DR Project

Small Ball

2010-06-28T07:20:00.000-07:00

Don Copeland, one of our DR 2010 team members, concrete maker extraordinaire and a lousy boat driver, shared this devotional during one of our evening devotions. I thought you'd enjoy it.

Small Ball for God

I receive an email periodically from Jason Cruise of Outdoor Ministry
Network called the Man Minute. It focuses on things in everyday life that
point us towards the Lord. This past week I received the email and it was
about Jason and his son attending a minor league baseball game in Nashville.
Jason was excited to be there because one of his baseball heroes, Ryne
Sandberg was there coaching the opposing team. The devotional linked to
Sandberg’s Hall of Fame induction speech. I took the time to read his
speech and was inspired by his humility and love of the game.

What can baseball have to do with faith? I’ll tell you what it taught me.
Sandberg was a second baseman, noted for his hard work every day and his
love of the game. He played for the Cubs – a team that has only one two
world series in its 137 years of existence (1907 & 1908 for the record).
He played the game like it was meant to be played, selflessly.

In his speech he talked about the importance of playing for the team and not
for self, learning how to advance the runner, how to take a strike in order
to allow a base runner to steal a base, and how to condition himself to be
ready for anything the game might throw at him. He did what he did because
it was his responsibility, not for his own glory, but for the betterment of
the team.

I’m going to mention some phrases – see if you can find something that they
all relate to:

- Single
- Double
- Triple
- Home run
- Balk
- Passed ball
- Wild pitch
- Throwing error
- Catching error
- Stolen base (home)
- Fielder’s choice
- Sacrifice

Add bases loaded to the mix
- Hit by pitch
- Walk
- Catcher’s interference

What do all of these result in?

A runner scores from third base with less than two outs.

So - you might say. What does that have to do with faith, what does that
have to do with me, here in the DR on a mission trip? I say to you – it has
a lot to do with us here today. How did that player get on third? Triple?
Single and two stolen bases? Walk and two stolen bases? Single, stolen
base, sacrifice fly or ground ball to advance him to third? The list is so
much longer than the list for how he can score. The key is that he or his
team managed to get him to third base with less than two outs. If he was on
second or first the list of ways he can score is greatly diminished. What
if the second baseman on his team had made an error on an easy play the inning
before? Would they even be at bat yet? Perhaps that error made getting that
run home from third that much more important.

Is there more glory in stealing home or being the man who sacrificed to
advance him to third? Does he steal home if he’s still on second?

Where am I leading with this? We are all players on the Lord’s team. Every
day we are here we will be called on to make the routine play, cleanly
fielding a ground ball, hitting a ground ball to second with no outs and a man
on second, choosing the right opportunity to steal a base. While some of
these things may seem unimportant, they really aren’t. We are not always
going to hit home runs or base clearing doubles. Sometimes (in fact most of
the time) we are going to be called on to advance the runner.

As we go about our days here let’s try to keep in mind that God wants us to
play small ball. When we play small ball we sacrifice ourselves for the
betterment of the team. God’s team – His kingdom. Routine play on a
ground ball – painting a neglected wall of an orphanage in the DR, sacrifice
fly – providing words of encouragement for a fellow mission team member,
getting a clutch hit – reflecting God’s love through your service to others.

Make sense?

When we all play the game for the love of the game and think of the team
first (God’s team) – the Team Wins. When we don’t win, we dust off our
uniforms, pat each other on the back and hit the showers with anticipation
of tomorrow’s game.

Why?

Because we love the game.

The DR Project 2010 Team

2010-06-26T15:39:00.000-07:00

A Great Team!

Some of the beautiful children of Casa de Luz

2010-06-26T15:34:00.000-07:00

This is why we go.

2010-06-26T15:16:00.000-07:00

Tammi teaching Lidia the Hokie Pokie

Notice the wheelchair on the new mural. A special touch for the children of Casa de Luz

Finishing the sidewalk & pad to the prayer garden. 110 ft of sidewalk & the pad.

