Barahona Mission Project

2011-06-25T19:04:00.002-05:00

Please pray for the following 21 people who will be serving on the Dominican Republic mission team July 8-16: Suzanne Berry, A.C. Blair, Ken Bownds, Rhonda Bownds, Bobby Bownds, Scott Everett, Caidon George, Kathy Glover, Steve Glover, Jeremy Glover, Andre Glover, Patrick Pryor, Miriam Rivera, David Rogers, Steve Runnels, Payton Runnels, Paul Siebenmann, Tricia Simmons, Tori Turner, Mike Whisenant & Sandi Whisenant. There will be a special prayer time for the team during the worship service on July 3.

Our schedule includes David preaching at Sunday services to a Haitian church, a blind church, and the church that meets on the property we purchased for them last year. David will also be sharing his testimony at a men's Bible study, the prison in Barahona, and the fire station. We will also cook breakfast for the firmen, have afternoon bible studies for women and children; play games with kids each morning; work side-by-side with Dominicans and Haitians constructing a concrete block wall on the church property; visit and pray with families in the neighborhood of the church and pray with teachers in the local school and present them with some Spanish language children's books; have a movie night at the ball field; do caricatures at the local park and fire station; meet with teens to follow up with their promise from last year's purity discussion groups; meet with men and women to help them with their budgets; identify those that we can help with physical needs and encourage and enable church members to meet those needs; and whatever else God calls us to do that week.

If the wi-fi connection allows us to we will update this blog as we can.

Want to serve on the 2011 Mission Team?

2011-01-16T18:58:00.003-06:00

The Arapaho Road Baptist Church mission team to Barahona, Dominican Republic is planning their next trip for July 8-16, 2011. A short meeting is planned for next Sunday, January 23, at noon in the Fellowship Hall. We will have mission trip applications available and we will answer questions you might have. The next meeting is scheduled for Sunday, February 27 at 4:00 p.m. in the FLC Conference room.

If you have any questions, please contact Sandi at news@arbcgarland.com.

Afternoon Bible Studies

2010-07-19T21:57:00.005-05:00

We had an awesome time with the people at the afternoon Bible studies. This year we presented the gospel with a color each day. We also taught the ladies to make a fabric yoyo wall hanging. Each lady made several yoyo circles and then Esmerelda (pictured here) stitched them together. We encouraged them to continue to make things from the fabric we left them and possibly sell them in the market for money for their family.

Because our translator, Robert, was a man, 3 men felt comfortable joining us for the Bible study.

On Monday we talked about heaven and sprinkled gold glitter on the ground for them to walk on and think about how wonderful heaven will be.

On Tuesday we talked about sin and they marked their sin on a pure white cloth with pieces of charcoal and then used a disappearing marker to illustrate to them that Jesus erases our sin.

Wednesday we used pebbles to lay our sins at the foot of a cross, then covered it with a red cloth to talk about the blood of Jesus cleansing us from our sin.

Thursday we talked about growing in our faith using a tomato plant kit with a pot, seeds and soil. We encouraged them to read their Bibles, attend church and share their faith.

In the mornings during the week, we visited and prayed throughout the neighborhood. Some of these ladies went with us and it was evident that they loved God and wanted to share Him with others. We even had children going with us to invite people to our activities.

We pray that these people continue to share their faith and invite their neighbors to the church.

Sandi

Playing Catch Up! (Written July 14, 2010)

2010-07-18T14:36:00.002-05:00

Hola amigos!

Today we are playing catch up on the blog because our wifi has been down the last few days. Sunday we had two great services. One was at the blind community and the other was at the lot where Franklin’s church meets. Mike Motley taught Franklin a few new songs, and he was very excited to translate them and teach them to his congregation immediately. Now our fellow Dominicans are singing “What A Mighty God We Serve!”

Monday started out bright and early with construction, prayer walking, baseball, and Suzanne drawing at the park. Suzanne had a great experience while she was drawing, and an older man actually came up to draw her! Later on during the day we did our women’s bible studies while others worked with the kids. We then hurried back for dinner and washed up and went back to the baseball field for a movie night. We couldn’t get the Jesus movie to play in Spanish, but we watched a few episodes of Veggie Tales. We had a HUGE turn out of over 250 adults and children. We hung a white tarp on the fence and used a projector to play the movie. The kids all sat on the plastic table cloths from the service in our gym, and they worked out very well! We were so excited to have such a great turn out and they seemed to really enjoy the movie!

Tuesday morning a few of us went to the local fire station to cook breakfast for them while Suzanne drew. We had about 25 people for breakfast and Weldon gave his testimony. They were so appreciative of us coming back each year. Construction continued with the help of a few of Franklin’s church members, along with our guys, and some Haitians. We learned that if the Haitians don’t get paid every day, then they don’t eat that day. During this time the rest of us prayer walked around the community where the new church will be located. Tuesday was the last day of baseball and Will Riley did a lesson with the boys. He did so great and shared the lesson with all of us of dinner.The women’s bible studies grow each day, as do the children’s. The kids LOVE to sing “Christo me ama”! (Jesus loves me) Sandi and Rhonda’s bible study had 3 guys that came. They didn’t stitch yoyo’s, but they paid very close attention. One lady in the group is about to give birth to her 8th child, and was experiencing a few contractions during the lesson. Pray that none of us have to deliver a baby this week! After dinner we went back to the baseball field for part 2 of the movie night and watched 1 episode of Veggie Tales and parts of the Jesus movie. We had another great turn out of about 150 people. It was an amazing yet difficult experience to watch what our Jesus went through for us. It was during that time that the field went silent and every eye was focused on the screen. (Which does not happen very often in the Dominican!)

