DR4Christ

Lots of Christmas Events

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 17:30:00 +0000

We had a beautiful candlenight service for Christmas in Tamboril. Kids hit it out of the park with their Nativity play. We were very proud of our Sunday School teachers who out of the blue were presented with gifts of appreciation from the parents at the end of the service. Sweet serving spirit throughout the night from everyone, God really blessed.

The same week we had Luis Marco and Suzette's wedding. Luis Marco hopped in the back of my truck on a rainy day here in 2008 and literally never got out. He received Christ in the church here in Tamboril in 2009. Then in 2010 he began to plead with our Haiti team to travel (more like off-road) to Pignon to tell Suzette about Jesus. After a fun blessed trip Suzette fell in love with Jesus and there Wedding was another giant step for this precious couple.

The next week we had our full time worker's retreat. We took all the workers and their familes up to Constanza (freezing cold) and just relaxed and had a lot of fun as well as some great meetings focusing on our goals for 2012.

Rosa leading the children in a game during our 2011 Christmas Celebration

Luis and Suzette

The Art of Marshmellow Roasting

Martha and Jordan at the pastry shop in Bonao on the way to Constanza

Ricadeni is really growing as a Sunday School teacher

Rosa y Neri

Coming Home in 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 18:30:00 +0000

Six years is a long time, but time flies in the Lords work and we are exited about coming home and communicating our vision with you in person for the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Cuba beginning next year. Over the next few months we will be in contact with you about our schedule and our plans to be with you.
We know times are tough and want to save our church families as much as possible and are planning on traveling with the whole family in an old motor home so as to cut down on hotel and food expenses. Scheduling is important to save on gas and we have put together a home assignment calendar for July 2012 through July 2013. Its pretty straight forward and a click away.

GREEN - Open appointment with our general location and service times.

YELLOW - Specific or General area in the country we will be located.

RED - Filled appointment with our specific location, time and the churches name.

Scheduling made Simple

“It’s the most WONDERFUL time of the year”

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 02:42:00 +0000

The Church in Tamboril is getting ready for another Christmas wedding this year and our missions conference theme is: “The Gift That Keeps On Giving”.

We are having 3 services focused on “Loving Liberally”, “Praying Purposefully”, and “Giving Joyfully” and ending it with a banquet where we take up the commitments.

The children of our Sunday School classes are preparing for their respective Nativity play’s and the ladies are busy decorating the building with bright red Christmas poinsettias. All of us are excited about what God is doing in the hustle and bustle of this season.

Please Pray - Needing a Roof - for the New TLC

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 20:47:00 +0000

What - The “TLC” – The Timothy Leadership Center

When - Facilities are projected to be completed in early 2012

Where - The "TLC" is located in Nouaille, Haiti approximately 20 minutes from the Port a Prince airport

How - Bridging local needs with resources to advance long term projects

Why - To inspire leaders to Christ-likeness and empower them to impact their families, local churches and communities with the Gospel.

Core Principles -
1. God Love's Everyone
Throughout scripture we learn of God's love for us. True faith in Christ is a personal choice and an act of the will that cannot be and should not be coerced. Christians should not impose there beliefs on others by law but demand the human freedom to exercise there spiritual powers of prayer, preaching and providing for those in need.

2. All People are Created Equal

A Biblical moral view of human equality can be fostered and protected in a society where all people can participate in their government through fair election's, the rule of law and a free press. People are not equal where economic, religious and racial discrimination flourish.

3. People are Created to Create

We have been created in the image of God who has endowed us with the capacity to co-create using our God-given intelligence, the resources of the earth and human cooperation. The economic mentality of taking rather than making only leads to endless poverty and un-empowerment.

Current Situation
The UN and the non-governmental organizations (NGOs) who are in Haiti and who have come to Haiti since the earthquake of January 12, 2010 are important. They are providing key core infrastructures to get Haiti back on her feet, but they are not the hope of Haiti. In time the best thing they can do will be to leave Haiti and the best thing that can happen will be for the Haitian people to rebuild their own society with a strong moral and spiritual view of humanity that promotes human equality, human creation of commerce and business and establishes Christ as its true and only hope through with religious freedom and protection for all.

Prayer Requests
For God to raise a new generation of leaders who will lead with boldness and integrity

For revival in the Haitian Baptist churches that will translate in transformed lives and a significant impact on the nation, both spiritually and culturally

Jobs and housing for the Haitian people; hope and encouragement for the generation that survived the earthquake of January 12, 2010

Florence Baptist Temple comes to Haiti

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 20:08:00 +0000

We have been working day and night for several months, facing serious weather obstacles, political difficulties and spiritual battles and without reservation we know God has worked them all out.

On our 60^th trip in we hosted a team of professional builders from South Carolina which moved us over half way to the completion of our final church construction project . We were able to finish the excavation and site work, we are close to finishing the 12 24ft concrete columns, we began placing the first EPS foam panels, put the finishing touches on a large septic system, laid the foundation, prepared the baptistery, did the plumbing, installed the electricity and began pouring the floor on the 5,000 square foot structure.