New mural in the hallway. Painted by our team.
A tool for showing anyone who comes to Casa de Luz the plan of salvation

A Great Team!

2010-06-25T14:34:00.000-07:00

We are home from the DR. It was a great trip. I look forward to hearing how the team members share their experiences and stories. Speaking of the team, I can honestly say they were great! I have done a lot of trips and this one ranks way up there. Each team member worked hard, got along and lived out what going on a trip like this is all about.

This week we learned more about ourselves and our world. We discovered how blessed we are and recommitted ourselves to using God's blessings to reach this world for Him. We lived out what it means to "go into all the world." We loved the children of Casa de Luz and the people of the DR and now it is time for each of us to lead you in discovering what we have learned. We want to lead you to find out where God wants you to "go" in this world.

I will be posting more to this blog in the coming days. Video, pics and more. Ck back here often to see more from our trip and how you can get involved with Casa de Luz,

Whatever It Takes - Day 5 in the DR

2010-06-23T19:41:00.000-07:00

We woke up this morning with plans to complete the sidewalk. As soon as I walked outside I knew it was going to be difficult. You see, Casa de Luz is located right on the coast. You can see the Caribbean Sea from the orphanage property. As I walked out of the hotel, also located right on the water, I saw nothing but dark skies out over the water.

We have had rain everyday while here. We had expected wet weather, it is the rainy season, but we have had an unusually large amount. The rain has kept us from get things done. Pouring concrete in the rain isn't fun or easy. We had hoped that we would get a break today and be able to complete the sidewalk but when we saw the clouds on the horizon we feared it wouldn't happen.

We decided that we would get as much done as possible before the rain came. We had barely gotten out of the bus when the skies opened up. It was raining harder than it had rained all week. After waiting for about half an hour we got enough of a break to get started. We decided to use plastic and tarps to cover the cement mixer and sidewalk and work through the rain. I will post pics of the set up. It was really quite ingenious.

We had a long way to go but with determination we plowed forward. Everyone pitched in and by the end of a long and hard day we not only completed the sidewalk but also a pad inside the garden for wheelchairs. Hard work and determination were part of the equation but more importantly a since of purpose pushed us on.

You see, the purpose behind building the sidewalk in the first place was so that the children in the wheelchairs could go down and enjoy the prayer garden. None of them had ever been there. The path was too steep, rocky and most of the time muddy and overgrown. The sidewalk will allow them to see the garden, spend time outside and enjoy the peacefulness there. It is a great place under the mango trees and filled with butterflies. The pad at the bottom will allow them to be rolled down and parked comfortably and without fear of getting stuck. That is what motivated us. It was the reason we decided to do whatever it takes to complete the project.

I am so proud of each member of the team. Today they showed what mission work is all about. Flexibility, determination, hard work and cooperation are all apart of a successful trip but most important is a sense of purpose. Today the team set aside their own agendas and despite the conditions let their desire to provide this place for the children drive and give them energy.

There is a beautiful new sidewalk and wheelchair pad at Casa de Luz. Awesome!

Day 4 Haitian batay visit

2010-06-22T20:03:00.000-07:00

We visited a Haitian batay east of Santo Domingo this afternoon and it was crazy! Usually we have a planned visit and it is fairly structured but this time we arrived unannounced and man was it a mad house.

Our bus driver pulled into the batay and asked where the church was. Immediately the children began yelling and running after the bus. A bus full of missionaries could only mean one thing, gifts.

We contacted the pastor and arranged to use the little church to meet the children and hand out the backpacks we had brought. As soon as the church opened it became a mad house. Kids and adults came from all over and the church was soon full. As you can see in the picture we had to close the doors. There were as many people outside as there was inside.