Wednesday morning started off again bright and early with a breakfast at the Civil Defense center. They fed breakfast to about 50 people in very challenging conditions. They used a roof top stove to cook pancakes while trying to avoid a German Shepard that was eager for anything to be dropped. Suzanne drew while Weldon gave his testimony. Pray for Mabel, a new friend that was made that fell off her motorcycle on the way home from the breakfast. She injured her head. Construction is coming along slowly but surely. We have almost 3 sides of the foundation for the wall poured. With the help of the fire trucks tomorrow, we will be able to use their water to help finish pouring. Today was all hands on deck since the boys were done with baseball. The girls continued to prayer walk and one of our groups met an older lady who is in desperate need of our prayers. She has lived alone for 6 years in a VERY unsafe neighborhood. She has a massive tumor that covers her whole shoulder/back. Her home contained 3 plastic chairs and a small cooking pot that she had on the ground with charcoal trying to boil water. We continued on our way and then met up again later with the lady (Ramona). We all emptied our backpacks and gave her all the food, water, and gum that we had. She immediately raised it in the air and thanked the Lord over and over. She obviously has huge faith in the Lord that he will provide for her needs. We plan to take Franklin to her house later in the week to see what else we can do for her. Please remember her in prayer this week. Later on today we have the kids and women’s bible studies. After dinner tonight the youth are meeting with a select few of teens from Franklin’s church to talk about sexual purity. Sexual immorality is very common here and we hope to make an impact on these young impressionable kids. Pray that their heart will be open to hear what we have to say. Also pray that they can stay strong and pure for the Lord. Continue to pray for our guys because it is extremely hot and they are quickly growing tired and weary! As always, we covet your prayers and ask that you continue to lift us up daily.

We hope to have internet again tomorrow to give you more updates, so check in!

Adios amigos!!

-Brooklina and Paintin

We Made It (Written July 10, 2010)

2010-07-18T14:33:00.001-05:00

Hola amigos!

After leaving at 3:30 am to get to the airport and a few delays (including a dead battery on one of the vans) we are finally in Barahona! Our morning started out with a one verse Bible study from Hebrews that reminds us all that God never leaves us. What a great way to start the day! We got a glimpe of the newly purchased land where a trench has been dug in order to start building the wall. Our boys are dirty, dirty, dirty… which brings us to the Spanish word of the day. Sucio=dirty. The property used to be a land fill where the Dominicans burned the trash, so the whole property is like walking in soot from a fireplace. The boys worked on the cutting wire to prepare for the cement while the girls prayer walked with members of Franklin’s church. The translators have not yet arrived, so communication in some groups consists of a lot of hand gestures and sign language.

There has been a slight delay in the building process because a trench on one side of the property is too far out. It did not allow room for a sidewalk and the city requires it. Please pray this issue can be resolved so that we can continue to build without extra monetary expenses. This afternoon we will continue to prayer walk in order to pass out information on tomorrow’s church service. It is definitely hotter this year then it has been in years past, and we are all already starting to feel it. Pray that we can continue to push through and that everyone will stay hydrated. We are all so excited to be here and have even already met up with friends from the past few years. We will try to continue to keep everyone updated on a daily basis.

God bless,

Brooklina and Paintin (Brooklyn & Payton)

To check out daily photos go to http://barahona.shutterfly.com/

2010-07-07T07:45:00.002-05:00

Please pray for the following ARBC mission team members:

Leaving tonight and early in the morning: Weldon Ritchie, Riley Wentz, William Riley, Andy Bunn, David Largent, Warren Matlock, Mike Whisenant, and Sandi Whisenant.

Leaving early Friday morning: Suzanne Berry, Bobby Bownds, Ken Bownds, Rhonda Bownds
Jon McCaslin, Mike Motley, Steve Runnels, Gina Runnels, Brooklyn Runnels, and Payton Runnels.

Preparing for our arrival: Paul & Peggy Siebenmann and Franklin & Benita

The Ashburn's group at North Monroe Baptist Church will be in Barahona the following week and their blog is http://tothenations2010.blogspot.com - Pray for them as they prepare to go also.

Watch for updates from the "Runnel's Girls" soon! And we appreciate your encouraging comments!

Sandi

Barahona here we come!

2010-06-18T20:30:00.002-05:00

It won't be long before we leave for the 2010 Mission Trip, July 8&9 - 17. We've got some great ministries planned for the week, but mostly hoping we will be able to build a cinder-block fence around the new church property. Pray for the survey to be finalized before we get there.

