Dear Family and Friends. Please take some time to pray for the people of the Dominican Republic and Haiti. Tropical Storm Olga has done quite a bit of damage. We spoke with some friends in Santiago today and they said they've never seen that much water before. One friend said, "there are people on top of their houses and in trees trying to survive". So as you look at the images below, please be intentional about praying for their safety and health. Thank you.

Merry Christmas!! As always, at this time of year, we are anxious to say a big THANK YOU to all of you who support us through your prayers, words of encouragement and finances. The ministry is moving forward in every direction and God is hard at work on the island of Hispaniola. During this time, we ask that you continue to keep the Dominicans and Haitians in your prayers as some have suffered from the storms that have passed through while others are searching for some small way to celebrate this Christmas season.

We are still in the States visiting with family and friends and moving forward on our ongoing fundraising journey. As of now, we are still $14,000 short of our 2007 budget. God has provided every step of the way and there's no doubt that He's going to continue to use His faithful givers to keep us strong on this narrow road. We are so grateful for what you do for this Ministry and we're really excited to see how God is going to continue to use ALL of us to further His Kingdom.

We wanted to capture some Christmas cheer in the faces of the Dominican children, so please enjoy the photos of kids from The Hole (Hoyo de Bartola) and La Mosca (Santa Lucia).

LOVE,
<><
Will and Audrey

FELIZ NAVIDAD!!

"Aqui Estoy. Enviame a mi."

Isaias 6:8

I want to introduce you to the 20 men from Santiago who felt the urge to go and serve in an area of their country where most Dominicans wouldn't choose to visit. This place is called Batey 9. In the southwestern part of the island, there are miles and miles of sugar cane fields. Within these fields are the communities known as the Bateys. There are 14 Bateys and they are mostly made up of Haitians who work in the sugar cane fields. These men, women and children are paid just enough to buy food to keep them energized for another day's work. Again, there is no reason to visit unless you have family living there.

G.O. Ministries has partnered with Pastor William Decena to bring The Word to a place where there isn't much hope. Because of the faithfulness to God and the testimony of Pastor William, Batey 9 is home to one of our ministry hubs. There we have a church, feeding center and dormitory to house short term mission teams. After a long summer filled with work for William and his family, we decided to take a group of young men from Santiago to do sports clinics for the kids of Batey 9 with the hope of encouraging the church. When we started planning this trip, our idea was to take Pedro (basketball ministry), Jose Luis (baseball ministry) and Romano (soccer ministry) in order to perform the best clinics possible. That's where our plans stopped and our pea-size faith was put to shame. As people started hearing about the trip, they came to me and asked if they could go and serve as well. I was floored. By the time the word had spread, there were 20 names on a list. I couldn't figure out why these guys would want to ask off work, leave their families and go somewhere knowing they wouldn't get paid and they'd be out of their comfort zone. Then I realized the effect that so many groups from the U.S. have had on these guys over a number of years. They've seen God send out His servants and they wanted to be sent out as well. It's working!

When we arrived in the Bateys, the mission team from Santiago was in a little bit of shock. Many questions were asked about why these people would want to live in a place like this rather than in a city like Santiago. The fathers in the group wore heavy hearts as they saw children running around with absolutely nothing to wear or nothing to eat. This was huge!!! As many of you know, Haiti and the Dominican Republic, although share the same island, don't get along. There is a strong dislike for one another that started many years ago. It's rare to see a Dominican respect a Haitian worker. These men didn't only come to respect the Haitian community in Batey 9, they came to SERVE them.

During the week, we did a basketball, baseball and soccer clinic and fed the kids of this community. In the evenings we played basketball and softball games against the adults. At night, before going to sleep, we challenged the men from Santiago to become true men of God in their homes, with their friends and in the streets. We also made sure there was time to hang out and goof off. We learned real fast that lockerroom talk/behavior doesn't change from country to country. The week was amazing! Watching these guys love on the Haitian kids was incredible. Please pray for them as we continue moving forward through Bible studies and other service projects. Here are their names:
Jose Luis, Pedro, Romano, Isaias, Kerlyn, Chaguito, Joel, Endry, Gabriel, Jon, Neno, Poton, Patico, Angelito, Alan, Wisaro, Simon, and Alex.
I know they would love your prayers.