It is difficult many times to single out church or individual contributions because there are so many that make what we do possible but I must say thank you to Pastor Monroe, Mike, Robert, Ted, Rick and the entire congregation of Florence Baptist Temple for the blessing they have been to our ministry.

It is encouraging and humbling to see it come together. Truthfully, no one gets the credit, we are all working together to give Him the honor and glory for this incredible victory and BELIEVE IT OR NOT – there is more to come.

Top of columns being poured

Tom, Robert, Ted and Rick in the Morning

Finishing Septic System Plan

Tom planning the Baptistry

Beginning the Floor

Moving along even at Night

D.R. Haiti Team

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 27 Aug 2011 19:24:00 +0000

God is blessing and construction is moving right along. In August, we finished the side road, dug and set 12 24' concrete columns, hung the entrance and side gates, blew the base coat of concrete on the Timothy Leadership Center, began work on the septic system and visited Pastor Clifford's church once again Sunday morning. Everyone is working in his or her area to bring this together and we enjoyed a special time of prayer Sunday morning after services with Pastor Clifford on the project site.

Prayer with Pastor Clifford after Sunday Services

Girls doing Laundry

George and JuliAnna

Tyler getting ready to jump into the Septic System - Really?

Side Road, Filled and Graded and Ready for Use.

2011 VBS - Explorando el Desierto

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 20:00:00 +0000

Our third consecutive Vacation Bible School in Tamboril this year was excellent. Throughout the week we had 21 receive Christ as there personal savior which is a credit to our church members who volunteered everywhere. The closing night's program was great with two children's choirs, puppets and a special message to the parents brought to us by our missionary to Nagua Jorge Brionas. Four adults received Christ and an additional Sunday School class was formed the next week.

Tyler and Jorge using puppets to teach 1 Timothy 1:15

Regina leads 7 to the Lord.

Nursery overflowing

Aunt Penny giving the morning's Bible lesson

Little one's practicing for night program

Planting a Church in Haiti

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 19 Jun 2011 11:10:00 +0000

Here is a short 2:45 video commemorating the beginning of the new church in Nouaille, Haiti. We thank you for praying for us over the last month, it really does make a difference. If you would like to share the high quality version with your church, we uploaded this to our iDisk's public folder at https://public.me.com/tom4coop Hitting the link, then the New Project.m4v file and download button will take less than a minute and will go into your Download folder and unzip itself.

Regina and I have been involved in six church plants, four in Cuba and two in the Dominican Republic. Every church starts with challenges, blessings and unforgettable memories. We have started churches under tree's, under a bridge, under a tent, under tin and just sitting in the sand on the beach. You don't need a pulpit, sound system or even a building to get things started but you do need God's word, the power of the Holy Spirit and willing hearts.

I thank the Lord we had all three as we started our seventh work in Haiti under a big blue tarp. I read II Corinthians 4:5-8, introduced our group, prayed and Pastor Clifford came and preached his first message on Matthew 11:28 "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest". It was beautiful. Everyone enjoyed the services and a bible study was organized just a few days later. The next day Veterinarian Darren Woodson had a clinic and just about every animal imaginable showed up. This provided a great opportunity once again to share the Gospel with the community and Pastor Clifford made some excellent contacts.

During this trip we continued building and have now completed the exterior security wall, fill, plumbing, footer's, column's, and floor of our second project at the back of the property. God is blessing. Up next is a third building 5,000 square feet (Phase 1) with three more talented construction groups on the way from Florence, South Carolina and Farmington, New Mexico. We have worked hard at cutting the budget down for Florence as much as possible without jeopardizing the integrity of the long term impact of the project. Please pray for us. We have posted 100 photographs of this trip on our Facebook page at this link. and will be raising some additional funds to cover the installation of a Well, Septic System. basic site work. ect. and are excited about what God is doing and trusting Him by Faith to make our vision a reality.

Interactive Missionary Letter

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 21 May 2011 14:50:00 +0000

Every End is a New Beginning

After our 47th trip into Haiti, on April 15th 2011, after 15 months of incredible challenges, sacrifice and intense work, our team returned to the D.R. from its final relief mission. During this trip, we reflected on God's blessings and gave all the honor and glory to him for what has been done. Obviously, the disaster is still ongoing and Haiti will take years to recover, as we have reported on our Blog.

Haiti, as a nation, has known nothing but suffering, tribulations and poverty over her course in history and this makes recovery even that more difficult. It is extremely difficult to pass collapsed buildings, tent cities, etc., without thinking of those affected from the earthquake even to this day; yet we know it is time to draw this relief chapter in our life to a close. While this chapter in our lives is ending, we are excited about new beginnings. Every fire starts with a spark and Haiti has definitely kindled a new fire within us; one, that we believe will not let us leave just yet.