2010 Mission Trip

2010-01-24T21:07:00.003-06:00

We're making plans to go back to Barahona July 9-17, 2010. The last week in December ARBC funded the purchase of land for a church building for the church in Barahona! We're excited to help them get started on a Baptist church for the community near the baseball field. Thanks to retired missionary Paul Siebenmann, The Dominican Baptist Convention, Santiago (a lawyer in the Barahona church), and the church's pastor Missionary Franklin Rodriguez, the deal was finalized and we are currently waiting on survey and title search. But the Barahona church is excited to make plans for clearing the land so that building can be begun if everything is clear to build by July.

Much has happened since our trip last July:
- Franklin & Benita had their baby, Addis, September 9
- We began helping a young boy, Timmy, with a health issue, then we found out that he was going to be sent to an orphanage in Boca Chica. He is now in the orphanage and we are praying that he is being treated well and that he will receive the help he needs until he is adoptable.
- Franklin's father passed away in the fall.
- Franklin & Santiago spent much time finalizing the land purchase
- In January, Franklin's grandmother passed away.
- In January, the Haiti earthquake has been an opportunity for the Barahona church to minister to the Haitians crossing the border into Dominican Republic to get help. The area missionary and the area churches are ministering to the Haitian refugees even though the people in Barahona don't have much either. Pray for resources to be located to help the Haitians and for the Dominicans to be open to helping them.

This may create new opportunities also for us on our trip in July as the Haitians will still be recovering from their losses.

If you are interested in joining us for this 2010 mission trip or would like to know how you can donate toward our ministries in Barahona, please contact barahona@arbcgarland.com.

God bless you as you read this!
Sandi

Ninos Para Cristo - Kids for Christ

2009-08-15T22:10:00.002-05:00

We've set up a website to tell about our project to help kids in Barahona. Go to www.ninosparacristo.org to find out more and watch Kristen's testimony below:

Incredible Dugout Sign Story by Jim Clark

2009-07-26T16:58:00.002-05:00

Last day in Barahona

2009-07-23T13:30:00.003-05:00

Today is our last day in Barahona. Here's what we've been doing...
Yesterday it was pouring down rain and we thought the day was wasted, but we were flexible and shook our fist at Satan and headed out to do our days work. After we scurried about making changes to our schedule the sun came out! Suzanne headed to the caricatures, visited the hospital pediatric ward (a sad example of socialized medicine), prayer walking in the mud--I've got some great "kid water splashing" videos, AC & Jim have a great story about the scripture on the dugout that I'll post when I get back, Warren, BJ & Andy built a latrine, they worked on two houses and finished construction today. We had Bible studies & kids Bible activities. Then we had a youth rally which is actually a scavenger hunt. We probably had about 100 kids divided into teams and running through the streets looking for items such as a euro, crab, photo of president, etc. Nick's team won first place. Also to celebrate Nick's 21st birthday, Nick & Riley played Dominican dominoes with a couple of men at the park & Nick & Riley won! The usually play for eggs, but they passed on the prize.

At the businessmen's lunch today there were 15 Dominicans, 5 Americans, & 3 TV cameramen + Franklin. We shared our testimonies about what God has done in our lives. How God influences us in our work. We were very well received. Franklin said it was an incredible response. Some of the men got up and shared their testimonies of how they were inspired and how they can share this with their own families. They were excited about us being in the Dominican and our actions spoke louder than words. The guys in charge of the TV station did a recording of Franklin and said he would show it on TV as much as possible this year and next year when we come back we need to let them know and record us a couple of times while we are here, then show it on TV as much as possible.

Domingo, a hotel employee, brought Suzanne, Pat & Sandi a pitcher of water & napkins while we were eating lunch in the breezeway and told us we were his "mothers". Then he sang and gave testimony. He's 21 years old and a pastor. Now when he sees us carrying bags through the hotel, he offers to carry them.

Mike says it's amazing how much value they place on an empty paint can that's given to them. Mike gave a can to someone and now he sees them carrying it proudly through the streets.

We're getting ready to go to our last afternoon Bible studies and tonight we will have a celebration of the week.

Sorry I haven't had time to post pictures. But I will soon.

Bye--Sandi

Update on Monday morning activities

2009-07-20T13:15:00.002-05:00

From Sandi - Thank you for your comments. I'll pass them on.
Now it's hot & humid! We encountered many muddy puddles as we walked down the streets in the neighborhoods. But we also encountered many prayer needs in the homes. Jobs, health, money, etc. which sounds a lot like the needs in the US, but so much greater. How thankful we are for what we have at home! These homes are barely standing, the men of the home are sitting outside with nothing to do, no jobs, no incentive, maybe babysitting a young child. Even the businesses in this neighborhood seem desperate. Rhonda pray with a mother whose child was in a shack, she was pouring water over him, he seemed handicapped or something. Franklin went back and they visited and prayed with them again. So sad. This is a culture shock for the girls, but they are loving the children anyway. We're very proud of them.

All I know about the baseball is that there were lots of kids there - even after the rain to play baseball in the mud. Then I saw Steve pass through the neighborhood on the back of a guy's motorcycle. Don't know where he was going yet.