We heard them sing songs and then shared the gospel with them. Michael, Bailee and Callie sang. With the pastors help we shared the backpacks. They had school supplies, clothing and small gifts in them. We handed out 100 or so but could have handed out double that. It was sad to have to tell those waiting that we had run out but it was fun to watch those who had received one open them up and show each other what was inside. If only we could have brought more with us.

All in all it was a great experience. During our share time this evening we talked about how blessed we felt and challenged to never take those blessings for granted but use them to reach out to those less fortunate.

The sidewalk is moving along. We should complete the pouring of the concrete tomorrow. Bethany Sweeney is going to draw a mural on one of the walls and the team is going to paint it tomorrow afternoon. I think we settled on the bridge illustration that is often used to share the gospel. It will be a great tool for sharing with those who live at and visit Casa de Luz. I will post some pics tomorrow.

Keep praying for us as we wind down our time here. If you have not donated to our OCL #2 offering remember, 50% will help put the roof on the second floor. Find out more here. I will post pictures of that area tomorrow.

2010-06-22T18:03:00.000-07:00

Ruth and Lindsay

A night out for pizza before visiting Jackie's House

The younger members of the team

The children @ Jackie's House

2010-06-21T20:38:00.000-07:00

2010-06-21T20:30:00.000-07:00

DR Project Day 3 wrap up

2010-06-21T19:57:00.000-07:00

Day 3 in the DR is coming to an end. It has been a great day!

We began early this morning working on projects @ Casa de Luz. The sidewalk is coming along and everyone got involved. Cement was mixed, rock was hauled, the path was dug and a sidewalk is beginning to appear.

We completed the outreach packets for the hospital. We made sandwiches and packed them with toothbrushes and toothpaste along with some personal care items. We used these to reach out to and help family members of children in the burn unit. Many of them have come a long way and have little resources. They often have no money for food and no place to stay. The small gift bag helps them but more importantly gives us and opportunity to share with them. Today we gave out over 100 bags.

While we were at the burn unit we meet a number of the children and had a chance to pray for them. The team went into the special unit in small groups and prayed with the children and learned a little of their story. It was a brief time but one that each of us will never forget.

This afternoon we went to the Dominican version of a Walmart. We went to get more school supplies for the Hatian outreach tomorrow. It was fun to try and figure out the exchange rate and all the different products.

Tonight we went to SCORE and participated in the opening night of Kosmos. It is a mission conference that takes place here every 2 years. There were 400 students and leaders from all over the US. They will do different missional outreaches during the day and gather for corporate worship each night. It was a good night of worship

Tomorrow we will continue our work at Casa de Luz and head to our first Haitian batay in the afternoon. We will take backpacks with school clothes and clothing to the children there.

I am having trouble uploading video and pictures to the blog. The internet is slow here. I hope to get something up soon.

Thanks for all your prayers. Keep them up!

Day 3 in the DR

2010-06-21T05:00:00.000-07:00

We are about to begin day 3 in the DR. It's going to be a very busy one. Our schedule includes a morning @ Casa de Luz where we will pour the sidewalk, make sandwiches for our outreach to the burn unit @ Walter Reed Hospital and finish the backpacks for the Haitian outreach tomorrow. As always we will love on and play with the children there. After the outreach this afternoon we will be going over to SCORE for a worship time with about 400 people. I will post more on that later.

The trip to the Maternity Hospital yesterday was an experience that the team will not soon forget. We handed out gift bags to 65 new mothers. The bags had bottles, formula, wet wipes, diapers, baby clothes and some personal care items. They people were warm and open and wanted us to see their babies. Conditions there were far from good and we again realized how blessed we are in the states.

I am assuming Michael got in late last night. My last Twitter update from him said that his flight was delayed. He was to take a cab from the airport and arrive late. I have not seen him yet but I am sure he is safe and sound. We are glad he is here

Last night we went out for Pizza as a team. It was a good time. Afterward we went and visited Jackie's House. It is another orphanage located on the opposite side of Santa Domingo from Casa de Luz. It was quite a long and interesting drive. It was up in the hills. We arrived there about 8:00pm.

