The Real God Market (2)

Good morning everyone Y Dios te bendiga!

Here is the latest in the progress at Rio Vista Mission House in the D.R.  Today we watched as the construction team poured concrete for the top of the 2500 gallon fresh water cistern.  You can see from the pictures that it will make a sizable foundation as well for the pump house and eventually an outdoor kitchen. Once the concrete is dry they will build a small casita on top and enclose the water pump for the house.  The picture also shows the pipe behind the cistern which is the well we drilled two weeks ago.  Once we have power hooked up to the property we can fill the cistern with fresh water and then pressurize the pipes connecting the cistern to the house.(no leaky, leaky!)

water well pipe

 


The other pictures show the newly installed doors with security deadbolts attached.










I want to continue building the platform which explains The Real God Market here in the D.R.  In my last blog I expressed to our readers how important our work is to the big picture in God's Kingdom.  We are all Kingdom builders during our lives and ultimately this is the test for each of us, whether we believe in God or not, the truth of the world still stares each of us in the face as we go through any day.
This is the question:  What are you doing with your life and does it leave a positive impact on those you come in contact with daily.  Ideally this will involve your family first, as this is every man's First Ministry. "Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it." Prov 22:6 NIV
and concurrently we are told three scriptures later, "A generous man will himself be blessed, for he shares his food with the poor."  Prov 22:9 NIV.

In the same breath we are governed with the command of God to teach our children the right ways AND give to the poor.

I started talking in the last blog about "Economic Empowerment of the People"  which I believe sums up the commands from God to all of us.
Educational reform is happening in this country and other countries slowly and largely through Missionary based operations like Dominican Advance, Servants Heart and Island Light Ministries.  There are others however I want to focus on the work of one in particular.

Island Light Ministries is primarily a Christ centered outreach to a small community near us.  Pastor Jim Tunnicliffe and his wife Debra are Missionaries in the village of Paraiso.  Pastor Jim works with the local church in Paraiso bringing hope to the faithful through God.  The village of Paraiso houses more than 1000 Dominicans from the poorest of the communities around.  Each family was given a home, built and donated by another Mission, Samaritan Foundation. Statistics reported in the village that more than 50% of the adults  cannot read or write, making them available only for labor positions in the marketplace, if they can find a job.  The labor market pays very little in the third world, in most countries the average is under $2.00 per day.  Here in the D.R. the minimum wage for hard labor is not much higher and a good laborer can make around 8,000 pesos a month or $7.00 a day.  Many here average less than that because they do not have sustainable work daily.
The wage separation between educated and uneducated is massive here as skilled university positions pay almost at parity with the rest of the world; lawyers, doctors, engineers and business owners make far more than laborers.  Economic empowerment for the majority of the people can only come through education.


One of the mandates of the Millennium Development Goals which were created by the United Nations in 2000 stated that in order to eradicate poverty each nation must provide basic free education for primary children.  In a follow-up report issued in 2005 the D.R. is still falling short of many of the MDG's, but they are committed to continue.(1)
The MDG's establish only educating children to grade 8 in all of the third world.  The D.R. is trying to meet this mandate as  many children under the age of 12 can attend a free primary school for free.  After that the government has no concrete plans for sustainable education.  There are some secondary schools for teens and a few good universities as well, however, less than 60% of children go on to high school.  Of those that complete high school, few go on to university, simply because they have no money.  Vocational schools in the private sector are almost non-existent, again, the people have no money to attend higher learning centers.


Island Light Ministries also manages a large vocational school in the village of Paraiso which provides free education in the technical trades for those interested in rising above the poverty level.  These programs include a carpentry school, electrician school, sewing school, beauticians and soon an automotive school will begin.  The waiting list is immense already as the classrooms can handle only a few students at a time. Resources for these vocational schools come from donations mainly from North American Mission Teams and churches back home.
These vocational programs will create a new revenue base of skilled laborers in the village of Paraiso, a skilled labor base that will provide success for a community.  Ultimately that community will grow and begin to support itself with a "buy at home" mentality.  You see, as a community develops with education and skilled training, the revenue available to those that live in the community also grows.  These people in training at the vocational school are also taught the economics of local buying.  This keeps the earnings from the newly trained workers right within the village they live in.  When local money is used properly in this manner a community will thrive and grow.
This program provided  is absolutely essential as a solution to an economic crisis that continues to grip this little country and her people.