Construction DID begin painting the inside of the dugout. It's a bright green. They also cleaned up around the outside so they can paint it this afternoon. The sun is shining now.

All I've heard about basketball is that they had lots of kids there too.

We've had a little rest at lunch - now for the afternoon activities.

Please pray that the ladies and kids will enjoy learning more about Jesus.

Sandi

The RAIN came down!

2009-07-20T08:36:00.002-05:00

It is Monday morning in Barahona. But wait, some rain came too! It decided to interupt us during our morning group bible study. Luckily the constuction group is painting tommorow! The baseball and basketball groups have already left (we could not convince them to not play) and those that are about to prayer walk are waiting togther in the lobby as I type this out to you. Its funny that yesterday we over emphasized the rain in the story of Noah!

Sunday- A GREAT DAY!
Our group attended the first church service on the mountain with the blind community there. Suzanne drew their pictures, we sang with them and had a sermon. Next, we went to the lot next to the baseball field where Franklin's church services are held. It was a blessing to worship with their church and enjoy the cool breeze of the Lord's presence. I was involved in the children's time during the service. We sat in the dugout with the kids and acted out stories, games and pretended to be animals aboard Noah's ark!
** To those of you that may think that over seas mission trips are a way to eat less and loose weight, I am sorry. Our savory pork chops and fresh fish will only make you want to eat more.
Well, today is our first day of the start of our sports, childrens, womens and construction projects and clincs... Pray for lives to be changed. This morning we talked with Paul about making our lives' bridges. There are many bridges that we can be in leading those to Christ. If we do our part, there will be many bridges over all of Barahona!
Hasta luego =] Spanish word of the day- el perro (the dog)

Sunday Morning Baptisms

2009-07-19T12:05:00.002-05:00

Franklin's church is growing--this morning three ladies and a young girls were baptized in the pool at the El Quemaito Hotel.

This past week at the El Quemaito Hotel while pastor Franklin was making reservations for the group, one of the workers wanted to know what was happening and what was it all about and pastor Franklin explained to her and in doing do she accepted the Lord as her Savior.

more later!!!

News from Barahona

2009-07-18T16:29:00.003-05:00

This is Sandi. Our usual commentator, Kristin, is at another hotel so I'm not sure when she will be able to commentate. So here it goes...cute or not!

We did the medical clinic today. Lots of kids & adults that we've seen in previous years. They were so glad to see us. The baseball guys made a nice welcome back poster in English for us.

The doctors and dentists from Santo Domingo did another wonderful job meeting the medical needs of the Dominicans. We had to stop the clinic sooner than expected because we ran out of medicines & vitamins to distribute. If you want to see how socialized medicine works, come down with us next year!

AC was impressed with the doctors working with so many people and coming down from Santo Domingo bringing their medicines and dispensing it free. The response from the people was very good. It was a very good day!

Jim says that Benita is glows with her pregnancy!

Franklin says it was an awesome day for God! Thank God for commissioning us to do this mission. The heart was touched, the physical was touched, and the spiritual was touched.

Warren, says this doctor and his family is committed to the missions. They belong to a mother church that has branches and they are very commited - along with the commitment of Paul & Peggy. Paul's teaching is wonderful! He & his family are an inspiration to me!

We're going to dinner now!

Thurday night, minus the lights!....and air.

2009-07-17T09:09:00.002-05:00

Buenos dias! It is Friday morning in Santo Domingo, and the first group has successfully survived the night at the Seminary. We kept “old school” and stayed where ARBC’s mission teams of the past have lived. Arriving late Thursday night, we faced an old circuit box that did not want to provide electricity (lights and air). By the glow of flashlights, we brushed our teeth and went to sleep! The aroma of bacon, toast and eggs awoke us this morning (cooked of course by A.C. and Mike). You may want to know what we are doing today, eh? Well, shortly we will be leaving to buy food for the week at a place described as a “Dominican version of Sam’s”! We are also picking up the rest of the groups from the air port in the early afternoon. Lastly we shall drive about 4 hours to Barahona to find our hotels! God is great as always, there was NO issue this year with luggage so far! As we pack on the deodorant and refill our water bottles with a smile, all in all I know everyone is so excited to be here. Please pray for the safety of those on airplanes as I type this. Much love to everyone! ….. And your Spanish word of the day is?????? El hueso- the bone.
<3!

2009 Mission Trip - July 17-25

2009-06-22T20:50:00.000-05:00

The ARBC Mission Team will serving in Barahona, Dominican Republic again this year, July 17 - 25. Some will be traveling on the 16th to prepare for the group to arrive on the 17th. We will be on several different flights departing and returning and from Santo Domingo. Please pray for our flight connections and travel safety.

We still need some items to take with us for the medical clinic by July 5th: Gauze; disposable table pads; large bottles of multivitamins (such as those that Sam's sells) for children, adults & seniors; masks, tongue depressors; sample size toothpaste; Pepto Bismol and diarrhea medications individually wrapped; skin cleansers such as Phisohex; medications for skin infections such as Neosporin, Bacitracin and Polymyxin B; and if you have a source for sample medications from a doctor, please contact Sandi at swhisenant@hotmail.com for more information.

