Dominican and Haiti Updates

2012-01-28T11:37:00.000-08:00

Thank you. Gracias. Merci.

This thank you is long overdue, and for that we apologize. Please know that we are forever grateful to all of you who support our ministry through prayer and financial giving. This Spring will mark 7 years that we have been working with G.O Ministries, and God has provided our needs through each of you. Thank you for your generous hearts, your sacrificial giving and for believing in us and what God is doing in the Dominican Republic and Haiti. Thank you for helping us stay on the field and serve in a way we feel God has called us to! We needed to raise some additional funds this year to go towards the adoption….and you gave. You arose to the challenge, and you gave. Thank you for helping us reach our budget in 2011.....Thank you!

We are still state-side waiting for the adoption of Ruby Ann to finalize. Our prayer, hope and goal is to go back to the Dominican Republic as a family, full time, by the end of February. Would you pray that prayer with us? We are longing to get back to the DR, it is our true desire to be there serving for the first time as a family of 3. Ruby Ann is an incredible blessing and everyday is sweeter than the day before.

We feel privileged that God has given us the opportunity to serve with G.O. Ministries. He is using G.O. to redeem people, renew communities and restore creation.
To see an example of that, please take a moment and watch this video about a boy named Wilson who lives in The Hole. His little body is being restored and God has given us a chance to be a part of that.

God has moved in enormous ways so far this year. There are many stories just like this one that we are ever so honored to be a part of. Each of you are playing a part as well through prayer, through going and through giving. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

We love you all,

Will and Audrey

2011-11-23T07:11:00.000-08:00

THANKFUL FOR the beautiful way that God has chosen to shape our family. an incredible husband who is more that I deserve. a gracious God who loves me unconditionally. the opportunity to do ministry for a living. brook brotzman who has invited us to be a part of the vision he casted through G.O. Ministries. a sister who I can call my best friend. christian heritage. fall leaves. birthmoms. donna. generous supporters who give sacrificially. a comfortable place to stay when we are state-side. a healthy body so I can run. our dear dominican and haitian brothers and sisters who welcome us into their country to do ministry beside them. loving parents. cuddle time with miss ruby ann. basketball, the sport that has opened so many doors for me. friends who love. a home in the dominican where we can retreat to and have quality family time. lunch dates. having the resources to get my hair done which is so relaxing and is always a boost of self confidence. music and the talented artists who create it. a laptop which makes it easy for me to do my job. relationships. the overwhelming amount of love that has been shown for us and ruby ann during this journey. warm clothes during the winter. memories. a beautiful and healthy marriage. a loving church family in louisville, georgia and the dominican. a sleeping baby in my arms right now. this sweet holiday season. generous souls who continue to give and pour out in so many ways. mexican food. my guiding light who has brought us through despair and allowed us to come out on the other side and experience unspeakable joy. for erasing all of the heartache. life that has been given to me by my precious Creator.

2011-10-14T11:32:00.000-07:00

The work of a loving, gracious and merciful Father

all of us are in the midst of an incredible life-story that takes all sorts of twists and turns that are filled with pain and joy that hopefully result in God receiving all of the praise. we want to share where we are in our story and how the latest twist has shaped and changed our lives forever.

most of the world desires to have a family that they can love, care for and "do life" with. for many years, we've had an idea of what our family would look like and how we would ultimately go about obtaining that "ideal" family. "many are the plans in a person's heart, but it's the LORD'S purpose that prevails". today we are living out that scripture and praising God that His purpose indeed prevails and far exceeds any plans or expectations we could possibly have for ourselves.

8 weeks ago, we recieved a phone call that would change our lives forever. after a battle with infertility, surgeries and heartache, the voice of our adoption agency saying, "you've been matched", brought us to our knees as we embraced each other with tears pouring down our faces. a baby, we were finally going to have a baby!! little did we know, those emotions were just scratching the surface of what was to come.

so we bought plane tickets to fly from the dominican back to the states the following week to meet the birthmother and her mother over what would appear to be (so we thought at the time) a potentially awkard, difficult and nervous lunch date! once again, God's merciful and gracious plans prevailed. we were so excited about being parents and having this sweet little baby girl that we were blind-sided by the way we fell in love with Jacquelyn (birthmother) and Donna (maternal grandmother). when we finished with lunch and getting to know Jac and Donna, we got back on the road and our smiles almost didn't fit in the little FIAT 500 we rented to drive home. the best way we know to describe this feeling would be to borrow lyrics from a song by David Crowder Band. . . "heaven meets earth like an unforseen kiss". WHOA! not only were we going to have the privilege of loving this baby, but God opened our hearts to love this entire family! a joy only given by the Author of joy itself.

