The devotional time transitioned into a time of ministering to the couples by emphasizing the need for God to be at the center of the relationship, and as they each are obedient to the Lord, they will draw closer to each other.  Noe expressed a need for ministering to other Dominican couples as well … so we are pondering this for next year’s trip.

Anyoly & Noe:

Miosotti & Russell (they are expecting their first child in about a month):

We had lunch during an amazing downpour of rain that continued through the early afternoon.  We actully waded through the diningroom… well it was ankle deep in some spots. 

 After lunch some of us rested and others played outside, since the rain stopped.

We had a nice dinner with fellowship as Noe & Anyoly and then Russell & Miosotti each shared their testimonies and how each couple met.  This was such a special evening for us all.

Throughout our stay we have been up early in the morning and staying up late to absorb as much as possible in our short time here.  Dominican coffee has become our mainstay to help with the late nights and early mornings.

This evening the Time staff had a banquet for us where there were special decorations and an abundance of several delicious food options. 

Anyoly sang a beautiful song for us in Spanish.

The youth performed an interpretive dance.  

The Packards performed a Swing dance number.

During the sharing time we each spoke of what was on our heart and how the Lord used this week in our lives.  These times of sharing have become precious to us as we become closer brothers and sisters in Christ. 

Pastor Alberto and Lilian invited us for lunch as a token of gratitude for the building of their chapel.  They shared how they each came to know the Lord as well as how they met (Noe translated).

Their specific prayer requests are for: a job for Pastor Alberto, for the church reaching the community, for good health as there will be four services each week and for the lot to be sold to them, as they are currently renting the lot.

This is an updated picture of the Time Center!  Much work has been done since our visit last year.

This is the chapel site before being cleared.

The chapel pieces enroute to the site…

Pastor Alberto and his wife Lilian on the cleared lot where the foundation has been prepared.

And the building begins…

Praise the Lord for providing everything that we needed to build His chapel… special thanks to all those who supported this mission with their generous gifts and prayers.

The chapel is completed and the keys are transferred to the Pastor for his use.

In the evening we showed the Jesus Film for children and the response was overwhelming. 

This was the initial group that were waiting for the gates to open… but then they kept pouring in.  We estimate 80-100 people (children, men and women) stayed to watched…

After dinner we blindfolded the men so they would not know where we were going since it was a familiar house.

The house, also known as Ocho Bay, was transformed into a romantic hideaway, with dessert, romantic music, dancing, and decorations to create ambiance.  The desserts included a chocolate swamp, that was supposed to be a chocolate fountain…. but was loved by all anyway!  The atmosphere was perfect with the soft music and lighting.

This afternoon we went to the beach for a couple hours.  It was raining when we got there… but then blue skies followed and some played in the water (great waves) and some rested. 

Tonight we are having a date night, planned by the ladies (since the men planned date night last year).  We can share no details of the evening yet… since it is a surprise for our husbands.  Noe and Anyoly & Russell and Miosotti will be joining us as well.

 Saturday will begin very early for us… as we must begin loading the chapel pieces at 5:15am.  The day will be spent erecting the chapel!  Please pray for dry weather for us tomorrow, to allow for a smooth building process.

 We thank God for His timing, His faithfullness, and for allowing us to be a part of what God is doing in the Dominican Republic.

This afternoon we met Pastor Alberto and visited the chapel site.   The chapel site is located in a busy part of town.  Businesses and homes surround the area and we saw many children in this area. 

 Pastor Alberto took us to visit two women in his congregation… a 120 year old women and her 83 year old daughter.  We will spend more time with Pastor Alberto on Saturday and Sunday.

We will assemble the windows tomorrow, and then assemble the chapel on Saturday!

 At each house we shared a verse of scripture and prayed with them (as Russell translated), and then we handed out toothpaste, toothbrushes, and Tootsie Roll pops.  Several people invited us into their homes and everyone was genuinely excited to have us there. 

… and the kids followed us everywhere.