For decades, and even now, non-governmental organizations have provided the most critical services to the Haitian people. During this time, Haitians have developed a dependency on humanitarian aid and this sense of dependency and entitlement has grown over the last year. Today, seemingly innocent situations can become intense quickly (For example: Our Feb 28, 2011, Blog entry ) and serious problems can lead to personal attacks. Not all experiences can be explained or documented, not even with Blogs, Twitter, Facebook etc., there is just not enough time. There are also no easy answers in a disaster. In life, there are going to be trials and tribulations and our character is defined by rising to meet those challenges.

For the Christian, these trials and tribulations can be physical realities but more than anything it is a spiritual test. Will we grow by faith and wholly rely on Him or will we rely on ourselves? In Haiti, this question is answered daily and in order for physical dependency to be broken, spiritual dependency must take its place at some point. Our Lord Jesus Christ, quoting Deut 8:3, sums it up in Luke 4:4 by saying, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God." The first sign of long-term change in Haiti is going to be Haitians depending on every word of God to win, build and send their countrymen around their country with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Christianity is growing in Haiti and that gives our team great hope and we want to be a part of this growth in a permanent way.

Today, we are announcing our plans to start the Bible Baptist Church of Nouailles, Haiti. This will be our third church plant since arriving on the island in August of 2006. It is difficult to establish a new work without a leader and God has brought Pastor Clifford into our lives for such a time as this. Pastor Clifford graduated from the S.T.E.P. seminary in Haiti that is connected with Dallas Theological Seminary and not only feels called to this work but is already in Nouailles laying the ground work necessary to start the church. We are excited and have committed ourselves to get this church started on the right foot.

We have three teams coming from Dr. Morgan's church in Farmington, New Mexico and Dr. Monroe's church in Florence, South Carolina this summer to help evangelize and to build a church building before the end of October. At that point, our team will integrate back into their normal routines in the Dominican Republic, although, continuing our relationship with Pastor Clifford a few days a month for prayer, training and encouragement. We need your prayers; this is a great challenge and will be difficult for a plethora of reasons, some that we have mentioned. Pray for the Holy Spirit's power on our lives and for those who are coming this summer. Pray for our safety, health, ministries and most of all for those who need Christ.

Regina and I want to say thank you to our family, supporting churches and to all the teams that have come to Haiti. You have encouraged and blessed us with your prayers, offerings, faithfulness and love and we pray we can see you again soon.

Please Pray for Pastor Dial and Martha

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 01:03:00 +0000

One of our greatest joys this year has been watching Martha grow into being an essential part of our team. She is the Director of Rayitos de Luz (children’s Bible club) in Don Pedro and after marrying Pastor Dial in December has been used by the Lord both here in the Dominican and in Haiti. In March, she went to the hospital with severe swelling and pain. Three day’s after being admitted, at 2 a.m., the Doctor’s decided to perform emergency surgery in order to stop bleeding in her lower abdomen . The surgery saved her life and a week later she was released. Please pray for her recovery, and for Pastor Dial and Martha as they rely on the Lord to provide for $5,000 worth of medical bills.

Pinon Hills Album up on Facebook

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 00:14:00 +0000

After a month of putting the pieces into place, we built a 8ft high 635ft long concrete security wall around the church property last week. Two semi-trucks made their way to Haiti from the Dominican Republic full of special concrete and EPS foam panels setting up Dr. Morgan's team and our staff for 10 days of hard work. God blessed and we blew over 800 bags of concrete via air compressor and set columns for 3 future metal gates. In addition, Dr Morgan was able to conduct leadership classes and another food drop was made in Léogane, the epicenter of the earthquake. We have posted 100 photographs of this trip on our Facebook page at: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150129172631949.283229.583196948

Coincidence or Providence that rocks lie where there at?

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 20:45:00 +0000

Last week we moved a 1000 bags of cement off a semi-truck with 8 other men - ohhh - my muscles still hurt. If you've never had the opportunity to do this then I highly suggest - YOU DON'T. Smile - my body will never be the same. The Mule (our grey Toyota Hilux pictured above) which has been in four accidents since beginning relief operations and transported us out of several hairy situations, may never be the same either. At the border with heavy traffic we were forced into the lake and were just a few inches from heading to the happy hunting grounds for good except for a huge rock that caught the undergird of the truck and miraculously kept us from heading deeper into the lake. Thank the Lord our engine kept running for 2 hours while hooking up equipment to pull her to safety.

We had water up to the bottom of the seats in the cab, all kinds of things got wet including passports, documents ect. but the engine never stopped (amazing). During the operation - “Rescue Mule” - over 40 gathered to watch us work. When we finally got the mule out we celebrated and thought our problems were over. We quickly learned that we had another problem after paying two Haitian men who had helped us pull the truck out of the water. At this precise moment the 40 plus spectators demanded payment and the situation grew rather intense. Finally, I smiled to everyone, held up my hands, backed up slowly to the mule, jumped in and found out our mule was actually a race horse as it transported us out of another hairy situation. The truck (err - I mean race horse) is currently in the shop and as soon as we get the O.K - we will be heading back in again on approximately our 45th trip since the earthquake.