at that time we were only 6 weeks from the birth of this precious little girl. in the weeks leading up to the birth, our hearts leaped when we would communicate with Jac and Donna. our love grew with every written word and every photo. what was God doing to us?? did we really have the capacity to love the way He was allowing us to? could this be real?

when we got the news that little baby Ruby Ann entered this world through an emergency c-section, we hopped in our car and drove to the hospital . . . 8 hours away! we were so thrilled to meet our little girl and equally as excited to celebrate and spend time with Jac and Donna. God, again, was so gracious in providing us the opportunity to be in the hospital to watch this miracle unfold before our eyes. we will never ever forget that special time with our new family.

new family . . . this is the part where God gets all the praise! many people advised us to guard our hearts as much as we could because the adoption process can be so emotional and some of our expectations might not come to fruition. well we're here to say "many are the plans in a person's heart, but it's the LORD'S purpose that prevails". God calls us to live in community and love the way He loves. we are praising Him today that our family has grown exponentially in the last several weeks. not only do we have a beautiful little baby girl, but we have a Jacquelyn . . . an incredible, courageous, beautiful, warrior of a girl that has blessed us with the most incredible gift. we also have a Donna . . . a true woman of God, a rock that brings about a peace that provides comfort in any situation. we also have Juan. . . a birthfather that loves Ruby dearly and wants her to never forget that love. and then there is everyone who has been praying for all of us throughout this entire journey. . . we have the body of Christ . . . a family that extends across the ocean and loves us more than we deserve.

so, God, thank you that your plans prevail and bring about a life that we could never have created ourselves. You are the Author of life and nobody writes like you do. thank you that ruby ann is one loved little girl and her life is a testimony of your craftsmanship. thank you, for being a loving, gracious and merciful Father.

scroll down to meet our new family members! Enjoy!

Mark, Gail, Jacquelyn, Donna and Chris

birthmother, Jacquelyn and birthfather, Juan

Ruby Ann and Donna

First trip to the doctor, Doctor Mayo

Ruby in the hospital at 2 days old

Happy mom!

2011-09-07T22:12:00.000-07:00

......life in slow motion

The summers are always our busiest time in ministry. We helped host and organize the details for 29 teams who came to serve on the island of Hispaniola this June, July and August. God moved in ways that were indescribable. We were so privileged to witness pure beauty, lives being changed, college men striving to pursue an intimate relationship with Him, small victories won, partnerships strengthened, churches being built, congregations grow, children being fed, purified water supply an entire community, people working together to redeem, renew and restore! I think our favorite thing to witness this summer was seeing some of the most influential kids from our basketball league start coming to church, regularly. Will and the Sports Staff have been inviting them for 6 years now, the fruit of their labor is so very sweet......they are beginning to know Jesus, to really know Him as their Savior. What a victory!

At the end of the summer, one generous soul blessed us with a gift....and he said, "do something for yourselves." Oh, how grateful we are to him, truly, from the bottom of our hearts. We decided to get away to one our most favorite places in the Dominican Republic....how we needed it after an intense summer of ministry. It was such a wonderful time of refreshment and renewal. It was a time to talk about friendships, mexican food, how life changes, movies, the transformation of our character, silly things, photography, our future, it was a time to press pause, experience life in slow motion for a bit, and to see things through a fresh perspective. Life can be so busy, packed full of so many things, it can be like looking through a kaleidoscope at an array of beautiful colors, colors that can be a bit jumbled because we don't take moments to slow down, reflect, and make sense of all that is going on around us. These last few days, that's what we have done, we slowed down to bask in the glory of His beauty and His creations.

Our challenge to you is to find that time, soak in every second, enjoy it from the depths of your soul. You will find a sweet peace that is oh so fulfilling.

Enjoy the photos, it was hard to resist not snagging some snapshots to show the beauty that we were engulfed in. It's fun to brag on our God to show off his brillant and beautiful creations!

"A heart at peace gives life to the body..." proverbs 14:30

2011-08-14T11:48:00.000-07:00

The Heart of Worship....

Worship this morning at the Central Church was so beautiful and spirit filled! Imagine if you will.....blue skies, palm trees, people of all color, multiple languages and nations, hands lifted high, and people singing out loud praising their Jesus.