Island Light Ministries survives on donations and support from Mission Teams and churches back home.
We hope that their success with these vocational schools continues; we support them as teams continue to bring resources for the schools.  We hope to support the teams when they are here.

Rio Vista Mission House is provided for the support and sustenance of these Mission Teams and the work their Mission Groups are doing here in the D.R.
You can support our Mission by donating to our project.
Please visit Island Light Ministries site as well to see how they operate.
May God guide your steps.

http://www.islandlightministries.org/

http://www.bridgesofhope.ca/index.php?p=Donate

Bendiciones
Michael



(1) http://www.un.org/esa/coordination/Alliance/INFORME_NACIONAL_EN.pdf

The Real God Market

Over the last year a realization has been building in my mind as to the purpose and look of North Coast Missionary Services here in the Dominican Republic.  The Non-Profit Charity of NCMS is multi-faceted and has at least two stages of operation before the full realization of God's purpose is revealed in NCMS.  Primarily I believe entirely that God's purpose for using a business model for establishing this Mission is wholly centered around talents that He has ingrained within both Laura and myself.  We are hospitality people, we are caterers and restaurateurs; essentially we feed God's people.  With that said, at first I could not entirely understand why He wanted me to build this type of Mission, I mean there are other ways to feed people, especially Missionaries and is feeding Missionaries really the whole point of the Mission He has sent us here to fulfill?  I suggest to you that God has had an idea for North Coast Missionary Services since He birthed the vision in my mind...this is how it looks to me now.
Each Mission team that will stay in Rio Vista Mission House is part of a larger community of Mission Teams who visit the Mission Field in the Dominican Republic every year; there are literally hundreds of groups that work with different Mission Groups in every Mission Field you can think of, or should I say more precisely, the Mission Fields that God has thought of.  I want each of you who read this to put Missions in another perspective right now, a perspective that might look a little different than what you might think is a traditional Mission Field.  This is what I refer to as The Real God Market.

The Real God Market is specifically about Missions, or more effectively, the "WHY?" anyone does Missions.  The Real God Market is what God has been telling all of us since He gave us the great commission to "Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit," Matt 28:19 NIV.  The Real God Market is about the people, all of them, even you and me.

Everything else is the World's Market, not part of the Great commission, but nonetheless, still belonging to God for it is written, "For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on the earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him." Col 1:16 NKJV.

This means what exactly? This means that we must use the resources from around us, in our world, from our earth, all things and anything that He has provided for ALL of humanity to live in order to do the things that He has commissioned all of us to do.  What we do with the blessings we have, with the wealth we have made is entirely important here and now, actually this has been the rule since God created it.  This actually  means that you are the proud owner of nothing, you may think you are but in reality, you are using everything you have on "Loan" from the Lord.  Think about it, we all trade time for money so we can buy the things we need to live; and sometimes we sell those things we have to make more money to buy other things.  So while we live we are all trading stuff back and forth among each other, using just about anything for currency since the dawn of recorded history.  Today, money is the current form of currency, however, it could have likely been fruits and vegetables or even chickens at one time in history.  Money is just easier to handle today instead of chickens.  The point is, we are called to be good stewards with what we have been blessed with and to continue to bless those around us with our blessings.  This is the way it was supposed to work from the beginning.  So what happened?  In a word...Greed.  Sin and temptation entered as wealth was discovered, resources were dug up and poured into molds and called ingots.  Man turned away from God's edict and began to write his own history.  We all know it, history is full of war and conflict, nation after nation has conquered and been conquered all in the name of Greed, again since the dawn of recorded history.
So what about today?  Can we change?  Are we changing?  What can we do now that we see our history laid out behind us like a finely plowed field.  What are we supposed to plant in this newly furrowed field?
The rules are still the same as they were then, "Therefore go and make disciples of men,"
But what can you do you ask?  Each of us has a part to play in our lives on earth.  We just have to understand what the part is, and even then not fall to the temptation and snare of the World around us; the trappings of the World that cause us to trip and fail, trappings like drugs, alcohol, pornography, crime, and a myriad of other vices.  Those that are not ensnared by these trappings might like to think you are doing OK competing with the Jones'; newsflash, it is not a competition.  Hear it again,  "For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on the earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him." Col 1:16 NKJV.
You came into the world with nothing and you will leave with nothing, it is what you do with God's property in between birth and death that is important.
Here is another suggestion for what to do in between life and death:
God gave us His promise when he said through Malachi, "Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour out you a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it." Malachi3:10 KJ
God is telling us in this scripture to "test" Him on this, if we tithe back to Him a portion of our blessing, He will open up the taps on us and we will receive more than we can handle!
How many have the Faith to do that?
Giving to Missions is also considered as tithes and offerings, you see, God created this edict to establish a revenue source for Missions to the poor, to the orphans, to the lost, to The Real God Market.