1st Anniversary of the Earthquake

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 20:04:00 +0000

Dominican team welding metal framework for roof on

Pastor Destini's building - January 12, 2011

Wall paneling system being installed by second Dominican team. Project is just a few weeks from being finished. January 12, 2011

Smiling Faces and Joyful praise fill the night

One year ago our families lives where forever changed when an earthquake hit our island and brought the plight of our Haitian neighbors to the forefront of everything we were doing. There are times that change who, what, when and where you do things and January 12th 2010 was such a time in our lives. It will be a day that we will always remember and will literally live in Regina and I's memory until we pass into eternity. There is no way to begin to describe what we have seen and done in the last 365 day's. We have tried our best to communicate this year what was happening with over 30 different entries in our blog (www.dr4christ.blogspot.com), but really not even a book would do justice to all that has taken place. With His grace, direction and mercy our team has been in the field for more than 40 weeks away from our homes, ministries and families and today is no exception. It is sufficient to say that God is good, His blessings always seem to come at the perfect time. He has brought many churches and pastors in our lives who have helped and who we have learned a great deal from. We will never forget the times working and fellowshiping together and hope to see them again one day. We represent you: churches, pastors, friends and family who we know care deeply about the Christians here and the spiritual future of this country. We know many of you would be here with us in a heart beat if able and that thought, along with doing His will in our lives propels us to do more. We have done a lot with little this year, but that is enough when God is in it. We will post some pictures throughout the day on our blog and on Facebook (www.facebook.com/dr4christ) These pictures will be of work going on today and of tonights special services. Thank you from our family, our pastors, our full time workers and those who we are serving. We are grateful for your prayers, offerings, faithfulness and love.

Dial and Marthe's Wedding

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 20:38:00 +0000

Dial and Marthe got married this last week with 225 in attendance, some all the way from Haiti. We started training Dial two years ago for the ministry and finally got him married this week. It was a beautiful ceremony and the whole Christmas affair lasted more than four hours. Both Dial and Marthe will be full-time workers beginning in January and they really need your prayers as 1.) they begin a new life together, 2.) continue ministering to families in Don Pedro and 3.) keep up with Regina and I in Haiti.

Our church in Tamboril hosts 225+ for Dial and Marthe's wedding.

Tom speaks in Spanish while Franc translates in Creol

Reading Genesis 2:18-24 in Spanish and Creol

Exchanging vows and the ring ceremony

The best way to start a new marriage - in prayer.

O.K. I'll take you down the isle - but forget about accompanying another boy until your 40.

First Wedding Celebrated

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 14:13:00 +0000

Love is God's richest and greatest gift to the world. Love between a man and woman which matures into marriage is one of the most beautiful types of love.This weekend our church celebrated its first wedding between Aristides and Rosa. Believe it or Not we have another wedding coming up in a week and are excited for the example it sets to our church family and community. Aristides and Rosa have been in our church for a little over a year now. Rosa accepted Christ with Regina and a few weeks later, I had the opportunity to lead Aristides to the Lord. Both have been discipled, love the Lord and are growing everyday in His word. The whole day was blessed and I was able to share the plan of salvation with the guests during the ceremony. Great Memories.

Aristides and Rosa at the Courthouse
JuliAnna and Miguel Angel

Here comes the Bride

Dearly Beloved we are gathered here today to unite Aristides and Rosa in Holy Matrimony.

Praying with Aristides and Rosa after there vows.

Give me some cake.

Dr. John and Greg Morgan in Haiti

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 22:08:00 +0000

Regina and I, recently enjoyed our visit with Dr. John Morgan and his wife Greg in Haiti. Greg is a professional photographer and just released the most incredible photos entitled - "The Beautiful Faces of Haiti." I sure hope you get a chance to see them - you will not be sorry. If your on Facebook its - http://www.facebook.com/media/set/fbx/?set=a.473627266948.255009.583196948 In addition, Dr. Morgan has written two articles on his blog The Big Ink Monkey. (www.thebiginkmonkey.blogspot.com) His first article details our adventures together and his second article is entitled "Hope for Haiti". Its a very insightful article and full of positive answers, verses and well - hope. Its always great to make new friends but we know Dr. John was sent to be a blessing - and right now - Haiti needs all the blessings it can get.

Movie Night draws 250 plus

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 30 Oct 2010 22:26:00 +0000

This month we showed the Christian movie "Lay it Down" in Spanish. Great evangelistic film about illegal street racing that exposes the reality of such choices, and their consequences. The surprise ending combined with a clear presentation of the gospel led to over 20 people making a profession of faith after a short message. I was very proud of our members who went and prayed out of site during the invitation. Prayer really makes a difference. Afterwards Regina and company served up some cake and we raffled off some Bibles. A perfect ending to a beautiful evening.

