Hope Here Missions

"Renewal of the Mind"

2012-01-05T11:36:00.000-08:00

"Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of the mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." Romans 12:2

"For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them." Romans 12:3-6

The remainder of the team arrived safely home last night. This morning we received word that the Dominican Republic had a 5.3 magnitude earthquake. The reports are that no significant damage occurred. This struck us this morning as we began to see all of the faces that we have met over the last week. Please be in prayer for the people of the Dominican Republic as they try to understand the significance of this event. We pray that they will see the brevity of life and really begin to think of where they will spend eternity. Please pray that decisions will be made to serve and put their trust in the Lord.

The verses above serve as a reminder of what the Lord did in each of our lives during this trip. The team was comprised of people from Mexico, Alabama, the Dominican Republic, and Virginia. Each of us came with expectations, fears, and open hearts. Our group was comprised of locals, teenagers, moms, dads, and young married couples. We had many differences, but what the Lord did in each of our lives was the same. He RENEWED us. He took our hearts and renewed our hope in Him. He took our fears when sharing the gospel with a stranger, and He showed us the "peace that surpasses all understanding." He took us to the broken, and He showed us how to love them through His love for us. "Those who look to Him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed." Psalm 34:5 He showed us how to encourage them by just looking at them through His eyes. He renewed our hope in Him because He met us in our needs. He showed His love for us by showing us that He is always there.

He also renewed us by showing us the ways in which He works so wonderfully. Each person on our team shared a divine encounter with someone from the Dominican Republic. He connected our hearts with specific people where we could minister to them. On our first day in Santa Rosa, this precious little boy ran immediately to Justin and into his arms. Each day, he would burst with excitement as Justin picked him up, held him, and held his hand. During our last day in Santa Rosa, he spoke one sentence to Justin. When Justin asked Tony, our wonderful leader, for the translation, he replied, "He said he wants to go with you." During Justin's last trip to the DR, he began a connection with a little boy named Leonard. It turned out that Leonard was this precious little boy's brother. The Lord connects our hearts with specific people, specific families because He has a purpose. I share this wonderful story because the Lord is so amazing in the work that He does. He renewed our hearts to see the everyday blessings that He has for us. He places people, opportunities, and blessings in our lives where we will be renewed by the power that He is within us and around us. I pray that the Lord will open our eyes to everyday activities that He is orchestrating around us. Help us to see every blessing so that we can bring glory to God. May we share our miraculous stories with those who need to know the intimate love that the Father has for us. He is blessing you with your own God story now, will you share it with others?

I shared the 2nd set of verses in Romans for a specific reason. Often people believe that they have no gifts or skills that will be useful for a mission trip. I believe that all that is needed is a willing heart. The Lord simply needs people to say yes to go and share His Good News. Maybe you are a mother, the Lord can use your nurturing spirit to minister to mothers and to their children. If you are a farmer, you could be useful in educating people in growing and sustaining their village through farming. People are needed to teach women and men how to study the Bible. Everyone's hands are useful in hugging a child, creating a craft, packing a hygiene bag, or wiping a tear. The Lord has given us all gifts that should be used. The Lord is waiting for you to share His Story with the nations. Please pray for how the Lord can use you and just say yes. As you do this, you will find the Lord add to your collection of God stories, and you will see that trusting in the Lord never leads to disappointment.

Thank you for sharing this journey with us. It has been a privilege to pray and believe with others who are reading this blog. May your lives be continually renewed by the great works of the Lord. God bless you!

We also ask that you will continue to pray for the Missionaries and Translators that are continually working to bring others to Christ in the DR. Please pray for Tony Encarnacion, our leader and translator, who has laid down His life to serve the people of the Dominican Republic. Please pray that the Lord will continue to give him strength as he shares the Gospel. Please also pray for the young men and women serving as translators to bring the Gospel to the people of the Dominican Republic. They are our brothers and sisters in Christ, and we are so thankful for the work that the Lord is doing in their lives. Please join us in praying for: Jochy, Osiris, Wilfredo, Richard, and Allison. May they continue to do the work that the Lord has planned for them.

Thank you all for your prayers.