The Mission Field in itself is becoming very specific in nature as Ministries are defining "How" to do God's work in many different ways, largely because of the size of the problems we all face in differing Mission Fields.

 The biggest God Market that most of the world is not engaged in entirely is the Economic Empowerment of People.  It is compassion for people that we are driven to do more for them than we do for ourselves.  The Mission Groups that are working here in the D.R. and for that matter anywhere in the world, are all involved in some form of Economic Empowerment of the People.  Each Mission group involved in programs that provide improvement in Education for a nation; Mission Groups involved in programs that create training for vocational jobs, even those that provide micro-loans for people to get started in a business.  Mission Groups that are involved in providing medical services, even Mission Groups that are involved in feeding orphans, widows and the elderly.  You see each of these Mission Groups is fully committed to God's plan of Economic Empowerment of the People, and these groups survive in the Mission Field by bringing teams of individuals to their respective Mission Fields every year.  Year after year these teams will continue to bring needed resources, finances, and God's love for the people.

This is what we are doing here in the Dominican Republic. We are assisting those that are involved in the Real God Market with fulfilling God's will, to "feed His sheep",  "to be with widows and orphans in their time of need", and "to make disciples of men."
We have looked into the Mission Field here and "Filled a need".  The Mission House can assist Missionaries  at what they are called to do, we can do this by providing a safe, secure, private, Christ centered environment; a "refueling station".  These teams can return each day from the Mission Field and "refuel" for the next day.  At the same time Rio Vista Mission House will support itself and all other programs the Non-Profit of NCMS will be involved with in the future.  In essence, a Mission that can survive economic downturn because Missionaries will continue to come here to work in the Real God Market.

What we are building here with Rio Vista Mission House is a place for us to do a better job for all of these Mission Groups who are involved in His work.
I cannot express to you enough how important it is for all of you to understand that this is the "Why?" in my life, in my wife's life, in my life with God.


We are not quite finished building the Rio Vista Mission House, we need a few more support dollars in order to complete some of the projects before we can receive Mission Teams.
The full list is available here.

Water well                                             $2500
Backup Power, Inverter                         $500
Security Wall                                     $10,000
Bathroom fixtures                                $2500 for six bathrooms (toilets, sinks, taps, tiling)
Security Protection on Windows       $2000  (15 windows)
Electrical Wiring, Lights and Fans   $3,000
Bedroom furnishings                          $3800  (six complete rooms @ $440.00 each)
Dining Room Furnishings                    $500
Kitchen Equipment                             $1000
Two Hot Water on Demand
Includes Propane tanks                      $1000 


Green Program: (wish list)
Solar Power Start up                          $6000 includes 10 Kyocera 210 Watt Panels, Inverter,                    Batteries System


Support us as we continue to support all of the Mission Groups that are sending teams to work in God's Market, The Real God Market.
Praise God queries of bookings are starting already!
Your gifts are tax deductible, we are so close.
http://www.bridgesofhope.ca/index.php?p=Donate

Bendiciones
Michael and Laura

Almost there!

Wow, what two weeks out of the country will do to produce results!  Laura and I recently returned to Canada to enjoy some R&r and other details like, filing your taxes, (thought I could dodge last year...nope), renewing passports, (can't fly without those!) and catching up with great friends and supporters of our Mission here in the D.R.  We enjoyed a special time in Lethbridge with two of our children and watched eagerly as our youngest Gabrielle graduated high school, (am I that old?!??!)  It was a great time with the kids and we hung out for a few days trying to enjoy a typical May long weekend in Alberta! (I think this was one of the reasons we left!  6 degrees on Saturday! Are you kidding?  At least it didn't snow!)  After a quick run through Walmart and Value Village to replenish some shirts and shorts, (how did I get paint on three pair of shorts and four shirts???)  we left sunny L.A. for Calgary


Now back to the business at hand.