Evangelistic Movie Night - Lay it Down

Regina serves up some cake

Tom raffles away Bibles

Life would be boring without them

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 16:50:00 +0000

Building a strong christian family goes hand in hand on the mission field with building an enduring ministry. We have been blessed with four beautiful children that enjoy diving into ministry just as much as we do. They are valuable assets in every way and it seems the more we do in ministry the closer we all grow together. Obviously it takes a lot of work and quality time and there are occasional hiccups along the way but with Jesus as our Lord and guide those hiccups subside. We are so proud to be the parents of Tyler, Jordan, Tiffany and JuliAnna, there so fun to be around and life would be boring without them.

Tyler in Haiti helping a family get some Water

Happy 13th Jordan - You light up our life!

"Tiffany and JuliAnna Kick'n back at home"

Tiffany - "I'm glad my Mom didn't make me the white frill indian costume"

Tom and JuliAnna at the Park

Girls and me in Haiti

Little Rays of Sunshine Update

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 22:53:00 +0000

Recently our friend Carol wrote and asked me about one of our ministries in the second church we started in Don Pedro, D.R. last year.

Carol asked:

How is Garry and the Little Rays of Light Club doing?

Dear Carol,

Gary and the Little Rays of Sunshine are doing great. Gary and Martha were able to attend a 12 lesson seminar by Child Evangelism on “How to Evangelize a Child”. Gary graduated; however Martha missed 2 weeks because her father passed away. She went to Haiti for the funeral. When she returned she was able to complete the 2 lessons she had missed by individually meeting with the teacher and was also able to graduate.

Tom and I gave Gary a camera to take Pictures. He purchased a memory chip and soon should have more pictures available.

These past few weeks, Gary has been teaching lessons on “Facing Giants” based on the story of David and Goliath. The children have really enjoyed it, especially their activity books. We are currently searching for some more Bible lessons to teach that include visuals and activity books. These children know very little about the Bible or are very confused with a mix of Charismatic and Catholic teachings. Having the opportunity to teach the truth from God’s Word is a “breath of fresh air”.

Mostly because of the conditions they currently meet in, growing in number has been a challenge; however, we are happy to announce that this past month a piece of property was purchased for them. There is still a lot to do and long ways to go concerning building, Sunday School and improving Little Rays of Sunshine, but they are coming along and we are seeing spiritual growth and God’s blessing.

Lubbock Baptist Temple in Haiti

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 01:02:00 +0000

Pastor Bygel from Lubbock along with men from his church came and worked - very hard. We finished rebuilding the wall and set 12 columns digging through concrete and rebar all the way. WhoooRaw! 10 days of brutal sweat, blood and tears. True TEX A CANS. Pastor Bygel brought a great message of encouragement Sunday morning that really touched the hearts of the people. We also were able to go into the belly of the beast once again (Epicenter of the Earthquake - Leógane) - to give food and water to a local pastor and church. One afternoon we paid our respects for the first time at the site where the victims of Jan 12 earthquake were buried. An experience Regina and I will never forget.

Pastor Wes in the Red Cap

Don and Tom talk Measurements and Engineering

Crosses lead the way to where 100,000's are buried

A picture taken by Leslie from Lubbock -

Literally a City on a Hill

Columns going up

Even the Goats want to know what is going on at the

Construction Site - They climbed 3 stories up to get a good view.

Post-Trip Debriefing's

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 05:20:00 +0000

We have been having groups come into Haiti every month and we ask those groups to fill out a de-briefing form at the close of their missions trip. We let those who come know, that they do not have to put there name on the paper yet these friends of ours (who we made in Haiti) chose to sign there de-briefing forms. Our prayer is that this will be a guide for Pastors and lay leaders who desire to dig deeper and see what goes on in the hearts of those who come. I was asked by the Wilmington News Journal in June how Haiti affects these groups and if the groups are really helping. I believe these de-briefings can shed some light on those questions from a different view point. Regina and I have learned a lot both in Haiti and in the D.R. from this evaluation process (See March 2008) and in several cases have implemented long term changes to our short term group strategy.

The following 3 de-briefings come from 3 different groups who visited Haiti over a course of three months. Steve Drake is a career police officer and a member of the S.W.A.T. team in his county. Keith Bengston is a Park Ranger and Rene Saltana P.H.D. is a professor at Texas Tech University. 3 men, 3 groups, 3 different walks of life. All were a blessing and love the Lord.

One thing debriefing triggers is the reentry process. Reentry is both an end and a beginning.