Come to Jesus

2012-01-02T05:00:00.000-08:00

There is a song that Chris Rice sings called, "Come to Jesus". The song begins by saying, "Weak and wounded sinner, Lost and left to die, raise your head for love is passing by, so Come to Jesus, Come to Jesus, Come to Jesus and live." After this, he goes on to describe the different seasons of life. I share this song with you because it highlights one of the most important things that we have learned this week. We must meet people's spiritual needs before we meet their physical or emotional needs. As we saw the people of Santa Rosa, our hearts became broken over their current situations. We began to hear the stories of children who have lost their parents. We saw holes in roofs with plastic hanging over a bed for protection. When you are met with these conditions, our first response may be to meet their physical needs. Before we do this, we must take them to the One who has given us life. They must know the One who gives us hope, peace, and joy. Then, they can receive the peace that God will provide for them. In Matthew 6, Jesus says, "Your father knows what you need before you ask Him." Matthew 6:8. Our Father knows their needs, but they need to be filled with His presence in their life before placing value in things.

Our conditions in the United States are quite different. We have our needs met, and we also have many of our wants. Because we do have food, shelter, and clothing, our needs seem to be more emotional. We need to speak with friends about our lives. Just as we should take the people of the Dominican Republic to Jesus, we must also take our friends and family to Jesus first. We should let them see that a life in Jesus is better than anything that this world can offer.

Our lives have changed drastically since we left. Each person on our team learned so much about each other and the people of the Dominican Republic. I am so thankful for the blessings that I have received from them. Each person's life was changed this week. We have grown more boldness in sharing; we have developed a deeper heart for those who are in need. We have grown so much closer to the Lord. One of the greatest things that we have seen this week is that when we step out on faith to go, the Lord WILL provide. We encourage you all to go; we want you all to meet and grow with the Lord. Please begin to pray for a trip, a place, a date. Then, step out on faith, and go. In this life, you will never be disappointed when you place your fears, your vulnerabilities, and your future in the Lord's hands. He is the I AM, and he will provide. Will you go and let Him transform your life?

We Saw So Many Wonderful Things Today!

2011-12-30T20:52:00.000-08:00

A Short-term missionary says, "You just wouldn't believe the terrible things that I saw. It was horrible. They don't have anything. How could anyone live in that?"
Others say, "I just couldn't live like that. I can't imagine seeing that."
Others say, "We are so blessed and take it for granted."

All of these statments are true in some sense, but the truth is that they are only speaking of one part of our/their life. But this is only the eyes of the flesh and we should know that this is the least important part of our lives- the flesh. The spiritual life of a person is the one that will last into eternity. Amazingly many here have a very deep love relationship with Jesus Christ. The lack of material wealth and prosperity does not stop God. Actually He thrives here. Matthew 11:25-26 tells us, "At that time Jesus answered and said, "I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes. Even so, Father, so it seemed good in Your sight..."

There were so many things we saw, heard, and experienced that are truly wonderful. Trying to list all of them would be like trying to name the character of Jesus with one word. It cannot be done. The reason this is true of today is because Jesus Himself was working with us today! One amazing event was seen tonight as we were leaving Santa Rosa. Rob shared with our team, children, parents, and others from Santa Rosa about the True Vine. Once he was finished many prayed for us individually and then the most amazing event took place. The children and others prayed for us all at one time, out loud, on the dirt road next to the bus. The Spirit of the Lord met with us with such an awe that I only hope that God will bless me with again during my lifetime. This group of children and others are a mixed group of Dominicans and Haitians. In this culture these two groups mix almost as well as oil and water. What an amazing experience to have these two groups come together, in the name and love of their Savior Jesus, and pray for our wellbeing. We thought we were coming to help and change their lives, but they have changed ours. How humbling. Thank you God for choosing the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty (1 Corinthians 1:27).

The flesh is very important and we should recognize that if we are followers of Christ then we will help our brothers and sisters who are in need. This is not something that "is good to do". It is commanded of us as Christians. Matthew 22:37-40 Jesus said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it You shall love your neighbor as yourself, On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets." If your son or daughter was hungry would you not feed them? God calls us to love all people as people who were made in His image. The word love here is not superficial it has feeling, emotions and actions which will follow.