Jackie's house has 14 children. 3 of the children are handicapped. Jackie and her husband Hernando have run the facility for 9 years. Most of the children have been abused and abandoned by their families. I hope to share more about Jackie's House and how it is connected with Casa de Luz later

When we arrived we were met by the beautiful children there. The all had on matching shirts and were gathered outside. We quickly went in because the area was in a blackout and the generator was providing light only in a portion of the inside. When we got inside the children all introduced themselves in English. They were quite proud that they could do that. A few of them then shared their stories with us. It was quite emotional to hear their journey and how they had come to Jackie's House. As soon as I can download the video I hope to post a portion of a few of those stories.

The children sang some songs and danced for us. I can tell that other mission groups from the states had visited there because of the dances. We got to spend time individually with the kids and then they shared pictures they had made for us. Lots of hugs and love was shared. We said our goodbyes and headed for a long journey home.

The day ended with us trying to process all of the events of the day. To say we were in overload would be an understatement. I guess the greatest lesson from today was the team's reminder of how blessed we are and how we need to use those blessings to reach out to those who are less fortunate.

Video and pics should be posted today. Look for them later. Please continue to pray for us and our ministry here.

Tim

Day 2 pt 1 - DR Project 2010

2010-06-20T10:22:00.000-07:00

We have just completed a very busy morning. We started at 8:00 by heading to Casa de Luz. There we continued work on the new sidewalk to the meditation/prayer garden and prepared for the outreach this afternoon @ the Maternity Hospital. We, or better, Josh, began clearing a path with machetes to the corners of the property so we can lay corner posts and secure the edges of the property. We went to the hardware store and purchased rakes, shovels, a new machete (for Josh) and 20 bags of cement. After a great lunch we are now back at the hotel getting cleaned up for our visit to the hospital and another orphanage nearby.

I talked live during this morning's worship @ BridgePoint. It was great to share for a few minutes what we are doing here and hear from them during worship. Technology is great!

I hope to upload some video and pictures tonight. Look for them late or early tomorrow.

Thanks for your prayers. More this evening.
Tim

Day 1 of DR Project 2010

2010-06-19T15:05:00.000-07:00

We arrived safely this afternoon in the Dominican Republic. There were no travel delays and the trip went smoothly. Upon arrival we made it though customs with 32 duffle bags full of everything from diapers to medicine. The only fear we had was the medicine being flagged and pulled at customs. We were bringing in quite a bit of medicine and could have easily been stopped but we sailed right through and were able to get all of it to Casa de Luz.

We went straight to Casa de Luz (the orphanage) and after eating a great lunch and touring the new folks around the facility we began to unpack the supplies. It was great to see how much we were able to bring with us. We were able to fill the shelves in the storage area and then some. We also began to prepare for the outreaches that we will do beginning tomorrow.

Some of the guys went right to work on a sidewalk we are going to build that will allow the children to go in their wheelchairs down to the meditation garden. Those who followed us last year will remember that we built the wall around the garden on our trip last June. I hope to show you pictures of a finished sidewalk by the end of the week. We also hope to begin work on the raised garden we are going to build tomorrow. Pictures of that will also follow.

We are getting ready to head back over to the orphanage after a couple of hours rest at the hotel. We will enjoy another Dominican meal and then finish preparing for our outreach at the Maternity Hospital tomorrow.

Thanks for your prayers. Please continue to pray for each team member. Pray for health, energy and that they will find the rhythm God has for them this week. Pray for our outreach to new mothers at the Maternity Hospital tomorrow. Pray for the children of Casa de Luz as we touch and love them. Pray that they will know through our touch that God loves them.