The Indiana Wesleyan Men's Basketball team is here with us in the Dominican right now. We can't even express how wonderful these young men and their coaching staff are. All have hearts for Jesus and are willing to serve in any way possible. They have worked so hard.....pouring a floor at Simon's gym, moving rocks in The Hole, passing concrete blocks, etc. On top of that, they have played basketball games every single night against the local Dominican talent. These sweet boys have had smiles on their faces the entire week, Christ shines through them so vibrantly!

Going back to the picture I was painting a little earlier......we experienced such a beautiful sound this morning. The song, "Heart of Worship" was being played, and some were singing in English and some were singing in Spanish. To hear both of our heart languages intertwined was such a sweet sweet sound in our ears. Praising Him this morning!

"I'm coming back to the heart of worship, and it's all about you, it's all about you Jesus, I'm sorry Lord for the thing I've made it, when it's all about you, it's all about you Jesus."

"Estoy volviendo al corazon de la adoracion, y es todo sobre voz, es todo sobre voz Jesus, Perdon Senor por lo que he hecho, cuando es todo sobre voz, es todo sobre voz Jesus."

2011-07-29T09:35:00.001-07:00

The JOyS of Summer......

As you all know, our summers here in the Dominican are packed with groups who are serving on mission trips. It's a part of our jobs that blesses us over and over and over again. God has allowed us to serve them and to play a small part in this life changing experience for people. We have the privilege of seeing people redeemed, communities renewed, and creation restored on a daily basis. It just doesn't get much better than that! We want to share some pics from these last few months. Most of these photos were captured by our staff photographer, Amanda Braisted. Enjoy them! Our hope and prayer is that they will inspire you to
"go and make disciples of all nations".

River Valley had a field day in Hato Del Yaque. All of the kids had a blast playing baseball, volleyball, soccer and basketball. They especially loved the jump ropes, ballons and little games the team brought for them.

Dorothy Sayers did a basketball clinic in Los Salados. At the end of the day, the girls said this was the most fun they have ever had playing basketball.

Eastview Youth worked in The Hole moving rocks to help secure the foundation of the church. They are always a blessing to all they come in contact with!

Stretching before the big June basketball camp begins. The kids in the community so look forward to this clinic every year. They learn about basketball, but most importantly about Jesus.

River Valley before starting on their construction project. They worked on Eduard's house (the Caribbean president) and Luis and Rene's house. Oh how we love each and everyone of them!

Sidewinders baseball group working on a construction project. These 15 year old boys were incredible and the leadership even better. It was such a blessing to be a part of their week!

St. Luke's held a field day in Los Perez. The joy on these faces is priceless.

Be Blessed,
Will and Audrey

2011-07-02T19:46:00.000-07:00

....through my eyes

This week we hosted a group that is very dear to us. This team has been making trips to the DR for the last 14 years. We love you "G.O. Basketball!"
Many years ago, Will and I went on our first mission trip with the "G.O. Basketball team". This is when God planted the seeds in our hearts for missions, and to Him we are grateful. He had the path all marked out for us, He knew exactly what He wanted things to look like for us, He guided us, directed us, and showed us "our purpose".

As I was sweeping up some broken glass today at the basketball court, God gave me a moment to myself (which is very rare during basketball camp...29 Americans/140 campers). During this moment, I paused to think about what God was showing me this week. You might think after 6 years of living here, 6 years of teams, 6 years of working basketball camps, that things may seem repetitive, dull, or boring......this couldn't be further from the truth! Every day is different, and God continues to reveal Himself in beautiful ways.

This year, I took so much pleasure in watching Will do what he was "made for". God has gifted him in incredible ways and he uses those gifts daily to full capacity. Will has spent the last 6 years developing relationships with these children as well as the adults in the community. They respect him like I've never seen respect given before. They give this respect because he enforces discipline, he teaches, he loves, he shows compassion, and he presents The Gospel in a way that grabs their attention. He knows them all by name, makes them all feel special, and takes every opportunity for "teaching moments". I heard someone describe Will as a "magnet" this week. I think this is the perfect word to describe him. People are naturally drawn to him, and he doesn't use that for selfish ambition. I watched him use it this week to further The Kingdom!

God has created Him for this. I am forever grateful to each and every one of you who support us through prayer and financial giving. By your sacrifices, you are allowing us to do what God has made us for. Our prayer is that you will know how big of a role you are playing in advancing The Gospel....because you are.

Through my eyes.......I saw many beautiful things this week. I saw my life partner excelling at "his calling", I saw children being loved on, and I saw our lives here in the Dominican Republic making a difference which gave me a sweet peace that I will forever hold on to.