Our ministries for the week include: A medical clinic, church services in 2 locations, baseball clinic, basketball clinic, volleyball clinic, caricatures, repairing & painting projects, breakfast & Bible study with the firemen, lunch with businessmen, ladies Bible studies, kid's Bible studies, youth rally & games, and learning to fish the Dominican way and sharing Christ with the fishermen.

Our purpose for the week is to help the people we meet understand who Jesus is and that He loves and cares for them. Pray that God will help us communicate clearly and love selflessly.

We will try to have someone update this blog as often as we can while on the trip. Your posts of encouragement will be appreciated! Thank you for your prayers!

Sandi

Now that we're back...

2008-07-20T17:30:00.000-05:00

Sitting here on this Sunday afternoon recapping thoughts and memories of the past days on the trip... All I can think to say is wow, and amen. It has been a joy sharing with all of you about our time that we spent in Barahona. Although I cannot stay in DR, I still have the "excitement of missions" engrained in my heart and head. For now, Texas is my mission field. Although we lack all of the spanish, humidity, culture, and some life styles- until next year this is as good as it gets and I am ok with that. God has worked miracles and clothed us in joy after seeing him move so much. I know that we all suspect that Franklin's church was packed full today because of all the people that we have invited! It was such a blessing to be back at ARBC and worship with fellow beleivers. I feel ashamed eating full meals and having air conditioning, yet when I have these things it reminds me to pray for those people that I love back in DR. May we all continue the Lord's work here.
The following pictures are some of mine from the trip...
spanish word of the day.... pantolones-pants =]
<3.

Two Day Recap!

2008-07-18T06:25:00.000-05:00

Well it is now Friday morning, and we have been very busy!
The past two days (Wednesday & Thursday) have gone by extremely fast and we are all so sad yet ready to come back home. Wednesday night we had a "Youth Rally" in a local park for teenagers in the community. What is a "rally" you might ask, well to the Dominicans it means a massive scavenger hunt around the area. So we busted down doors with fellow Dominican teams and had a great time- with about 250 people in attendance!!! Everyone here has come to have great friendships and bonds with all of the people we get to encounter. To the worried mothers out there whom miss their sons, they will be home soon! God has moved through our group in a way that only he can do. We will strive to incorporate missions in everything that we do when we return. Yesterday was a massive, crazy day! We gave out prizes for baseball and basketball, had a succesfull Block Party, painted houses, prayed for people, and the list goes on! I would like to focus on the block party and the great time that it was. I worked with making balloon animals as I quickly put my days at Clown College to use, ;]. We had many games for the community, prizes, face painting, and more drawings by Suzanne. We could not have had a better turn out. But truly the best thing about the Block Party was being able to invite people to Franklin's church. With tears pouring down my face and giving out as many hugs as I could, I as well as others said our good byes. One special boy has touched my heart this week, I wish that I had the time to go into more detail, but this is what God has taught me... God gives us all tender hearts and LOVE for a reason. He didn't have to love us, but by his grace he did. It is the one gift that I can give to others without any limitations or barriers. God has been mighty and just this whole week. We hope to return next year, and it is our prayer that those reading may join us too, for the Lord's mission in us all!!
Spanish word of the day... El reloj- clock.
Typing to you one last time, Kristen Ashburn.

Sweat, Dust, and Humidity, OH MY!

2008-07-16T07:52:00.000-05:00

I am now typing about Tuesday, and all of the events of the day. Mrs.McConnico I regret to inform you that your son contuinues to ride on the back of motorcycles, but that he has had no major injuries to report! Starting off the day bright and early on Tuesday morning, Mr. A.C. and the business crew men went to the firehouse in Barahona to cook breakfast for the firemen and minister to them. Surprisingly enough the men were able to get everyone to participate in song/dance to the tune of "I've got a river of life flowing out of me". From what I hear, it was quite a hit! Andy Bunn also told me of his exciting trip down the fire house pole, which almost had caused him a bad landing. I personally got the chance to witness a cool scene in which God's movement was evident. While prayer walking in the neighborhood, we came across a home in which the lady there was hearing impaired. We were blessed to have Beth Sather in our group whom was able to interpret using American sign language. Despite the barrier, we were able to pray for the woman and communicate with her, which was a miracle. Mid-day and peanut butter sandwiches later, all of our groups set out again for afternoon activities. The men in baseball have yet to officially play against the Dominicans to see which team is "better", however, there was a race that went on yesterday between a very fast Dominican whom had tried out for the Olympics, Greg Hunter, and Steve (Esteban) Runnels. The results were as follows: The Dominican was 1st, followed by Greg in 2nd, and Steve in a not so close 3rd. Details typed were told to me, especially about the 3rd place winner. Another busy day in our children's time proved to show a common theme- YOU CAN NEVER HAVE ENOUGH CRAFTS! More children and teens participated in basketball, and Mrs. Suzanne kept on drawing!!! As night fell upon the blazing sun, the adults rushed back to the hotel to get ready for the "Couples Banquet". We waved the married couples a hearty "Adios" as they set off for what I was told a good dinner, with many Dominican and married couples in attendance(16 Dominican Couples & 10 American Couples + our translator couple). Thus, the rest of us single and teens set out for the mission house for a lovely dinner on the roof-top and our own share time. More stories are told each night concerning the wonderful works of God that we witness. Giving into our sweet tooths, the "Single and Teen Group" went to get some helado (ice cream) from BON! When we were about to leave BON and I actually could not finish my cone, I had asked A.C. if I could give the rest of my cone to a skinny dog across the street. He said "Oh no, go give it to the boy right over there", thinking he would not want it, I offered the rest of my already licked and dripping cone to a skinny boy with a look in his face that only a sweet treat could fufill. With a nod of the head, he accepted and began to eat the ice cream. I just couldn't imagine what it must be like to just hang around the streets wishing for a good meal or a morsel of a sweet. We are so blessed, I wish I could come close to describing it to you, but I have found that it is a lesson that we must learn on our own from each of our expiriences. Last night we prayed for not only our needs here in Barahona but also that our families are safe and well while we continue to be away. May everyone hopefully have a great week, and thank you for reading. We have more full days ahead of us for Wednesday and Thursday! Special shout out to Mamaw & PaPaw (and friends) reading in Arkansas!
SpAnIsH wOrD oF tHe DaY... el pan- the bread. And... el pelo- the hair.
<3333 sending our love =]