As all of you know, a group of men can't make it a week without some sort of support from women somewhere, so we were smart enough to bring Audrey, Jackie and 3 women from our kitchen staff. The kitchen crew fed us and Audrey and Jackie encouraged us through taking pictures and putting together a video for the guys to enjoy. If you want to see this video, please click on the you tube link here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ANW2yU0k3cI

Other info:
With 3 months left, we still need to raise $20,000 to finish our budget for the end of the year.
We are still praying for the funds to come in for a new sports ministry minibus as well.
Please help us pray for God to provide through His faithful supporters.

We miss you all as usual and can't wait to see many of you over the holidays.

Que Dios les bendiga mucho,

<><
Will and Audrey

Please enjoy pics from the Bateys below

" For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is a gift of God "

Ephesians 2:8

The main objective of G.O. Ministries is to empower the nationals to do ministry in their own country. For a long time now, we've been watching, working and observing to see how this can best be accomplished. In the meantime, we've really enjoyed getting to know everyone that we come in contact with. It wasn't until about 3 weeks ago that we realized there is nothing that we, alone, can do to make disciples of all nations. This took place as we watched two of our dear friends get baptized in the church. Simon is a professional basketball player and Alan grew up in the June basketball camp that we have every year. When they told us they were taking baptism classes with our Pastor, we were so pumped that we wanted to make sure that everything was "perfect" for them. Then it hit us, God has a hold of Alan and Simon and He wants to have His way with them, not our way. Wow, watching God move through two men who are seeking Him is a blessing! In the midst of trying to figure out the "best" way to empower the nationals, God showed us that we just need to have a relationship with them and He'll do the rest. Alan and Simon are now on the payroll doing Sports Outreach to kids and adults in their country. For it was by grace, not by works.

Simon, Alan and Pastor praying after their baptism

Well we have completed Summer '07 and it was a blast. We had the privilege of hosting 19 groups in 10 weeks which led to many ministry opportunities. We are so grateful for all of the people who came down to serve the Dominicans and Haitians and we pray that you will return to grow the relationships that you have established.

Last night, we closed out our 2nd annual summer basketball league. For five weeks, we grew to know 100 kids, 12 teams and 12 volunteer coaches. This year was a mighty blessing as all 12 coaches stepped up and took on the responsibility of coaching 8 or 9 kids. They practiced and led devotions with the kids during the week and competed in games on Saturdays. As you can imagine, as the weeks passed, the intensity grew and the tournament was as exciting as March Madness in the States :) We closed things out last night with the awards ceremony. The kids came dressed in their best as they all received medals, trophies and other gifts. At the end, we recapped the 5 weeks together by showing them a highlight film of the league. They went crazy!

It has been two years now that we have lived down here in the D.R. and we have seen God move in some pretty powerful ways. As we think back to the beginning, it's wild to see how some needs have changed and some have stayed the same. Because the kids are so reachable through sports, we've prayed quite a bit about where to go from here. It's growing, more kids are coming and we are excited about what God is going to do next. This leads us to a few prayer requests. We have explored different areas and found a couple pieces of land that would be great for a sports complex. This would allow amazing opportunities for kids all over the COUNTRY! This would be a huge project, but if we've learned anything since we've been down here, it's that we can't put God in a box. We really feel that He is taking us in this direction. Also, to go along with it, we are still praying for a vehicle to use to drive kids to the leagues, camps and clinics that we have. Also, we have finally put together our traveling men's basketball team.....now it's time to travel to other cities and share the Gospel. Please take some time to help us pray about the doors God is opening down here in the Dominican. We are thrilled to be a part of His ministry here.

Upon request, we have added a new section to our side bar of this blog. Many people have told us that they'll never know what we need unless we ask. So we've decided to add a budget update so everyone who is interested in supporting our ministry can see what is needed. Doors are being opened and we are anxious to see what's on the other side. Thank you all for playing such a huge role in this ministry.

Bendiciones,

<><
Will and Audrey

"No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him -- but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit."