I want to showcase to the readers exactly `Why`` the Rio Vista Guest House will do what is has been built for.  You see the facility designed to provide accommodations and meals for short-term mission teams while they work in various fields of God`s Missions.  For example teams that work with Dominican Advance, who provide schools for underprivileged children to get an education.  Teams that also work with Samaritan Foundation, who provide housing for poor families.  Teams that also work for Island Light Ministries, who provide programs of higher learning in three vocational schools. We will also provide for the teams which come to assist the medical Mission Field, those teams who work for Servants Heart as well as Willing Servant Ministries who operate clinics for some of the poorest people in the country.  In each of these Missions, the grass roots empowerment of the Dominican people and many Haitians as well is positively affected to a very successful end.  The educators of Dominican Advance are seeing over 400 children receive a first-class education and soon will see them move through high school; almost unheard of in this country.  Samaritan Foundation has moved over 1000 families into new homes over the last 20 years, with over 1000 families still waiting to be selected for a new home the work continues.  Island Light has just begun classes in the vocational schools and will graduate 100`s of adults into new fields of industry, seamstresses, electricians, automotive, woodworking, beauticians and more are moving into a brighter self-empowered work force.  Servants Heart and Willing Servants are also seeing amazing improvements in the health of the people of the communities they serve.

It is because of the work these Mission Groups do each and every day, (and these are only five Mission Groups that I have mentioned); the tireless comings and goings of the many teams that assist them in their work, that we feel called to provide an adequate facility to lessen the burden on them as much as possible while they are here.  Everybody should understand that in order for Missionaries to be greatly effective where they are sent, they need to be safe, rested, and well fed; both spiritually and physically!  It is from the Rio Vista Guest House that these teams can do their best, most effective work.

However with all that said, we still need to get up and operational so that we can provide services for Mission Teams.  The work at the Mission House is almost finished, we have only a few small projects that  still require funding  in order to open the doors to the Mission Teams.  We are inviting individuals and Corporations alike to adopt one or more of these projects in order for us to receive our first Mission team in August; any donation is fully receipt-able through Bridges of Hope
 http://www.bridgesofhope.ca/index.php?p=Donate
 Or call them directly 403-380-3844.

Water well                                 $2500.00
Kitchen Stove                             $200.00
Refrigerator                                 $500.00
Backup Power
Inverter                                      $500.00
Security Wall                              $10,000

Green Program:
Two Hot Water on Demand
Includes Propane tanks                   $500.00 each unit
Solar Power Start up                       $6000.00 includes 10 Kyocera 210 Watt Panels, Inverter, Batteries
System,


Please visit the other Mission Sites to see their programs and the work they are doing.

Dominican Advance           http://www.dominicanadvance.org/
Samaritan Foundation         http://www.thesamaritanfoundationdr.com/
Willing Servants Ministry      http://www.willingservantministries.org/
Island Light Ministries          http://www.islandlightministries.org/
Servants Heart                     http://www.servantsheartdr.org/

Bless you all wherever you find yourself on this day.
Michael

Is it dry yet?

Good morning all and apologies all around as I sit again at the computer after collecting my thoughts on the past six weeks.  It has been a while since the last post and much has happened in that time; most assuredly, we have seen progress on the Mission House amidst a series of delays over that time.  The first part of the month was a long celebration of Semana Santa, or Holy week; the same as our Easter Holiday in Canada.  There is however a slight difference here.  The country here is predominantly Catholic and the church here maintains an important office in the governance of the people and businesses alike.  This I believe is important to the health and success of the nation as God is still first in many of the lives here in the D.R.  Originally the term Semana Santa along with the holiday time was established in order to pay honor to our Lord and savior in a week long celebration involving fasting and prayer.  Over time the Catholic Church has seen a separation of the people as many have slowly turned from the ways of old, from the old religiosity of the Catholic Church.  Today many of the people celebrate the Semana Santa week in a continuous party; while a dwindling Catholic Church body continues to pray for their friends and families who have strayed.

Since the last post we have watched the construction teams work on aspects of the Guest House that seem less grandiose in comparison to the entire structure, but important nonetheless! More finishing touches will go into the project this week which will see the installation of the sewer system and connections to the septic field, clearly a mundane part of the project but a part we don't often think about!

Laura and I received the Mission Team on April 19 from ROL with great anticipation and excitement. They came bearing gifts for us and other missions who work with us.  Gary, Shannon, Amos and Sarah jumped right in to the work we had ready for them at the project.