More later.
Tim

Bags being packed

2010-06-15T15:16:00.000-07:00

As I write this 28 duffle bags have just been packed with supplies for the trip. They are full of diapers, medicine, backpacks, school supplies, clothes, PB & J, baseballs and more. A big thank you goes to Kris Minneti for heading up the job. It's been a big one. Thank you to everyone who has donated items for the trip. I am excited about how the things we bring will help the children of Casa de Luz and the others we will connect with.

At this time we have raised about $20,000 toward the 2nd floor roof. We just need about $5000 more to get started and complete that project. God is working in the DR and the completion of the roof is just one of the many puzzle pieces He is bringing together. His timing is incredible and perfect. I can't wait to see how it all comes out.

Please be in prayer for the 19 team members who will be heading out early Sat. morning and check back here often for updates.

2010 DR Project Trip

2010-06-11T10:36:00.000-07:00

In a little more than a week we will be heading back to the DR and Casa de Luz. This year a team of 18 will be working at the orphanage, in Hatian batays, doing construction, medical outreach and more. We will leave Tampa on Sat., June 19, and return on Friday, June 25. Check back here for updates, pictures and video

BridgePoint is in the middle of it's OCL campaign. To find out more visit here. 50% of the funds from this portion of the initiative will go to help put the roof on the 2nd floor of Casa de Luz. When that is completed they can reach more kids and better provide for the ones they have. To date we have a little over $17,000 for the roof. We need about $8000 more to complete the project. If you would like to help you can donate here.

More later!

God is still using us!

2009-07-29T08:12:00.001-07:00

A lot has been happening since we were in the DR in June. More and more people are interested in what is going on and what we will be doing next. First, we are in the early stages of planning a fact finding trip to build that bridge. I hope to have a group going down the latter part of the year with plans to get that thing built in early 2010.

We are most excited about a young girl from the burn unit in the hospital we visited in Santo Domingo. One of the ladies from our church, Rachel, really had a burden for a girl named Kiara who had severe burns on most of her body from a lamp that fell into her bed while she was sleeping. Rachel visited with her while our team was there and then returned to visit a few days later on Kiara's birthday. To say she was moved by Kiara's needs would be an understatement.

During her time with Kiara she felt this overwhelming desire to do more. Discussions began about seeing if we could get Kiara to Shriners Hospital here in the states. Well to make a long story short many people came into play and many obstacles were crossed and Kiara is in Boston, MA where she is receiving the care she could not get in the DR.

Thanks to Rachel's passion and her listening to the Spirit a little girl has a much brighter future. It just goes to show how God can use us in extraordinary ways when we make ourselves available to him.

If you would like to help with some of Kiara's needs please go to www.projectchild.org . There you can make a donation in Kiara's name.

What's next?

2009-06-15T07:14:00.000-07:00

It's Monday morning and I am sitting down in my office for the first time since our Dominican Republic mission project. It is always tough to get back into the daily routine after such a dynamic experience. I have been on many mission projects, both domestic and international, but I don't know that I have ever been on one that had such an impact on me and on the people I was with. It was truly life-changing.

What is next for our relationship with Project Child and Casa de Luz? In the next few weeks we will be debriefing and evaluating this trip and beginning to make plans for the next one. I am not exactly sure what that looks like and when it will happen. I can guarantee that we will be heading back to the DR very soon.

There is so much work to be done. We have a bridge to build, a second floor to get in the dry at Casa de Luz and much more. Look for more information here or on our church web site at www.bridgepointonline.org to find out when the next trip is and how you can get involved. Also look for ways you can support Project Child right here from home.

I Will...

Tim

Site of the Bridge we are going to build

2009-06-12T20:33:00.000-07:00

This is the site of the bridge in the Hatian Batay that we are going to build. Look for more information on this exciting trip and how you can meet the children at Casa de Luz soon!