Much more to report! :)

2008-07-14T17:39:00.000-05:00

Well hello again dear friends & family!

While I was in the back seat of the van today with my head sticking out of the window with the wind blowing in my hair, I thought about how much I love this country. Many of our people were able to experience prayer walking this morning. We all continue to learn about the gentle hearts and spirits of the Dominican people and their reaction to the gospel. We are happily welcomed into their homes, and pray with them as much as possible. The pictures in this blog show the true determination and skill of the men in our church who painted this home IN ONE DAY, transforming the plain wood to a hot pink!(The men did not choose the color!). The first day of our baseball & basketball camp went smoothly. Many children and teens participated and our ARBC crew kept the tempo despite the heat and little water. The soon to be famous Dominican artist Suzanne Berry was dropped off in the park to draw caricatures of the children and adults... and was almost forgotten until a van was sent to pick her back up! One of the joys of being on this trip has been the unification that we see in our church group and the bonding that takes place. Funny Story: A random stop by the police while Bill was driving led to the police wanting to get a closer look at Steve Runnels (apparently he resembles a WANTED Haitian!). Ah, many a good laugh has been shared as we grow closer to each other and the Lord. Good news- more translators arrived today! We rejoice in other peoples' ability to speak Spanish against our broken spanish/texan lingo. "Its Como te llamas", not "Kooomow Tea Ya-masss"! I try my best to get a report from each team, but be sure to ask more members when we return how their experiences were. New news- The "buisnessman group" from our church(A.C. Blair, Warren Matlock, Andy Bunn & Jim Clark) are going to make breakfast for the firemen tomorrow. Tomorrow night all of the married couples in our group are attending a couples banquet with members of Pastor Franklin's church, and we shall continue all of our activities/camps with the community to witness. I also hope to get the chance to ride on the back of the motorcycle through Barahona again! (Gina Runnles & I were offered a ride, who would resist ;] ). Many blessings are received and prayers are answered each day even when we are unsure of how God will provide, he has yet to prove otherwise. We serve a mighty God who calls us ALL to missions. May everyone be able to be an ambassador of Christ everywhere. We learned in our devotional today some tales of the martyrs and their compelling faith to follow Christ to the death. May we pray for the boldness to do so! For those of you reading this, I encourage you to stop. Look at your car, look at the food on your table, look at your full belly, look at your home- then look inside your heart. If Christ is not in the center, all you have is lost. The people of the Dominican Republic do not have much by our standards, without our salvation we all are empty handed.

*Our group sent a note in a bottle to you in hopes that it reaches Texas.... Not really but we do love and miss you all!!! =]

Alright folks, here it is, the moment you have all been waiting for... The Spanish phrase of the day- Me gusta comida (I like food)..... Might I add that the food here is muy bueno (very good), me gusta mucho pollo (I like chicken very much, this is also a free lunch invitation ;]!)