Be blessed today on this beautiful Sunday morning God has given us!

In Him,
Audrey

(p.s. Will has no idea I'm writing this post..ssshhh!)

2011-05-30T07:33:00.000-07:00

A Story Unfolding.....

Many of you have already heard, but just in case you haven't, we wanted to share some wonderful news. We are in the process of adopting a child and we couldn't be more excited about this journey! We have completed all of the necessary steps and we are officially "waiting" (which can sometimes be the hardest part). We've seen so many sweet ways that God has chosen to shape and form families; we're humbled that He is using this story to form ours!

Adoption has given us a real understanding of who we are as children of God. He loves us unconditionally and seeks to have an initimate relationship with every one of us. All who have a relationship with God know the beauty of adoption as we've all been adopted as sons and daughters into His family!

We have been surrounded by joyous adoption stories our entire lives. Between coaches, friends, role models, babysitters and family members we have seen and known incredible stories of people being blessed by adoption. God has used each and every one of the people below to help shape and mold us in some form or fashion in our lives.

Enjoy the photos below, we pray they bring joy to your day. For us, these photos are portraits of HOPE that we continue to cling on to each day!

Chris Renner and his family, Avery, Mason and wife, Jill. Chris was Will's high school basketball coach that led them to a State Championship in 1999. The summer prior to the season he also led Will and some other basketball players to the Dominican Republic on a mission trip. This was Will's first trip to the D.R. which began a passion that grew over time. Chris and his family were also our very first supporters and continue to this day. We are grateful to Chris's birthparents for loving him so deeply to allow his adoptive parents to raise him to be an incredible Godly man.

Louis Fowler and his family, Harrison, Lloyd, Elliott and Diane. Will has known the Fowler family for about 15 years and has watched the boys grow up into men that are passionate about Jesus. Louis has surpassed on the opportunity for a spring break vacation two years in a row to bring his entire family to the Dominican Republic on a mission trip. It has been a true joy to serve along side of them and watch them develop a transforming partnership with Kerlyn Pena and a little girl from our G.O. School. We are grateful to Louis' birthparents and adoptive parents for their love for him that has allowed him to lead a family that is committed to Jesus Christ!

Bernie Minnis with his wife, Sarah and son, Tripp. Bernie and Will have been friends for 17 years and shared many fun adventures together. The best adventure has been the process of sanctication. They've both challenged each other in their walk as Christians and the Holy Spirit has used both of them to push one another through difficult times. When Sarah said yes to marry Bernie she and Audrey became friends instantly. They have an incredible friendship that allows them to laugh together, cry together, celebrate together and grieve together. We owe a huge thanks to Bernie's birthparents and adoptive parents for raising a wonderful man that married a wonderul woman that will raise incredible children!

Dana Corson with her husband, Scot and daughter, Norah. Dana married Will's best friend from his childhood and we couldn't be more blessed. As much as we love Scot, we jumped with joy when Dana said yes to spend her life with him. Without even knowing, Dana has challenged us in our lives to grow deeper in our knowlege of Scripture. She always encourages us with kind words regarding our ministry in the Dominican Republic and Haiti. We love our time with her and are thrilled that they live around the corner from Will's parents so we can see her, Scot and baby Norah on a regular basis while in the States. We're just a couple of the multitude of people that are blessed by the love that Dana's birthparents and adoptive parents have shown for her. Thank you for placing her in our life.

Lynne Benefiel with her family, David, Craig and William. Lynne has known Will since he was in diapers. She babysat for Will and his siblings when they lived in California. They took amazing trips together to Disneyland and she even loved us Partin kids when we were rotten. Will is so fond of Lynne that he asked her to marry him when he was around 6 years old. She has been such an encouragement to us throughout our marriage and life in ministry. The Benefiel family has supported us from the beginning and we know how excited she'll be when we receive the call to go and meet our child. We had the honor of knowing Lynne's mom before she passed and we still attend church with her father. They raised her to be a woman that loves unconditionally as Christ loves us and we are proud recipents of that love. We also thank her birthparents for allowing us to know and love Lynne and her family.

Sweet little Nora Kate Hyma with her mom's side of the family. Brian and Melissa Hyma (Audrey's sister) gave a precious gift to our entire family over two years ago. God placed it upon their hearts to adopt and six weeks after turning in all of their information they brought home a little girl. After pushing through some heartache in trying to start a family God revealed why His plan is far greater than anything we could ever imagine. Nora has graced our family with so much joy, laughter and love that we give thanks every day for the miracle of adoption. She has a way about her that lights up a room and she certainly takes advantage of it every opportunity she gets. Thank you Brian and Melissa for persevering through difficult times and remaining faithful to God's plan for you two to start a family. You have blazed the trail for us and we can't wait for Nora to have a cousin that shares a similar story. May God bless Brian, Melissa and Nora's birthparents for the love and concern they've shown for her well-being.