Some of the children at Casa de Luz

2009-06-12T20:21:00.000-07:00

A day at the beach and shopping in Boca Chica

2009-06-12T20:15:00.000-07:00

Thursday's Concert

2009-06-12T20:08:00.000-07:00

Last day in the DR

2009-06-12T19:53:00.000-07:00

Today was our last full day in the DR. We spent the day visiting a few tourist spots like the Columbus Museum. We then spent the afternoon at Boca Chica beach. We walked around this resort area and shopped then spent some time on the beach. It was a fun day.

We then headed over to Casa de Luz for the final time. We ate dinner and then said goodbye to the staff and children. I wish you could all have experienced the people at Casa de Luz. They were such great hosts but more important they were a picture of servanthood and love. They made our stay there great but the thing that impressed me most was their love for the children. The are an incredibly gifted group of people with more patience, love and kindness than I believe I have ever seen.

We said thank you to the staff and then one by one said good bye to the kids. It was very emotional. We really did fall in love with these beautiful children. They really did give us so much more than we could have ever given them. I know our team has been forever changed because of them.

Tomorrow we will board our plane at 1:15 pm. The morning will be spent packing, traveling to the airport and getting checked in. Please pray for safe travel and that we will not run into any delays or bad weather.

I look forward in the next few weeks and months to sharing more about our trip to the DR and how you might be a part of our next trip. Thanks for checking this blog. Check back again for information about future trips and updates on Casa de Luz.

WOW!

2009-06-11T18:14:00.000-07:00

To say today was great would be an understatement. It was fantastic!

We began our day at Casa de Luz. The plan was to complete as many of the projects we had started as possible. Some went right to the wall. We had rocks to hall and cement to mix. We didn't complete the entire wall but a large portion was finished. Don Copeland did the majority of the work there and I think he was satisfied and tired from the results.

Some headed to the hall way to complete the murals. Sunflowers, butterflies, a beautiful tree and appropriate bible verses are now there. They look great!

After lunch we headed out into the community to invite people to the concert at Casa de Luz scheduled for tonight. We had a great time meeting people and sharing with them what we were doing. Tonight about 100 or so came to the concert. A local church band lead the music. They were great and the crowd really enjoyed them. There were even a few songs we could join in singing English while they sang Spanish. It was fun.

After the concert we ate dinner and cleaned up from the concert. While getting ready to leave a few of us gathered in the hall (right under the murals) along with some of the local band and began singing. Michael and one of their musicians lead us in a number of songs. They sang Spanish we sang English. I shared with our group a little later that we got to see a little bit of what heaven would be like. No language barriers, just worshiping God.

We are back at the hotel now getting ready for bed and a free day tomorrow. We are going to go to the Christopher Columbus museum (did you know he is buried here?) in the morning and to a local tourist beach in the afternoon. Some are out side with a group from San Diego under the cabana. They have been ministering in a nearby city and are staying here to fly out tomorrow. I can hear them sining "Blessed by the Name" as I write this.

Everyone is safe and well. We are looking forward to a little down time tomorrow and then the trip home. We are ready but are already dreading leaving behind the beautiful children of Casa de Lux and the friends we have made here.

Some more pics from DR Project

2009-06-10T17:56:00.000-07:00

Day Three in the DR

2009-06-10T17:19:00.000-07:00

Today was another busy day. We began at Casa de Luz by gathering 10 of the children and taking them back to our hotel for a morning in the pool. I'll post some pictures from that a little later. This is such good therapy for the children and a great opportunity to get out of the orphanage for a little while.

While part of the team was with them the remaining team members stayed and worked on a variety of projects. The men worked on building up and sealing the top of the rock wall around the meditation garden. Some of the ladies sorted clothing by gender and age for the afternoon outreach.

This afternoon we headed to El Paraiso, another Hatian Batay. This is the location we are looking to help build a bridge later this year. The children here are unable to attend school during the rainy season because they can't cross a swampy area. Upon seeing it we discovered it really isn't a swampy area but rather a small gorge. The bridge is still doable but will take some effort. Look for more information on that trip soon. We are going to build that bridge!