1 Corinthians 2:9-10

After about a 3-month blog draught, we figured it was time to update all of you who have been so faithful and supportive in our ministry. After a successful and re-energizing visit to the States, we began the summer madness of groups, groups and more groups. From June 12 through August 23, we will have 21 groups come down to serve in the Dominican Republic and Haiti through short-term missions. Construction, VBS, Medical, On-going training for pastors, Sports Clinics, Men/Women Conferences....you name it, we are doing it this summer. Like in 1 Corinthians 2; our eyes, ears nor our minds can even fathom what God is going to do through his people this summer, but His Spirit is moving and He is showing us how His plans are much bigger than our 10-week summer plan. Here are just few things that we have experienced so far.

To kick off Summer '07, we had 3 groups come during the same week. One of them is from our home church in Dalton, GA. They came 28 people strong and ready to help construct the church in Hoyo del Bartola and do puppet show ministry with kids in different areas. After moving sand, cement, block and gravel for three days, their hearts were left in the church with Pastor Felix and the community in "the Hole".

Dalton Crew praying for over Pastor Felix and his family

As we've said before, it's such a blessing to see familiar faces here in the D.R. Audrey's mom, dad and brother-in-law were able to make the trip with Dalton. It also allowed us to get to know the new members of one of our home churches. For those who are capable, it's wonderful to have faithful supporters come down and see what God is doing with their prayers and financial gifts. It hasn't changed, He's still hard at work here.

For those of us who are fans of March Madness......this past week we just had our G.O. Ministries/Dominican Republic version of that beautiful time of year. BASKETBALL CAMP 2007. We expanded to 5 courts this year with 200 kids. We've often wondered if there was any room to grow after last year, but we learned not to put God in a box. His Spirit moved and provided another court and 40 more kids. This year was such a smooth transition into bigger and better things for our sports ministry. All of the kids were on time, well-behaved and very responsive to the messages that were being shared through the Americans, Dominicans and Haitians involved in the camp. Audrey, Pedro and I have the privilege of working with these kids year-round and for the first time, we felt what it might be like to be a proud parent. We've been constistantly praying that these kids would learn discipline in their daily lives and we saw signs of it this week. When something seems impossible, God reminds us that He wants it even more than we do.

Every morning of camp we begin with praise and worship and a message from either an American on the trip or a Dominican Pastor. At the end of the week, there is an altar call for those seeking to know more about a relationship with Jesus. Every year, it's amazing to see how many kids are searching. This year, there was something different, something that gave a whole new perspective on short-term missions. This year, when it was time to raise your hand and say, "I want to know YOU more Jesus", one of the American team members raised his hand. As we go on mission trips, we often think we're going to deliver the message in a powerful way to people who are lacking, but some times we forget that God wants to work in our lives while we're serving Him as well. It brought us to our knees as it reminded us that there are broken hearts and lives EVERYWHERE that are in need of a Savior. Praise God for revealing Himself to us through the Holy Spirit.

We could go on and on about the camp in detail, but instead we encourage you to watch the video that one of our staff members made when the week ended. It explains it all through song and pictures. Please enjoy the pictures below and hit the youtube link when you're ready to experience the week. Just click here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wOlP3UZKmTg .

Thank you for sharing in the lives of the Dominicans and Haitians. Expect more updates more often.

In Love with Jesus,

<><

Will and Audrey

"In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in Heaven."

Matthew 5:16

Like it says in Matthew 5, as Believers, we are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden and nobody lights a lamp and puts it somewhere it can't be seen. The lamp is placed on it's stand so that it may give light to everyone in the house. In building churches here in the Dominican Republic and Haiti, God has placed us on land that highlights the place of worship. In communities filled with drugs, crime and darkness, thanks to the partnership of many faithful people, we've had the opportunity to purchase land and build churches so that it will give "light" to everyone in the community.