• an end to a foreign experience, but the beginning of feeling foreign

• an end of a trip, but the beginning of another journey

• an end to being/feeling special, but the beginning of being ordinary with a special heart for God and for the people of Haiti

• an end to being stared at, but the beginning of looking at people and the world through different eyes

• an end to simple living, but the beginning of a different lifestyle

• an end to crowded housing, but the beginning of having more space for God and for people

• an end to eating foreign food, but the beginning of friendships with International students, immigrants, refugee’s and ethnic minorities

Steve Drake - Police Officer / S.W.A.T - Heritage Baptist Church - Lebanon, Ohio - Pastor Steve Craft

EXERCISE 1 FOR SHORT TERMERS

Complete the following sentences.

LEAVING

1. When I think of leaving, I feel . . . Sad, for leaving friends behind.

2. My experience here has been . . . life changing, I will cherish this trip forever.

3. For me Haiti means . . . a beginning for me to help the country

4. The people I will miss are . . . Tom, Jean, Luis and George

5. The things that I will miss are . . . spending time and talking to Tom

6. The things I will be happy to leave behind are . . . N/A.

7. When leaving a place I usually . . . N/A

8. The easiest point of leaving for me will be . . . Getting to see my family

9. Before I leave I really want to . . .N/A.

10. I feel that my goals/expectations have been . . . fully met. God has worked in my heart.

11. The most stressful part of leaving will be . . . knowing my brothers and sisters are suffering.

Note from Tom: This group came through the Dominican Republic These last four questions under leaving were not on the evaluation form at the time this group came to Haiti.

12. A few things I would suggest to the missionaries . . .

13. A few things I would suggest to the national team at the base . . .

14. The base needs . . .

15. One thing I wish we could have done was . . .

EXPECTATIONS

1. I think the return home will be . . . Bittersweet. I want to go home, but I will miss my new friends.

2. I expect the reception from my family will be . . Great Joy

3. I anticipate my church to be . . .waiting for a full report.

4. I picture my friends to be . . . very interested in the trip.

5. I expect my family to be . . . start praying and support Haiti.

6. I hope my church will . . . catch a vision to help rebuild Destini’s church.

7. I think my friends will be . . . N/A.

8. I am looking forward to . . . spending time with my family

RETURNING

1. When I think of returning to the United States, I feel . . . very excited.

2. I will be going back to . . . work and catching up with my family.

3. Going back will enable me to . . . share the needs of Haiti with others.

4. Regarding money, I will . . . increase my missions contribution

5. I think the hardest part of going back for me will be . . . getting back in the routine when I know of the suffering going on in Haiti.

6. I think the easiest part of going back will be . . .

7. I cannot wait to. . . see my wife.

Keith Bengston - Park Ranger - Hillsboro Bible Baptist Church - Hillsoboro, Ohio - Pastor Dan Lamb

EXERCISE 1 FOR SHORT TERMERS

Complete the following sentences.

LEAVING

1. When I think of leaving, I feel . . . Sad, but know that #1 we tried to make a difference the short time we were here #2 that it went too fast.

2. My experience here has been . . . Unbelievable. It has truly been a blessing. I felt the presence of God in a powerful way. I have not felt this moved since our church’s Canada fishing trip with my son in 2000.

3. For me Haiti means . . . an industrious, faithful, happy family of people amidst devastation on an apocalyptic level. It is not what the news portrays it to be. It was not what I had in my mind. It was better and not scary.

4. The people I will miss are . . . Tom and Regina, Pastor Destini and his wife Carmen, Luis and the other staff, George, Pastor Jean Dial and the ladies

5. The things that I will miss are . . . Regina and Yolanda’s food. New Friends and Fellowship. Laughing with Luis and yet - not understanding him.

6. The things I will be happy to leave behind are . . . heat. Although I was getting used to it.

7. When leaving a place I usually . . .

8. The easiest point of leaving for me will be . . . knowing I will see my family to share this great trip.

9. Before I leave I really want to . . . thank everyone for such a great time.

10. I feel that my goals/expectations have been . . . met beyond all doubts, fears and trepidations I had. I let the world tell me through research what Haiti was about. I let my mind out think my heart before coming.

11. The most stressful part of leaving will be . . . Customs and Frontier

Note from Tom: This group came through the Dominican Republic These last four questions under Leaving were at the time of this evaluation under Reflections.

12. A few things I would suggest to the missionaries . . .

13. A few things I would suggest to the national team at the base . . .

14. The base needs . . .

15. One thing I wish we could have done was . . .

EXPECTATIONS

1. I think the return home will be . . . Long and thoughtful. I pray the Lord works with me about missions.

2. I expect the reception from my family will be . . excited and eager to learn

3. I anticipate my church to be . . .very excited and yearning to know about our adventure

4. I picture my friends to be . . . eager to hear

5. I expect my family to be . . . excited and happy to see us

6. I hope my church will be . . . excited to hear of the trip

7. I think my friends will be . . . happy for me and my trip

8. I am looking forward to . . . Air Conditioning. My wife and kids. Getting ready to move our house. Hearing from God.

RETURNING

1. When I think of returning to the United States, I feel . . . Sad, I left the missions field in Haiti. I want to pray harder.