After viewing the bridge site we spent the afternoon at a small church in the Batay where we sang songs, shared the gospel and gave them the gifts of clothing we brought. As we were leaving we found out that one of the men in the village had just had a heart attack but couldn't afford a room in the hospital. Our team jumped in and took up money to help get him a hospital room. We gave a gift of over 8000 pesos that should get him a room for a couple of days.

As we left the area we saw a group of young men playing basketball and gave them 3 basketballs. They rushed the bus and were very excited. Frank Valladerz almost didn't survive the encounter.

The most exciting part of the day was as we made our way through rush hour traffic in downtown Santo Domingo. You see, traffic signals, stop signs and the lane lines really don't mean a thing here. People go where they want to when they want to and at the speeds they want to, with horns blaring. This is my kind of country!

We are back at the hotel now getting ready for a busy day tomorrow. Keep praying for us and all God is doing here. We have discovered so much and I can see how God is really growing us. Thanks for checking this blog. Please share with your friends. I'll post some pictures shortly.

I Will...

Tim

More pictures from the DR Project

2009-06-09T16:21:00.001-07:00

Day Two

2009-06-09T15:58:00.000-07:00

Today began early with devotions at 8:00 and off to Casa de Luz at 8:30. There we continued the work from yesterday. More of the main hall was painted, and work began on building up the walls begun by previous groups. Don Copeland and Brennan Whipple have a new appreciation for brick masons.

Frank and I went with Lucus, the director of Casa de Luz into downtown Santa Domingo to purchase a wheel barrow and sling blades to clear brush with. We found the wheel barrow but no luck with the sling blades, machetes would have to do.

When we got back to Casa de Luz the boys (Brennan, Josh, Drayton) were excited to use the machetes to clear the meditation garden. I think the testosterone was pretty thick. They did a great job clearing and will finish the job tomorrow. While we were gone the hall painting was finished and sandwiches were prepared for the afternoon outreach at the Hospital.

In the Dominican Republic there are real problems with children being burned from trying to tap into existing power lines. Live wires are everywhere and many children suffer from severe burns. The hospital we visited had a burn unit. There we met the children and their families, prayed with them and shared the sandwiches we prepared. You see many of the families while waiting have no means for food. We were able to meet that need. In addition we took stuffed animals and crayons and coloring books to the children. It was a great afternoon and the entire team was touched.

On our way home we stopped at one of the local markets and stocked up on junk. Sugar was calling! Back at Casa de Luz we had a great meal. They workers there have been so helpful and have feed us well. Tonight was spaghetti!

We are back at the hotel, some in the pool, some under the cabana with Michael, singing. It was another great day and we look forward to another one tomorrow. Thanks for your prayers we have felt them.

I Will...

Tim

More details from Day 1

2009-06-08T20:20:00.000-07:00

I think my internet is a little more stable now. It is almost mid-night of day one. To say the team did a great job would be an understatement. They were fantastic today. They worked together and accomplished a ton today.

After a devotional meeting this morning we headed to Casa de Luz. This is the orphanage we are working with this week. When we arrived the kids were waiting. Hugs were everywhere! It was a great way to begin the day.

Some of our team began sorting through the over 2000 lbs of supplies we brought with us. Others began painting the main hall and some of our guys began gathering stones for the meditation area wall. In addition Frank Valladers and I toured the community and invited people to come to a concert outreach on Thurs.

Before lunch the hall had been painted, backpacks with school supplies had been prepared for the afternoon outreach, supplies had been unpacked and sorted and the wall stones were ready, (tomorrow we build the wall) While all this was happening we never neglected to stop and spend time with the beautiful children of Casa de Luz

After lunch we headed to Inocencia a Hatian Batey. When we arrived we were greeted by a mob of young children. We headed into one of their class rooms at the community school. There we sang songs, shared the gospel and then gave the gifts of backpacks with school supplies, clothes and special gifts. In addition we gave away t-shirts and hats to all those gathered outside.