<3>

2008-07-13T20:15:00.000-05:00

Hello Again Amigos & Amigas!
Well I come to you now around 9 in la noche (night) to report about our LONG but as always, fruit full day! Arising before 7 once again for our group devotional, followed by breakfast we prepare to experience a new day in the humid and hot land of Dominican Republic. We were blessed the night before to have an awesome "share time" on the roof-top of the mission house, already hearing stories of lives changed after only being here a few days, God is at work. Hearing testimonies of our members that are so passionate about the cause to love and share, seeing men weep as they speak, WOW! So, this morning we went to la playa (the beach) to attend a baptismal service in the ocean with pastor Franklin and members of his church as well as a member of our church, Wanda who although had accepted Christ long ago had never been immersed. We were blessed to be exposed to such real submission from the Lord's people and to also witness a cool scene. After a scrumptious lunch at the Mission House we drove out to attend a church service on a hill where many blind people live. We were entertained by a young boy that loved to play his guitar for us along side Andy at the services for the blind. He was very cute! (pictured above). We were able to communicate with the blind through music and a service, a humbling experience. Shortly after we arrive to a concrete spot in a nearby neighborhood to attend worship with Franklin's church members. Might I add that for all of the sermons we have a translator and both pastor Bill & pastor Franklin speak. We were overjoyed at the number of people that we were able to worship with. Many children also attended this event and we worked very earnestly to see that every child made a craft and invited them to our daily camps starting on Monday. I was very surprised to see our "tough" teenage boys speaking Spanish to the children and throwing them on their laps and backs as they loved on these kids, a perfect demonstration of God's love. Dusty, tired, yet ever joyful- I have yet to see a broken spirit or poor attitude. We are genuinely excited to be here and share our joy in Christ with these people. Seeing the smile on a young boy's face while he is selling peanuts at a gas station. The pure smile on his face when you give him a piece of candy is indescribable. Moments like these, connecting in ways that only love can explain, show us our purpose. Praise the Lord for our translators that continue to come in- Oh how we need them! Pray for us as we begin our sports camps, women's Bible study, construction/prayer walk team/children's groups, and Suzanne as she draws pictures in the park - PRAY that we make a difference and that the glory is given to God. The book of Acts tells us that the Holy Spirit is alive and working, praise the Lord again for that!
Spanish game of the day..... Gato, Gato, Perro! (Cat, Cat, Dog) because we did not know the correct spanish translation for duck, duck, goose! =]
Until I type again, this is Kristen Ashburn typing from Barahona, Dominican Republic.
Much Love to all, and we pray that you receive more sleep than we do!!
<3.

2008-07-12T16:11:00.000-05:00

Warm Greetings from Barahona!!!
After picking up the rest of our crew from the airport in Santo Domingo yesterday, we loaded up in our vans and headed off for our destination of Barahona. Attempting to drive in the crazy streets of Santo Domingo SAFELY was quite an adventure! With no true rules of driving or authority enforcing it, a 2 lane road was quickly made four as you watched a family of 5 speed by together all sitting on one motorcyle-needless to say, our rookies were a bit shocked! Hours later our tired but eager crew arrived at our lovely hotel and the collective gasp of feeling some air condition set in. A long night turned into a short few hours of sleep before we were up and at our group bible study this morning at 7 a.m.! Breakfast here, a few rules there, and we are off for a full day of medical clinic. We drove to a nearby school to set up a free medical clinic for families to come and receive check ups and medication. We provided activites for the many children that came, as well as crafts for the women, and basketball for any of the boys. Most of the men from our church went "prayer walking" in the neighboring area. Prayer walking consits of going home to home and praying for families and their needs- a witness tool to the community and simple acts of service. The heat and humidity pressed on as we all were filled with the joy of working with all of the Domincan people, especially the children and their sweet faces! After 7-8 hours of the clinic we packed up and returned to the hotel. Tomorrow we will attend numerous worship services and continue to work with pastor Franklin and his church, as well as the community. I know that God has already begun the work in my heart as well as others as we strive to grow closer to him through expiriencing the work in the Dominican Republic as well as being united with other people around the globe that need him so desperately. It is nearly impossible not to count your blessings while passing a tin roofed shack, or seeing children with no food and clothing. Although not all of us may speak Spanish, God gives us the chance to speak through Love. Enjoy the pictures! Please continue to pray for us! Until I type again- Kristen Ashburn.
Spanish Vocab word of the day... el mundo- the world.

2008-07-11T08:59:00.000-05:00

Greetings from Quality Hotel in Santo Domingo!

Having arrived late last night the group pictured above (Mike & Sandi Whisenant, A.C. Blair, Sarah Moore, and The Ashburn Crew) staggered in from a mostly pleasant plane flight from Puerto Rico. With all of our luggage present, despite one lost bag that managed to get to New Jersey, we made it safely- with God always present. We got to experience an awesome situation at the airport in Dallas when clearly some of our luggage was over the 50 Ib limit- but through God and his will to let us take everything we needed despite the weight limits, our helpful attendant Maureen allowed us to bring our overweight bags when we explained to her why we were on our trip and what we would be doing with our supplies. Backtrack to right now, around 10 A.M. here, soon to pick up the rest of our ARBC people at the airport before we embark on what I am sure to be an interesting 3 hour van ride to Barahona!! How will people know we are all from ARBC??-Why our lovely lime green shirts of course! :) Continue to please pray for us and all that God has planned for us, for lives to be changed, for our hearts to be ready to serve, and always- for the glory to go to God. Tomorrow we will minister through a medical clinic and prayer walking. Until I type again, this is Kristen Ashburn reporting from Dominican Republic. Your spanish phrase of the day is... " Me encanta tus zapatos" a.k.a. = I love your shoes.

<3>

The Lord is Providing...

