, get to know them. Nati says that Christians shouldn’t be seen there…that’s hard.
9. We went to the beach together! And had a good time! Most of you will know why that’s a big deal.

Not So Important Things:
1. Chris is growing his MANstache again.
2. Because of the abundance of mosquitoes here, we are acquiring a great appreciation for spiders.
3. One side of our bed falls through the frame every so often.
4. Our diet now consists of fried eggs, fried meat, fried plantains, fried cheese, fried bread (WHITE bread!), white rice, and beans…and to top that off, everything that is fried is fried in the SAME oil that is used over about the span of a week. Our hearts hurt.

Getting Going!

Hey Friends & Fam!

We´re getting used to the schedule and as of today, Christmas vacation is over so we´ll be settling into a more normal schedule. We´ll still be attending lots of church services but we´re looking for more opportunities to be agents of faith, hope, and love outside of the services held at the two church properties.

Updates!
1. The groundbreaking ceremony for the new Casa de Dios Puerta del Cielo is Jan 19th, and the official start of construction is the 21st.
2.We´ve rehearsed some commonly sung songs here and are becoming more actively involved in the music.
3.We learned that the club across the street from Centro Cristiano is a prostitution club.
4.Chris shaved off his not so manly mustache.
5.It rains every day... but in short bursts with no prior warning.
6.Katie is still very pretty.
7.The dog, MoMo, has fleas. P.S. MoMo is a girl...?

We´ve attached more pictures (with short commentary) so you can see the current location of Casa de Dios:Puerta del Cielo, Centro Cristiano, and US!

To see the pictures more clearly...Click!