The fact is that we have been blessed, and yes we do take many things for granted, but that should not be the end of our statment or our actions. God gave us His word and experiences in life in order to learn, love,and ultimately glorify Him. The love that we have for God for saving us will drive us to work. As David Platt stated in the book Radical, "The same God who saved us from work, saved us to work."

We must also be humbled before the Lord. In Mark 2:1-12 we have the story of Jesus forgiving and healing the paralytic. The men who carried the paralytic to Jesus show much faith by believing in Him enough to carry this "dirty" man straight to Him and then when met with resistance found another way to get him to the Healer. Just as these men carried him to Jesus with opposition, it is our responsibility to be the men and women to carry others to Jesus. Then they lowered the paralytic (humbled him and the men who brought him) so that he could encounter that wonderful experience with Jesus. Mark 2:12 says, "Immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went out in the presence of them all, so that all were amazed and glorified God, saying, "We never saw aanything like this! We can truly say we have never seen anything like this!

Are you allowing your life to be humbled by God? This trip has been humbling for us. What is God calling you to do?
It is our responsiblility to be the men and women to carry these to Jesus.

The Familly of God

2011-12-29T20:43:00.000-08:00

"Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind." 1 Peter 3:8

Praise the Lord! We are so thankful tonight for the faithfulness of our Father. Each day, we begin the day with a devotional. Charlie reminded us today of the brevity of life on this earth. As we ventured out into the streets of Bayona, this devotional focused our eyes even more on the importance of sharing the Gospel with the people we encountered. During the morning, each team visited the homes of residents in the community. The people of the Dominican are very hospitable. They will invite you into their homes instantly. They want you to feel that their home is your home. It is wonderful to see them open their homes so freely. Our visits went very well today. Many lives are being ministered to, encouraged, and lifted up in prayer. The people here have shared with us their tragedies, their personal testimonies, and their constant struggles. We have shared with them the plans that the Lord desires for them to have. Many have come to know Christ, and many are softening their hearts to learn more about the plan of salvation. We praise God for how He has orchestrated these meetings and has softened hearts. Please continue to pray with us that more will come to know Christ in this area.

This afternoon, we held Bible Studies for men, women, and children. We were beyond blessed with the herd of children coming to join us. We were also so excited to see so many women and men come to hear the word of God. In the men and women's studies, they were able to share with others their stories. Many of their stories include death, alcohol addiction, and poverty. As these men and women shared their lives, we were able to share with them the hope that comes from a relationship with Christ. These men and women needed to know that we share their concerns with them because we love them. This was a wonderful way to encourage them. We were also blessed as 100 children came to learn songs about Jesus and the creation story. The children completed crafts and got to play with yoyos and bubbles. It was such a blessing to see them sing about being in the Lord's army. It was such a pleasure to serve the children today and minister to them. Many of them need guidance, acceptance, and love.

Please pray for men in the community and fathers to accept the responsibility of leading their homes and being a role model. Please also pray for how you might be able to influence these children. It has been a day of praising the mighty work of the Lord.

Jesus: A Restorer of the Broken

2011-12-28T19:29:00.000-08:00

Praise the Lord! We have had a wonderful day meeting the people of Bayona and Santa Rosa. This morning we spent time prayer walking in the city of Bayona. We were also able to speak and share with people about their lives. The people here are very oppressed; they need encouragement and to know the hope that comes from serving the Lord. One of the greatest things that we can do is build relationships with these people. We want them to see the love, concern, and prayers that we will be lifting up for them. Please pray with us that the people of Bayona will be restored. Please believe with us that they will know that they have a Savior that does sympathize with their weaknesses. We will be going out in the morning to minister to these people again. We will also have small group bible studies in the afternoon.

Today, in the afternoon, we visited the community of Santa Rosa. It was very humbling as we drove in to see the living conditions of these precious people. They live in houses made of scrap materials, and the children are clothed in whatever can be found. Many of the children that we met today were barefoot. All of these things sound very sad, and it is heartbreaking to see the possessions that we have that are simply excess. The Lord has truly blessed us with possessions. However, as we stepped off the bus, we were met with the open arms of children who we had never met, yet they were overjoyed that we were there. A community may be in shambles, a life may seem to be falling apart, but God is still in the midst. The smiles and affection that we were met with today was love, precious love that comes only from our Father in Heaven. As I exited the bus today, I was met with open arms from a little boy named, Joswe'. As I embraced that little boy, I felt the love of Jesus surround us. The Lord wants us to welcome those who are His with open arms. There are so many adults and children who need to know the love of Christ. They need to know for their lives, not just for the hours that we are with them. Please join us in praying for the sweet people of Santa Rosa. They do not have material possessions, but they have the ability to be loved by other believers and by the Lord.