Two weeks ago St. John United Methodist Church (our home church in Louisville) came down to serve on a short-term mission trip. For a week, they worked on our building in Hato del Yaque and did childrens' ministry in Los Perez. As mentioned before, this building, although unfinished, is already like a city on a hill. The group spent their time on the second floor tying rebar for what will soon be the sanctuary. The view is unbelievable! Not only will the community look from afar and see the beauty of the church, but as they come closer and look inside, there will be children being fed and people worshipping. Please continue to pray for the people of Hato del Yaque and the construction of their church. There will be great light provided for many years.

As the group had rebar-tying competitions and joined in fellowship on top of this church, they provided all of us with the opportunity to praise our Father in Heaven. Through their singing, encouraging words and determination to get the job done, we experienced God together. It was such a blessing to have one of our home churches come down here to join the efforts of the Dominicans, Hatians and Missionaries. You helped us understand Proverbs 27:17, "As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another." Thank you, we have been sharpened.

During the month of March, we hosted an inter-church basketball tournament in honor of a dear friend who passed away last year, Claude LaMaster. Claude was always such a great host and did such a great job of bringing all types of people together to enjoy each other. So in memory of our friend, we thought we'd attempt to do the same thing. We invited 4 teams to play in the tournament and the goal was to fellowship with the churches and people of this area (Hoya del Caimito). The Assembly of God church, Body of Christ church and Baptist church all particpated in the tourney. The fourth team was made up of a bunch of men from the neighborhood who don't attend a church. Our goal was to really become the body of Christ and understand that each one of us is a part of it (as it says in 1 Corinthians 12:27). Each weekend, a Pastor from the respective churches came and spoke to the teams and fans between games. The response was great and the crowd had a blast. The championship game was during the St. John UMC trip (Claude attended this church), so Chris Smith shared some words about Claude and delivered a message about what it means to be a part of the body of Christ. This was the 1st Annual Claude LaMaster Entre-Iglesias Torneo de Baloncesto. We look forward to the years to come and future participation of the rest of the churches in this area. Please remember the LaMaster Family in your prayers.

Next week we will particpate in a G.O. Ministries Celebration of Partnerships. All who work for the Ministry ( over 100 Americans, Haitians and Dominicans) will congregate at a camp in a nearby city called La Vega. This will be a time of encouragement, worship and team building. Just like we mentioned in the last update, this is another awesome provision from God as we'll have three nations at one camp praising what God has done, is doing and will continue to do. Please ask God to do big things during this time together!

We can't believe it, but it's almost time for us to make another visit to the States. We will be arriving on April 24th in Louisville. Like always, much of our time will be spent on the road, so we're looking forward to seeing many of you. The entire G.O. Staff and around 50 other volunteers will be working the Kentucky Oaks and Derby the first weekend of May. If you would like to be involved, please check out the www.goderby.blogspot.com .

We love hearing from you all, so please don't hesitate to write. There are many many things going on within the Ministry, so we ask that you remember all of the pastors and workers in your prayers this week. We can feel those prayers even though we're miles apart.

Con mucho amor,

<><

Will and Audrey

Partin Family on the worksite

Jennifer Partin at the feeding center in "The Hole"

One of 120 children who are fed 6 days a week in "The Hole"

I don't know how many times I've read the words of Jesus in Matthew 28 when He says, "go and make disciples of all nations", and thought that I truly understood what that might be like. He showed us a glimpse of what He is capable of a couple of weeks ago. We had the privilege of having the Indiana Wesleyan University's Men's Soccer team come down here for a short term mission trip. They held a soccer clinic for a bunch of kids in Los Perez with Pastor Nico and in the evenings, they played games against other mens' teams on the island. On Saturday evening, we traveled to La Vega (city about 30 minutes from Santiago) to play against a team from our Haitian Soccer Ministry led by Romano. At half time, one of the Americans from the IWU team shared his heart with the opposing team, fans, and some others that were standing around. This is where God showed the power and possibilities of Matthew 28:18-20. Three Nations (U.S.A.,

Haiti, and Dominican Republic) were represented in a circle on a soccer field. Three languages were being spoken......One God was being shared. Just when a language barrier seemed to be the most difficult obstacle, Jesus showed that He is universal. For a span of 90 minutes (soccer game), cultures didn't matter, language wasn't important and skin color wasn't noticed. It was a slice...a glimpse of all nations living together like we all came from the same place. This is where I understood the Great Commission for the first time. Jesus is providing opportunities for us to fulfill His request; please pray that we're equipped.