We painted as much as we could during the first four days until the skies opened up with what seemed like an unending amount of rain; off and on for the remainder of their stay.  While initially we were frustrated and disappointed with the lack of work we could do, we realized there was a greater work at hand which needed tending.  After only a year of working alongside the other missionaries here, helping with various projects and events, we never saw the immense draining of our own spiritual resources over the last year.  The team rallied around us and we spent several nights in counsel and prayer as the rains poured down.  What a blessing the team has been!  Fires have been stoked, wheels have been oiled now and fuels have been restocked for Laura and I as we surely needed the recharge!
God knew exactly what was needed for us at the time, when we couldn't see it immediately, He always has something in store for us that will cause us to slow down and look around.  In this case, the welcome rains during those days allowed us to re-focus on Him, instead of the work.  Although the work is important, we must always make time for Him in our lives, otherwise, there is no point to the work!  We are grateful for the opportunity the team from ROL presented to us, and eternally grateful for the opportunity to serve the Lord in this way.
I pray that all of you take a step back from your own work and look around you, just for a little while, and try to realize what we are all doing here, alive, compassionate, forgiving, caring, and loving; just like our Father, just like Jesus.  Whether you realize it or not, God has made us in His image, just like Him.  This is exactly why we are compelled to reach out to others who have fallen or are lost without the truth, we are compelled by the Spirit, alive inside each of us, to be the servants to each other, to all others, just as Jesus was.

Bless you all, bless you well.

Paso a Paso!

Earlier this month I learned a phrase that is quite common among the Dominican folk; frequently I heard the words, "poco a poco" coming out of their mouths.  This means literally, "little by little"; I immediately adopted the phrase to my own growing Spanish vocabulary only to be corrected by another missionary friend that the more correct way of saying this would be "paso a paso"or "step by step", however both phrases are technically correct, (of course my Spanish teacher may have another opinion!)  So now I use both, depending on the mood.  The point is this; little by little, step by step, we are moving ever closer to the realization of the fulfillment of a dream!  Only now, I can say it in Spanish too! (Tambien!)

Today we watched the work crew working on what seemed the most tedious job I have ever seen on any job site; see the video!
http://vimeo.com/38519364

 These guys are putting a smooth coat of concrete on the entire structure beginning with the outside.  Later they will move to the inside and do the same.  It adds up to tons, (I guess) of what we would call stucco, they call "panietta" all over the outside and inside of the walls.  Before it is completely dry, the workers smooth coat the panietta with water and sponge, leaving the surface remarkably smooth!

This gives great definition to the phrase "poco a poco" which is used by the Dominicans for just about every job; after-all, it takes so long do do this work!  Take note in the video as you see the co-worker bring more mud to the applicator, two pails at a time...all day long...wow!
I'm tired just watching them!
All jesting aside, Laura and I are pleased with the progress the crew is making with the Guest House.  By the end of the month the crews will be finished with the panietta as well as all of the plumbing inside.  Then the crews will move outside again and begin work on the water cistern and the septic tank which need to be dug into the ground and then built.
The first floor of the house will be almost complete by this time; with only windows and doors to add, floor tiling and paint!
I would like to encourage our readers and supporters at this time to consider a donation to these remaining projects, you can join our support team as they raise funds for the pending Mission Trip on April 19, 2012.  Gary and Shannon, Amos and Sarah will be traveling here to help us with some final details for the Guest House...Painting!   Yeaahhhh! (bring your old clothes guys)
There is still room for more people to join this team as I believe there are still flights available for that date!    Please join us as we are encouraged by their pending arrival, it has been many months since we enjoyed close fellowship from our home church!
On March 18, 2012 at ROL Church in Lethbridge after the morning service, anyone who wishes to support this Mission Trip can come to the luncheon at the church.

Thank you in advance for everyone's support!  Of course all of your donations are tax deductible!
Mike and Laura

NCMS Advocates!