2. I will be going back to . . . business of life

3. Going back will enable me to . . . share my experience

4. Regarding money, I will be . . . more thoughtful towards missions

5. I think the hardest part of going back for me will be . . . rememberin it all and wanting to do it again soon.

6. I think the easiest part of going back will be . . . seeing my family

7. I cannot wait to talk to Pastor Lamb to share the experience. . . of our trip and give him a concrete piece of Pastor Destini’s church - representing the destruction. Then a brand new Ondura nail - representing rebuilding, our project and His promise.

REFLECTIONS

1. One thing the base needs is . . . Can’t think of anything

2. The best thing at the base was . . . Happy Children, Fellowship with the Staff, Church member, The Team. Services. Tours

3. The food was . . . Great very filling

4. I learned from the missionaries . . . the importance of empowering the local people to grow.

5. I learned from the nationals in Tom and Regina’s team . . . Teamwork & God goes a long way

6. Three things I suggest . . . Zero

7. The Project was . . . completed and very interestingly: Powered by God and Built with Love

Rene Saltana P.H.D. - Professor Texas Tech University - Lubbock Baptist Temple - Pastor Wes Bygel

EXERCISE 1 FOR SHORT TERMERS

Complete the following sentences.

LEAVING

1. When I think of leaving, I feel . . . both happy and sad. Happy that I will be with my family again, but sad at leaving new friends and so much work yet to be done.

2. My experience here has been . . . all positive. I was leary at first because the country is so foreign to me, but the family at the base certainly alleviated those fears from moment one in country.

3. For me Haiti means . . . a very real place filled with so many souls in need. It means Pastor and Madame Destini working to win as many of them to Christ.

4. The people I will miss are . . . Luis, George, The Franklin boys, The Franklin’s period. Jackson.

5. The things that I will miss are . . . the fellowship with the men on the work site, the seeing of the work being / getting done.

6. The things I will be happy to leave behind are . . . the heat and the smells of burning trash.

7. When leaving a place I usually . . . pack up and go. The leaving is bitter sweet.

8. The easiest point of leaving for me will be . . . the airport. I could try swimming but I’d get tired fast. No, really the easiest point is hard to pin-point.

Note: This group came through the Port-au-Prince Airport

9. Before I leave I really want to . . . take in the sites, sounds and smells on the way to the airport. To have a very clear memories of the people / souls.

10. I feel that my goals/expectations have been . . . met. We wanted to come be of service in any way and I feel we did. The work on the site was always in flux, but it came together.

11. The most stressful part of leaving will be . . . getting to the airport: on the plane, ticketed; loaded.

12. A few things I would suggest to the missionaries . . . I really can’t think of anything. It was great to meet all the kids; Regina though that is not do able for every team.

13. A few things I would suggest to the national team at the base . . . nothing - they ran the show like Pro’s. I wish for my part, to have been able to serve them more, but they were ever the servants themselves.

14. The base needs . . . NO hot water.

Note: This is a joke - we had asked this group if this was important due to a suggestion from a previous visitor.

15. One thing I wish we could have done was . . . gone out to pass out tracts and or invite folks to Pastor Destini’s church.

EXPECTATIONS

1. I think the return home will be . . . a joyful one. I can’t wait to see my wife and sons and begin to tell them all that that I saw and heard of Haiti, the Base family, and what we did.

2. I expect the reception from my family will be . . happy

3. I anticipate my church to be . . . glad at having the Pastor back

4. I picture my friends to be . . . eager to hear of what all happened during there stay.

5. I expect my family to be. . . happy, warm and cozy.

6. I hope my church will be. . . glad at our return and become even more missions minded than we are.

7. I think my friends will be . . . excited to hear my recountings.

8. I am looking forward to . . . holding my wife and sons first thing and for a long time. Setting the thermostat at 68 degree’s ha ha ha!!!

RETURNING

1. When I think of returning to the United States, I feel . . . good. I’ve tried to do a good thing here, and I think I have.

2. I will be going back to . . .family.

3. Going back will enable me to . . . remind myself that any and all support of missionaries is key.

4. Regarding money, I will be . . . more willing to give back to God.

5. I think the hardest part of going back for me will be . . . leaving friends behind. But the work continues. Here and there.

6. I think the easiest part of going back will be . . . that my wife; boys are waiting on the other end and at the flight.

7. I cannot wait to . . . sleep in my own bed tonight, hearing the most familiar sounds, knowing we are all tucked in and together.

2010 Vacation Bible School Album

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 13:12:00 +0000

Jorge and Penny getting things Started

Jordan helping with the Activity Books

The Kitchen Crew - Hot Dog's, Rice-n-Chicken, Spaghetti

You name it - they can cook it!

Tom giving instructions to the Children's Choir

Ohhhh My Word - Grab a Can of Deodorant

Tom leading the music for the closing evening service

Once again God blessed our Vacation Bible School this year. In my "human fallible thought process", I thought we would have just about the same amount we averaged last year (100-120 not counting the adults). Boy was I was wrong, we easily went over 150.