2008-07-08T20:40:00.000-05:00

"Isn't He Wonderful, Wonderful, Wonderful. Isn't Jesus My Lord Wonderful." The words of this song remind me that all the worrying and fretting we've done over how we're going to do this or that on the mission trip is just our lack of faith in God's Wonderful Care for us as we get ready to do the work he's called us to do in the Dominican Republic. As I was going over the schedule today and making some additions and corrections, so that the team would be fully informed, I thought about just writing "Go With God" on every day. Yes, we want to be prepared as much as we can be and have all the supplies we think we might need, but I personally may not be relying on God as much as I should and maybe I should just...Go With God.

This week God has provided a woman to cook our meals and a nice, cool, relaxing place for us to eat. He has provided policemen to help us control the crowd at the medical clinic (that must mean they are expecting a wonderfully large crowd of people seeking the free medical care we will be providing). He's provided us doctors and dentists to see patients and a NEW SCHOOL building to have the clinic rather than the hot tent we were expecting to be in. He's provided several homes for our construction team to paint and repair. He's opening the hearts of the firemen that will eat the breakfast we cook for them and opening their ears to hear the gospel. Twenty-eight couples are anticipating a "night-out" and will hear how God can help them with their marriages. The Youth Rally will draw teens from the neighborhood to have fun and hear the Word preached. When Suzanne sets up in the park to do caricatures, many will surround her and she will begin again to draw beautiful caricatures that the people love. The clothing we've made to distribute to the young children will bring smiles as they model their new clothes. The children and ladies we met last year are anticipating our return and telling their friends about the upcoming activities. Boys are looking forward to playing baseball and basketball with the "Americans," and kids we met last year will be flashing their infectious smiles at us and giving us great big hugs because they are so happy we returned. Our Dominican family continues to grow and grow because of our Wonderful Lord who allows us the opportunity to return.

We have one specific prayer request at this time...translators, pray that God will provide us with more translators so that we can communicate better with the Dominicans.

Check back in a few days so we can share with you the wonderful things he is doing in Barahona, Dominican Republic.

Yes, God is Wonderful!
Sandi

Helmets & Gloves & Bats & Balls Oh My!

2008-06-19T21:33:00.000-05:00

Thanks to our generous Arapaho Road Baptist Church members, Patrick Crank's Eagle Project, and a coach at Plano East High School we have an abundance of baseball equipment to take to the Dominican Republic for our Baseball Camp and to give to the participants in our camp.

We’ve sorted and packed the many donations and it’s amazing how God multiplied the space in our luggage and provided other shipping resources.

Thank you for your generous donations!

2008-06-13T22:26:00.000-05:00

We have received SO many donations from so many SPECIAL people. We may be the feet for this mission trip, but YOU are the HEART. Your generosity overwhelms us.

Look at the cute dresses that have been sewn by YOU! The little girls there are going to be so proud of their new dress. You've also sewn shorts for the boys...and donated new underwear and T-shirts.

We also have lots of sports equipment, medical supplies, craft supplies, and so much more. Sunday night we're sorting through the donations and packing them into luggage to take as our second piece of luggage. We'll update this blog with more information on our donations after Sunday...stay tuned!

Craft Supplies Needed

2008-04-07T09:52:00.000-05:00

Pat Hill and Lynn Hagin will be doing a craft with ladies and need the following items:

Sample or Hotel size bar soaps
Plastic Nail brushes
Paint pens for painting the nail brushes

Please give your donations to Pat Hill, Lynn Hagin, or the church office (label Pat Hill).

Thanks!

Medical & Dental Supplies Needed

2008-04-04T15:39:00.000-05:00

Arapaho Road Baptist Church in Garland, Texas is excited about its 2nd mission trip to Barahona, Dominican Republic, July 11-19th. Over 40 people will on the team this year. We will be doing a medical clinic, basketball clinic, baseball clinic, ladies' afternoon Bible studies & activities, and children's Bible studies & activities.

MEDICAL & DENTAL SUPPLIES NEEDED

Dr. Chanoc Mieses of the Central Baptist Church in Santo Domingo is organizing the medical clinic (called an operativo en Spanish) for Saturday, July 12th, in Barahona.

He has commitments from 3 physicians and possibly a 4th. This group includes a cardiologist, one or two pediatricians, and one general practicioner. They will be doing ear tests, eye tests, gynecological tests, gastroenterological tests, pediatric tests, and general tests.

He also has commitments from 2 dentists. All will be volunteering their time.

Do you know of anyone who can help supply these medical and dental supplies? If so, they can be brought to the church at 2256 Arapaho Road, Garland, Texas, or you may contact us at barahona@arbcgarland.com . If you need a letter from our church stating how your donations will be used, please contact us by email or ask the church for a letter when the items are delivered.

Dental Supplies:

Toothbrushes and small tubes of toothpaste to give away
Gauze pads
Over-the-counter pain relievers, such as Advil (not aspirin)

Medical Supplies:

Antibiotics, such as Ampicilin
(Anti) Parasite Medications
Decongestants/antihistamines, medications for flu and cold relief
Vitamins for the elderly and children
Creams for dermatitis, Neosporin, alcohol, hydrogen peroxide
Medications for vaginal infectionsSupplies (throw away) to be used by the physicians doing the exams such as: adhesive bandages, tongue depressors, rubber gloves, gauze, cotton balls, and cotton swabs

Thank you for your support,
Barahona Mission Trip Team