Hello again everyone and bendiciones from sunny D.R.!
Laura and I are well here and I want to use this opportunity to preview another Mission Group whose work is pivotal to the progress and development of some of the people who live in the area on the North Coast of the Dominican Republic.
When Laura and I first met Kim and Josie Pensinger in 2008, we had no idea how God was directing us; how He was establishing His people around us.  The Pensingers hail from San Diego and Vermont, but have spent many years on the Mission Field, working in places like North Bay Ontario, Costa Rica, Buenos Aires Argentina, and now Sosua Dominican Republic.  That first meeting with them seemed very comfortable, even now, looking back, it seems as though we have known them for much longer.
Dominican Advance started almost 6 years ago with the establishment of a Mission outreach here in Sosua; at first Kim and Josie Pensinger worked to develop relationships with other organizations which led to the establishment of a school in a local village near Sosua.  The school in Nazareth was built in 2007 and children began to attend classes that fall.  At first the school started with only three grades; adding a new flock of children each year since.  The education program at the school is based on standards set in place by the Ministry of Education in the D.R.  The fundamental difference in Nazareth is such that most of the children attend school each year with the help of funding from international sponsors.  Each child receives a uniform, books, backpack and school supplies from sponsorship funding on a monthly basis.  The children also receive a meal every day they attend school; the meal program is funded separately from sponsorship.  Nutri-Ninos provides a much needed food supplement as many of the children may only eat once a day at home.  After the successful launch and progress of the school in Nazareth, Dominican Advance was asked to step in and administer education programs at another school which was built nearby in another village.  The school in Paraiso was built by another Canadian Charity called Samaritan Foundation.  S.F. has built many villages surrounding the area providing much needed houses, schools, clinics and trade schools designed to empower the people in their own communities. 
The second school in Paraiso began classes in the fall of 2010 with children up to grade four.  When school began almost 90% of the children had little to no knowledge of the alphabet or numbers.  Today the school educates over 100 children and will add 50 new children each year up until grade 8.
Dominican Advance is now a registered Canadian Charity, incorporating 2 years ago to comply with a requests from a growing Canadian support base.
Today we see God position Dominican Advance to expand the Mission with the construction of a secondary school which will continue the education of all of the children leaving grade 8 from Nazareth and Paraiso.
The secondary school will be built to receive students in the fall of 2014.
Dominican Advance has always been a strong voice for God as they have obediently moved forward with Him.  We have watched from a short distance and stand witness to the blessings Dominican Advance had given to the people of the D.R.  Dominican Advance is bringing more and more teams to the area to administer education programs and other areas of empowering the people. 
Dominican Advance will be starting a capital campaign shortly to raise the necessary funds for the construction of the secondary school.
 Please join us as we acknowledge the importance of continuing the work that God has started within this Ministry.
You can view details about Dominican Advance through their website.
www.dominicanadvance.org
www.dominicanadvance.ca

Bless you all as you make your way through another day God has made!
Michael

One Year Later!

Blessings everyone and hello again from the D.R.  I pray you are all well and enjoying the mild winter so far...we have heard that the colds of January's past were not so bad this year as well as the snows!  We are also enjoying a mild winter! 
Yesterday was the anniversary of our arrival here on the island, February 22, 2011 we landed in our foreign home; complete with luggage and dog, we settled in for what has seemed like a very fast year.
A quick synopsis of the last year has revealed many encouraging facts about our journey so far.  At first we jumped right into the process of trying to get the Guest House up and running, but God had other plans for us and we quickly came to a grinding halt with process, language barriers, cultural barriers, transportation barriers, and even some health issues.  Patience He said...wait on Me, He whispered; do not run ahead, He cautioned; Trust me, He assured us.
All these things combined together have grown us more, building us up on the inside, rather than tearing us down.
It has always been through God's people, through the situations you find yourself facing, that the answers for the direction of your path become apparent.  In the last year we have received counsel from elders and friends, advice from our missionary neighbors here, and much love and support from family back home.  We greatly appreciate all who would listen to us and care to pray for our keeping while we establish here in the Dominican Republic what God has seeded deep within my soul.

We are blessed to have such people as you around us who continue to encourage and pray for us.
I am pleased to announce that we have just finished the rough build of the first level of the Guest House just yesterday; on our anniversary one year after arrival!  Yesterday the work crews poured the second level floor.  Now the work will continue inside the first level to complete room enough for teams of ten people. Once the terminations are completed by the work crews the first level will be ready for paint and tile work, as well as installations of bathroom fixtures, windows and doors, and electrical work.  Within a few weeks we will begin to build the outside, open air dining room with kitchen attached.  We are encouraged with the announcement of a Mission Team from ROL and look forward to seeing those who come in April!

I hope that the pictures we have been sending give rise to encouragement within your own lives, knowing that your prayers and support have gone into a project that we are only a part of.  God leads and we only follow, walking through doors of opportunity and creating lasting relationships with those around us who He places in our path.
Be blessed each of you as you awaken to a new day, what opportunity will you be given today?

Laura and I extend a warm invitation to all those who read this blog, please visit us anytime!  The Guest House is on track to receive teams of about ten people sometime in June or early July of 2012!
Thank you all
Bendiciones!
Mike and Laura