Please pray that the women of Santa Rosa will feel loved. Please help the children to feel love from the Lord through us. Please also pray for how you can join us in prayer, monetary contribution, or by going. Today we met over 100 children who are without things that we consider necessities. Please know that there are hundreds more who need one person to open their arms or their home to show them love and generosity that is fueled by a desire to serve the Lord. Please pray with us for how we can all share the good news with more precious souls.

"Let All the Peoples Praise You"

2011-12-27T20:52:00.000-08:00

"Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you." Psalm 67:3

We made the journey and are now in the Dominican Republic. We are so blessed to have had safe travels, and we are so excited to meet so many people tomorrow. We were able to meet our wonderful translators today. The Lord is continuing to do such amazing things in all of their lives. Two of our translators are in their mid-twenties, and it is so exciting to see how strong their walk with the Lord is. It is so wonderful to see men equipping younger men in how to serve the Lord. We were met excitedly by our translators in the airport, and then we got off to a running start as our van had to be pushed to start. God is always faithful (even in the small things.) We are excited for tomorrow as we begin by making house visits in a local village. Please be in prayer that we will form connections with the people. Please let them look past our differences and see the love that the Lord wants to lavish upon them. Please pray for these people as their living conditions are very different than ours. Please pray that the Lord can give them unexplainable joy in the midst of suffering and sadness. We also ask that you pray with us as we serve the people of Santa Rosa Christmas dinner tomorrow. Please pray that the words that Justin speaks will move just one heart, just one life. We thank you for your prayers, and we pray that your heart may also be moved right where you are. May we realize each day that there are millions across the world that need the peace, hope, joy, and love that only Christ can give. Thank you so much for your support.

"Let the whole earth sing to the Lord! Each day proclaim the good news that He saves." 1 Chronicles 16:23

His Heart. His Hands., Dominican Republic, December 27, 2011

2011-12-26T16:17:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow, a new group of brothers and sisters will leave to see their lives changed forever. We are leaving behind our families, our friends, and our lives to see others lives be changed by the joy that comes from knowing Jesus Christ. We represent several age groups and life experiences, but what we all have in common is that we love the Lord. We want His name to be glorified in ALL the earth. Our team members include: Jeff Johnston, Alison Crino, Cammie Abercrombie, Justin Abercrombie, Monty Carter, Riley Dugger, Zach Dugger, Emily Lewis, Judd Lewis, Tonia Lewis, Charlie Sanders, and Christy Sanders. We will depart tomorrow from Atlanta at 11:00 est time. Please begin to pray for safe travels as the team begins their journey to the Dominican. We also ask that you begin to pray with us for the following:

Please pray for safety in traveling to and from the Dominican Republic and throughout the different villages daily.
Please pray for unity among the team members. Please pray that we will grow in love for one another as we minister to each other and to the people of the Dominican Republic.
Please pray for the translators, families, and servants that are already working in the Dominican Republic to lead others to Christ. Please pray that they will be refreshed and encouraged through our visit.
Please pray for the people of the Dominican Republic. Please pray that the Lord will give us favor in speaking and sharing with them. Please pray for softened hearts, for open doors, and for relationships to be established through Christ's love. Please pray that the Lord will give us the words to say to those who are unbelievers. Please believe with us that there are those who are being equipped to lead these people in becoming followers of Christ.

We thank you so much for sharing this journey with us. We believe in the power of prayers coming together for the Dominican Republic. We praise our Creator for giving us this opportunity, and we pray for the communities back home who will be changed by this trip. Thank you for believing that "nothing is impossible with God." Luke 1:37

Eph 3:20-21 (The Living Bible)
"Now glory be to God, who by his mighty power at work within us is able to do far more than we would ever dare to ask or even dream of - infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, or hopes. 21 May he be given glory forever and ever through endless ages because of his master plan of salvation for the Church through Jesus Christ."