Before leaving we meet up with the local baseball team and gave them a bag full of balls (thanks Neelys) They were very thankful and showed it by striking out Don Copeland and Michael Mishoe.

After a great meal at Casa de Luz the tired team gathered around (and in) the pool to reflect on the day and prepare for tomorrow.

Please continue to pray for us and check back here often for updates. We hope we can post many more pictures soon.

I Will...

Tim

Great first day!

2009-06-08T20:15:00.000-07:00

The internet here sketchy. I am attempting to post this blog for the 4th time. That being said I will write quickly and hope I can post this before I get kicked off again.

Today was fantastic! Everyone is well and working hard. We began our work at Casa de Luz. Painting, wall building, sorting of supplies and more were done today.

The outreach to the Hatian Batay was great. We shared backpacks with kids, gave out t-shirts and caps. We sang songs and had a great time.

We are tired but grateful for all we are seeing and learning. I will post more when the internet is more stable. Look for pictures soon.

I Will...

Tim

What a Weekend!

2009-06-07T14:29:00.000-07:00

On Saturday 20 of our people arrived at TIA to leave for the DR. At the check in area we sorted through about 2000 lbs of gear and supplies needed for the trip. After getting everyone checked in and shifting weight from one bag to the next we discovered they would be delayed leaving Tampa because of bad weather in Miami. Finally 2 hours late they got underway. On approach to Miami they found bad weather and had to circle. Finally they landed but for some reason they couldn't get the cabin door open. After a long wait the door finally was opened and they rushed to make their connection. You guessed it, they missed their flight to Santo Domingo.

After a long wait in Miami the team boarded a plan to New York. Yes, that New York! You see in order to get to the DR before early Monday morning, they had to fly to NY and then spend the night in the airport and catch a flight to the DR at 11:00 Sunday morning.

As I write this I am assuming they have made it. You see, I am now sitting in Miami with the remaining portion of the team waiting to board our flight to the DR. You guessed it, bad weather, and we are delayed. We are not sure when we will be heading out. We hope to get there sometime tonight but as with all mission trips we are remaining patient and flexible.

One funny thing happened while still in Tampa. David Neely graciously took Michael and I from worship to the airport. There we met up with his two kids and one other team member. We had a number of supply bags with everything from medicine to food and clothing. While checking in we found we were way over weight. David agreed to take some of the supplies back to the office to be sent on a later trip. We loaded them up in an extra bag for him to take. He wanted to see his kids off at the gate so he received a special pass to go through security. After we all went through we turned around and David had been pulled from line and security was going through the extra bag he had hauled with him. You see, some of the supplies we were sending back were boxes of powdered formula and airport security doesn't like anything powdered.

Because they wouldn't let him go any further and wouldn't let him leave the bag with them he had to say goodbye right there. Last we saw he was being escorted out with security. Caroline called him a few minutes later and found out he was escorted all the way out of the airport. Thanks David for helping us out and the sacrifice. We hope you are not on any "no fly lists" because of it.

Look for more later from the DR. If we ever all get there!

I Will...

Tim

2009-06-04T10:25:00.000-07:00

Bags are being packed and final plans are being made for 25 of us to head to the Dominican Republic. 20 will fly out on Saturday, June 6 and 5 more on Sunday, June 7. We will be working with Project Child and their orphanage located in Santo Domingo.

Thanks to all of you who made donations for the trip. We will be carrying in aprox. 2500 lbs of medicine, clothing, equipment and much needed supplies. It's not too late to make a financial donation to the trip. There are still many needs for this trip as well as the next one we are planning in November. (look for more information on that soon). If you would like to contribute you can do so online by going to our donations tab on the web-site.

Please be in prayer as we travel, minister and serve. We will return on Saturday June 13. Check here each day for more updates, pictures and our daily blog.

I Will...

Tim