This was a special week as we cracked into the soccer world here in the D.R. We were able to meet the president of the soccer federation and set up a game against the U-23 National team. We all hopped on the bus and went to San Cristobal to participate in a first ever for G.O. Ministries. It was a 1-0 game in favor of the Dominican team. We're excited about the future relationship with these guys.

We recently finished our 6-week volleyball ministry. The girls from the neighborhood of Hoya del Caimito competed in a tournament and shared in an awards ceremony. At the ceremony, we shared a message, gave out a medal to each participant and showed them a slideshow of the tournament they played in. The girls responded with enthusiasm and now Audrey and Amanda are leading a Bible study for the girls. Please pray that God will open the hearts of these girls

and that the leaders will be well prepared to serve these teenagers.

We are awaiting the arrival of St. John UMC which will include The Partins (Rob, Mom and Dad). For those of you outside of the SJUMC family, this church is a great support to us and they are coming down on their first trip. They will be working in Hato del Yaque doing construction, so please pray for safe travel and servants' hearts.

March usually brings a lot of rain here in the Dominican Republic, so there will be many homes affected in certain areas. We have a church in an neighborhood called Hoyo de Bartola (The Hole) and as time passes, the land changes due to rain so a large number of people lose their homes and have to start over. So as the Spring brings warmer days in the States, please remember those in need of prayer down here during what could be a difficult month of weather.

We hope that your ministries are going well and that God is revealing new things to you each and every day. We always look forward to hearing from you all so please don't hesitate to update us as well.

Bendiciones,

<><

Audrey and Will

IWU Men's Soccer Team

campers and players a couple of campers

"Train a child in the way he should go, and when
he is old he will not turn from it." - Proverbs 22:6

I want to introduce you to a man who is training children on a daily basis so that when they grow into men, they will be leaders in their families, communities, churches and on the field. Jose Luis is the leader of our baseball ministry here in the Dominican Republic. He was on the brink of making it to the big leagues, but "just couldn't catch a break" (as he puts it). The dream of every boy growing up in the D.R. is to one day play in the MLB (major league baseball). For Jose Luis, when his heart and his life changed after meeting Jesus, his dream changed as well. Every day he practices baseball with kids of all ages from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. He leads them in devotions, drills and coaches them in games. He is a man of God helping the young men of this country chase their dream.......the right way. Because of Jose Luis's testimony, his players know that baseball is a platform, not a way of life. Jose Luis is living his dream now; preaching, teaching and loving the kids who are in his life. The picture above describes him perfectly. He has his arms around these kids as he teaches them to allow God to guide them and he's training them to become Fishers of Men.

We praise God every day that He has allowed us to work with someone like Jose Luis. The purpose of G.O. Ministries is to get behind the work of the Dominicans and Haitians and support them. Supporting this man and working with him is easy because his heart is so pure. God is using Jose Luis, so please continue to pray for him.

Last week, we had the opportunity to see some fruit beared within the ministry. A group of 17 people from Kansas City Baptist Temple came down to put on a baseball clinic and play in a softball tournament at night. The group was outstanding as they brought so much energy. Their love for Jesus poured out of them and their love for the game of baseball was as strong as any baseball fan we've met. The clinic they held consisted of 60 kids from the surrounding area. After many chapels, teaching fundamentals, testing skills and playing games, every person involved in the camp left with a heart filled with joy. Many kids came forward during an altar call seeking to know more about Jesus. This is where the bearing of fruit began.



The kids in the camp came both from the school where our friend Pedro works and from the group that Jose Luis works with every day. We've never had a camp where kids were so cooperative and solid. God gave us a glimpse of what He is doing through Pedro and Jose Luis. These kids are responding to what they are teaching. Praise God for their patience and extraordinary big hearts.