The whole week was great. I am not a big believer in "group salvation prayers" but with so many it was really the only way to go. One service we had over 20 who stood for salvation. Several, including two boys came up to me after services and told me that they got saved. That was exciting. Jorge and Penny (our missionaries) do a fantastic job encouraging the kids to come and tell us about their decision - this really helps us connect more with each one.

One day I got a hug from one little girl when she was leaving, that was special. One older boy bought me an ice cream and brought it to me while me and Luis were standing in the sun watching the kids at the gate and helping them across the street. I was shocked, really, but the next thing he did was even more amazing. He came back with another one for - Luis Marco. Luis Marco is a member of our church, real humble Haitian man. Not going to go into it more than say - Dominicans and Haitians - DONT LIKE EACH OTHER THAT MUCH. To see something like this is what I call - "snorting the miraculous". I will never forget the look on Luis's face, He was even more shocked than I was - it was great.

Our closing evening activity we had over 300 in services including adults. Everyone was walking in the clouds. Lord was good and throughout the week we had over 30 receive Christ as there savior. Tyler and Jordan did great with the video and soundboard. Regina was everywhere - as always. Literally everything including the children's choir specials, sermon, ect. was perfect.

Our missionaries Jorge and Penny (real troopers) during the week went out and did another VBS in the evening after going at it for 3 hours with us in the morning. After you get that picture in your mind (Not 1 but 2 VBS's in the same day) - imagine them coming and asking if they could take Tyler and Jordan with them? Yes, and then imagine the boys jumping at the opportunity to do it - Yes, (even I was surprised) Afterwards both Jorge and Penny said that they were G R E A T and wanted them to go with them again one day to another VBS. No, I haven't been drinking or taking any prescription medicine, it really happened, and I want to say I'm very proud of them. Truly one of the great things that happened this week. Imagine, third culture boys, sharpening there spiritual trench knives on the souls of Dominican boys and girls, now that is a thought I can go on Monday to Haiti with - ever so happy.

Series on Prayer Completed

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 05:52:00 +0000

Finished up a four week series on prayer. Presented Mabier as our newest member after having baptized him at the river last week. (It was beautiful day) He really perked up with me calling him up in front of everybody, a very special moment. After a rather long morning service, I had to run over to Pastor Jean Dial's church (this is the second work we started last year) and to my surprise they were all waiting for me. I walked right in and started preaching: "If I were the Devil" - Gary translated in Creol. Sure hope he did well, because, I have no clue what he was saying, I think they thought I really was the Devil for awhile - Smile - it went great and I was very encouraged. All in all a wonderful morning. Tonight our missionaries Jorge and Penny came in to stay with us and we spent the evening getting ready for VBS. Lots of work this week - please pray - didn't get home till 10:00. Neat to have a full house of national friends, Carmen is doing better and better. Pray for us, hoping to have a good attendance but we really want them to soak up God's word more than anything.

God has Everything Under Control

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 23:04:00 +0000

Had to leave Haiti today to try to save Carmen's baby, but unfortunately it was not in God's plans. Everyone was a little sad. The Lord has everything under control and we must rejoice in the midst of trials and tribulations. The trip was normal but the baby was already in the canal Friday morning when we left. Both Luis Manuel and I were a little nervous we wouldn't make it but God was with us. Regina had a everything ready including a specialist but it was not to be.

She's resting here now at our home and I will take her back to Haiti after a series of tests next week. The clinic where she will have the tests is highly specialized and believes Carmen and Pastor Destini may have a child one day but they will more than likely need to undergo some blood treatments so Carmen's body does not reject the little one. They have tried over 10 times to have a baby and my heart went out to them all day.

They never lost faith, wavered or doubted. If somehow these treatments can also help them have the baby they so badly desire - then that would be icing on the cake. Please pray it will be so.

DR4Christ

Lots of Christmas Events

Coming Home in 2012

“It’s the most WONDERFUL time of the year”

Please Pray - Needing a Roof - for the New TLC

Florence Baptist Temple comes to Haiti

D.R. Haiti Team

2011 VBS - Explorando el Desierto

Planting a Church in Haiti

Interactive Missionary Letter

Every End is a New Beginning

Please Pray for Pastor Dial and Martha

More Post-Trip Debriefing's

Pinon Hills Album up on Facebook

Coincidence or Providence that rocks lie where there at?

1st Anniversary of the Earthquake

Dial and Marthe's Wedding

First Wedding Celebrated

Dr. John and Greg Morgan in Haiti

Movie Night draws 250 plus

Life would be boring without them

Little Rays of Sunshine Update

Lubbock Baptist Temple in Haiti

Post-Trip Debriefing's

2010 Vacation Bible School Album

Series on Prayer Completed

God has Everything Under Control