Somehow, Bob just doesn’t look like himself wearing a cowboy hat. And I could bearly recognize him in the Smokey the Bear costume. I wasn’t sure I wanted a hug from Smokey. I suppose I should be grateful that he wasn’t asked to wear the frog suit at the Frog Level Fall Festival! During these last three months of home ministry we’ve experienced a bit of what it means to become all things to all men and do all things for the sake of the gospel. As we’ve connected with the churches who partner with us in ministry in the Dominican Republic, we’ve enjoyed participating with you in outreach to your communities. At local Fall festivals we helped with a cowboy ministry that teaches kids to lasso a calf (so much easier when it’s wooden and doesn’t move!), and talks to them about Jesus while they brand a board with the initials JC. It was at one of these Fall festivals that Bob also got roped into being Smokey the Bear. At an All Hallows’ Eve party, Bob greeted and talked to the parents. He had opportunities to share the good news of Christ in both English and Spanish, while I manned the bowling for candy game. The ingenious creators of this game used 2-liter bottles, half-filled with water, for bowling pins and a pumpkin for the bowling ball. However, before you try this, let me say that pumpkins do not last long when bounced! We love God’s family—the church. It’s a privilege to help build up the Dominican church through leadership training. And although it’s difficult to be away from our church family in Santiago, these months in the states have encouraged us. We get to fellowship with many local churches. As Bob has shared the lessons we’ve learned from God’s Word about how to respond when life is not fair, many of you have told us your own stories. We were touched by one man’s example who taught Sunday School the day after his truck was totally destroyed by fire and was able to praise God in the midst of loss. God continues to provide resolution for our apartment situation—thanks for your prayers! The construction company has made more payments on their mortgage, and has been ordered by the court to finish paying it off this month. We are grateful that we have not had to return to the DR to testify in court. We’ll be spending December and January in Texas, before heading back to the DR on Feb. 2. As we celebrate Thanksgiving this year, we thank God for you— instruments of God’s grace in our lives.

Newsletter August 2012

Having finished our fries and chicken strips (no lectures please), Tania and I sat facing each other across the small table, now covered with our Bibles and notebooks. As I leaned forward to hear her in the crowded food court of the shopping plaza, she asked me how God was working in our lives through our current trial with the apartment we purchased in January. My response led to a sweet time of deeper sharing than we normally experience—a joy to add to the many others that God has graced us with in the last three months. The Bitter : For those of you who are not aware of the problem, we discovered in May that the apartment we had prayed for, searched for, and finally purchased in January, has a mortgage on it that was taken out by the construction company before they sold the apartment to us. Unfortunately, the builders did not use the money we paid them to pay off the mortgage. We found out about the mortgage from an agent who showed us a foreclosure notice from the bank due to the company falling behind in their payments. Suddenly, we were faced with the truth that the bank is the legal owner of the apartment until the mortgage is paid in full. Due to the company having serious financial difficulties, we have been on an emotional roller coaster ride because of repeated unfulfilled promises. We have filed a civil law suit that we would like to avoid, but which seems to be the only way to pressure the company to pay off the mortgage. Our sovereign Lord, knowing what was coming, gave us an across-the-hall and an upstairs neighbor who are both lawyers! We seem to remember asking you to pray that we would develop good relationships with our new neighbors! The Sweet: It’s such a unique thing with God that trials and joy are bound together. James tells us to consider it pure joy when difficulties test our faith because they teach us perseverance (James 1:2). Hopefully, we are learning perseverance. There doesn’t seem to be any other alternative! But God has also given us many reasons to rejoice associated with this trial. We’d like to share some of the “joys” that have strengthened and sustained us in the last three months. • Realizing that God does not condemn us, even though we made some errors in decision-making when we bought the apartment. • Picking up the Bible throughout the day and experiencing God’s Word speaking directly to our hearts. • Victory over negative thoughts as we struggle to bring them to Christ and let Him renew our minds. • Forgiving those who have wronged us, and seeing God open doors for us to speak to them and let them know we are praying for them. God arranged two unexpected encounters between us and the construction company president and his representative. • Being prayed for and ministered to by our Dominican church family. Our relationships with the church leadership and within our weekly small group are deepening. • Receiving notice of your prayers for us and your encouraging comments via email. • Drawing closer to each other in our marriage as we both draw closer to the Lord. We have resisted blaming each other for the problem, and spend a lot more time praying together. • Experiencing God’s strength to keep up with ministry and discipleship opportunities. o God enabled us to finish a challenging and insightful New Testament survey course in the leadership training classes. We praise the LORD that more than 50 students continue to persevere. o Bob also continues to mentor Stanley and preach on Galatians in the Haitian church at Los Girasoles. o We helped to plan and participated in a women’s retreat for 56 women in June. (Yes, Bob was there, too!) o Following the retreat, we’ve had many meetings to help resolve some major conflicts in the women’s ministry leadership team. God has faithfully begun to heal relationships there. Although we don’t yet know the final outcome, we received good news on July 19 that the company has caught up on the monthly payments and paid off 1/3 of the total mortgage! Please keep praying. We would like the mortgage issue to be resolved by mid-August because we have tickets to fly to the states on August 18. We hope to spend 5 months in home ministry to visit many of you and share in detail what God is doing here. Lord willing, we will be in Virginia through November.