When the camp ended, we gathered with the kids and went to their homes to evangelize. We split up into groups and visited with their parents so we could inform them of what we taught their kids all week. Everyone was so inviting and many of them were seeking Jesus as well. We then had an awards ceremony where 59 of the 60 kids showed up along with some parents (which is unusual here). The top of our dormitory was packed. Once again, God brought the people and delivered a message through us. We are now starting a Bible study with these kids on Thursday nights. Please pray that this will be a God-led study and these kids will be encouraged in their journey.

We are beside ourselves with what God is doing down here with sports ministry. Every day He opens a new door and allows us to take a peak at what He's working on. We ask that you pray that it continues. We're finally getting to the heart of our mission...discipleship. Thank you for allowing us to get here. You will continue to be updated on what our (yours and ours) ministry is doing.

"All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and understood God's grace in all it's truth." - Colossians 1:6

Other Prayer Requests:

• There is a group from Indiana working in Haiti right now. Pray for protection and production.
• Pray for the groups that are preparing to come, that they will allow God to just use them.
• Pray for our staff as ministry opportunities are arising every day.

We love you guys and we love sharing this part of the world with you. Please keep in touch. Enjoy the pictures below.

Dios les bendiga

<><
Will and Audrey

Kansas City Baptist Temple

G.O. Missionaries watching softball Softball tournament trophy ceremony

"If God is for us, then who can be against us."

Romans 8:31

As the Sports Outreach team of G.O. Ministries, we have spent a lot of time praying about where God wants us to go. As a whole, G.O. partners with a large number of churches and pastors in the Dominican Republic and Haiti. Because there are so many, it has taken some time to make our way around to meet everyone, but it was definitely weighing heavy on our hearts to find a way to get involved with these churches. As many of us know, pastors need constant encouragement because doing ministry isn't always made up of miracle moments and mountain top experiences. This is where we are trying to move forward with our ministry, and so far, things are looking good.

This past Monday, we went to our church in The Hole (Hoyo de Bartola) to meet with Pastor Felix Abreu. Felix has kids flooding the doors of the church and they are all filled with energy. Like most places in the world, we try to find ways for children and teenagers to use this energy and channel it in a way that will better their lives and the lives of those that surround them. Once again, this is where God has blessed us by never having to go and search for kids that want to play sports. Because of their desire to get out and compete in a game of some sort, this presents the perfect opportunity for sharing the love of Jesus.

Felix agreed to bring around 25 girls from his church/community to a volleyball court just outside The Hole. For 5 or so hours, we had the privilege of getting to know these girls through conversation, prayer time, devotions and the game of volleyball. God wants us so bad to form relationships with other people. It's amazing how you can become so fond of 25 people in such a short amount of time. The truth is, when God opens the doors of communication, you will be shocked at how many people have something to share. We learned so much about these girls (about their families, education, spiritual life, past, dreams, passions) and they are all precious in their own way. After reading that part in the book "Velvet Elvis", our eyes have been opened to where Christ is in each person, and we're just trying to point Him out.



One of our plans for Sports Ministry is to visit the churches that are established here on this island and encourage the pastors by taking the youth and providing activities for them. Many churches here only have one person on staff....the pastor; and it defines the term "full-time job". Please pray that this plan is also God's plan and the youth of these communities will open up and let us in. We are excited about where this is leading and the response that we've received thus far.

Other prayer requests and information:
Our biggest need right now is a mode of transportation. In order for us to travel around and expand the ministry, we need a mini-bus. Many of our churches don't have sports facilities near their community, so we need to pick these kids up and drive them to the clinics and camps. Please pray that God will continue to show His miracles through provision as He has so many times.

Audrey is taking on a new role with our G.O. Kids program. She is now the G.O. Kids representative on the field. This program presents the opportunity for people to sponsor kids in our school and feeding centers. There are many hungry children on this island; for food, education and hope. This is an opportunity to respond to Matthew 25:35-36. You can contact her at audrey.partin@go-ministries.org for more information.



Please take a moment to watch the video on the right hand side of our blog called "La Mosca Video" (just click on it). This was a video we made about a partnership between a church in Louisville, Ky and a pastor of one of our churches/feeding centers here in the Dominican.

We pray that all is well with you and that your ministries are in full force as well!

Con el amor de Cristo,

<><

Will and Audrey