Bob preaching at the Haitian service in Los Girasoles

May 2012 Newsletter: Back to the Future

In November 1990, as a single missionary nurse in Haiti, I (Judy) wrote: “They must have thought I was crazy as they stared at me through the pouring rain from the shelter of their porches. There I was… sliding at an angle down the road in the thick, black mud on a 4-wheel ATV; totally soaked; grinning from ear-to-ear; singing praise songs; and pausing every so often to ask, Is this the road to Foison? With a wonderful sense of exhilaration, I was embarking on one of my community health adventures—visiting a rural clinic run by the wife of a Haitian pastor.” That night in Foison I had a simple supper of bread and hot tea with the pastor and his family. I remember taking a bite of the bread and looking with surprise at the wriggling legs of a June bug embedded in the piece still in my hand. I pulled it free and flicked it off the table before my hosts could see it. I spent the night in a dark, windowless room behind the clinic—with a bucket of water to wash with and an empty bucket for “other needs”. The next day I helped the pastor’s wife in the clinic. It was encouraging to see their dedication and willingness to serve and raise their family in such a rural area. The youngest member of the family at that time must have been Stanley, less than a year old. Stanley was the future—only I didn’t know it at the time. My next newsletter from Haiti was written in January 1991. In it I announced my engagement to a fellow missionary, Bob Kay. (Maybe that’s why I was in such a good mood in November!) This May, Bob and I celebrate our 21st anniversary. Although we have since changed countries and cultures, we still have opportunities to minister to Haitians in Santiago, especially students who come here to attend university. Bob preaches in Creole once or twice a month at a Haitian worship service. Normally, there are more than 100 people attending the service. A few years ago Bob worked to help train the Haitian leaders of this service. However, when those leaders moved on after finishing their studies, it seemed that those who remained were not interested in receiving training. Then Stanley showed up. He came to study industrial engineering. His dad told him to call Bob as soon as he arrived in Santiago. Since that first phone call, Bob and Stanley have met weekly to study the Bible. Each time Bob returns from their meetings, he is encouraged by Stanley’s heart for God and intelligent questions. So the future is here. Stanley’s presence has been a catalyst for continued involvement in the Haitian ministry. At the same time we continue to help our local Dominican pastors train leaders for their churches. Our hope is that we can ignite in them an increasing desire and ability to express their faith in love. Thank you for your prayers.

February update

After playing a few games of basketball one morning with men from the neighborhood, Bob sat down for a breather. While playing, he had noticed that one young man was really hard on himself every time he missed a shot. As he rested on the concrete bleachers, Bob shared with the guys how he handles disappoint in himself. He showed the young man how he presses a finger into his wrist to remind himself of Christ’s sacrifice for him and the forgiveness He offers. This enables him to stay focused on the present instead of on past mistakes. Several of the guys around him listened intently.

Another morning we were walking in a nearby park, joining others who were doing their daily circuit. Instead of the usual smile and “¡Buenos días!,” we paused that morning to introduce ourselves to two regulars on the track. As we walked together for a few laps, their questions about what we were doing in the Dominican Republic led to discussing the stresses of life and the truths found in the Bible.
Recently, our mission, Crossworld, has defined the disciple-making process as “helping people to live and love like Jesus by imparting God’s truth through authentic relationships wherever life happens.” It’s a good reminder that life happens in a lot of different contexts—contexts that provide opportunities to share God’s truth—whether through leadership training classes in the church or pick-up basketball games and walks in the park.

The fun, and sometimes overwhelming, thing about ministry is that the opportunities are endless. Our complex of 12 apartments is now full of new neighbors. Our hope is that the interchange of small gifts, conversations in the parking lot, and attempts to peacefully resolve conflicts over barking dogs (current population: 25 people and 5 chihuahuas) will open doors for building friendships. Since we work with the couple’s ministry at church, it’s interesting to note that we are currently surrounded by young, recently wedded couples.

Within the church, the leadership classes continue with the addition of Alberto—a talented young leader whom Bob has recruited to help creatively clarify the concepts being taught. While teaching on the authenticity of the New Testament Greek manuscripts, Bob and Alberto took on the roles of Chuchu, a machete-wielding farmer, and his son, Mijo, a university student whose professors were teaching that the New Testament is not reliable. (The students may not remember how many NT Greek manuscripts there are, but Bob with a machete in his hand is unforgettable.) Presently, 65 students are taking the New Testament Survey class. The next class will focus on how to prepare and teach a message from the Bible.

Thank you for your prayers as we strive to be intentional and creative in expressing God’s love and truth to those that the Lord brings our way.