Please continue to join us in prayer as this process is new to us. Pray for strength, courage and peace for the birth mom. Pray for patience as we wait. Pray for that sweet baby who God already knows by name who will be joining our family.

We are back in the Dominican safe and sound ready to begin a busy summer of hosting groups that are coming down to serve on the island of Hispaniola. We'll be sure to keep you updated along the way! Thank you so much for your continued love and support as we move forward in this journey.

2011-05-04T20:09:00.000-07:00

"I popped right up at 5:15 last Saturday morning, quickly got dressed, ate some breakfast and headed out of the house with the family...."

Click on the "Run With Purpose" tab above to read more about the wonderful day we had last Saturday. Great job team!

2011-04-25T08:21:00.000-07:00

". . .We will be your hands, we will be your feet, we will
run this race for the least of these."

Saturday is a big day for our ministry. There are 24 runners running for our Run With Purpose team to help raise funds and awareness for all that God is doing in the Dominican Republic and Haiti. We could not be more blessed by such an incredible group of people surrounding us! If you think about it this week, please pick a name or two on the list below and say a prayer for them. Pray for strengh to finish the race, for a healthy body, for an abundance of energy, and for an incredible experience as they run for such a great purpose!

Will Partin, Jay Phipps, Josh Cox, David Leatherman, Andrew Norton, Melinda Devenouges, Brian Hyma, Alex Norton, Amy Crumbaugh, Michael Belt, Taylor Norton, Casey Wheeler, Nina Norris, Traci Katzfey, Amy Wheeler, Meredith LaMaster, Jennie Walz, Jill Renner, Blair Norton, Matt Bolton, Ashley Boykin, Emily Howell, Amanda Clark and Danielle Osborne

It's not too late to support our run! If you would like to send in a pledge, please do so by using the mailing address in the side bar and please write, "Partin/run" in the memo line. Thank you in advance! Your donations are helping us continue in ministry (all gifts are tax deductible).

Above is a picture after Audrey ran the Derby mini marathon last year...it's Will's turn this year!

2011-04-12T19:39:00.000-07:00

"As a garden causes what is sown in it to spring forth, so the Lord God will cause RIGHTNESS and JUSTICE and PRAISE to spring forth before all nations."

As many of you know, we have spent the better part of the year state-side due to circumstances out of our control. It's hard to be away from our home in the Dominican for this amount of time....but God continues to send us sweet suprises to keep us encouraged along the way! We have not had the opportunity to spend a Spring in the states for six years now. We don't usually get to see a "change of seasons" since the majority of our year is spent on the island of Hispaniola where it's summer all year around!

I had the chance to make an unexpected trip to Dalton, Georgia, my home town. Spring there is gorgeous. Flowers in full bloom and dogwood trees sure have a way of making a gal's heart smile! During this time in our lives, when things can feel a bit uncertain, God is splashing down rays of grace, goodness, love and peace in a beautiful way that is so undescribable! Below are pictures of "Spring in Georgia" at the house I grew up in.

We plan to return to the Dominican for the summer. But until then, we will soak up this love that He is showing us through these continued sweet blessings.....what glorious days these are basking in the beauty of His creations! I hope these photos brought a little joy to your day. I encourage you to be on the look out for ways that our King of Kings blesses you daily, even through unexpected ways like sweet smelling wildflowers by the creek in the backyard. Instead of seeing "weeds", see perfection.

Take care ya'll! -Audrey

2011-03-01T09:26:00.000-08:00

REFLECTIONS

During this season of our lives, we are spending some significant time state-side. We feel blessed to have the opportuniy to spend extra time with our sweet friends and family. It has been so nice to have lunches and dinners with supporters to thank them for their continued generosity, love and encouragement! We've had wonderful opportunities to meet with churches and Pastors about G.O. Ministries and share the big things that God continues to do in the Dominican Republic and Haiti! We love being a part of the body of Christ and seeing Him work in the lives of the people we love. God is good.

We fully understand that He allows us to endure trials to draw closer to Him. He is our continued source of strength and peace. We grip firmly on to this strength during this season that we are in.

He continues to reveal His wonder. He is so gracious and kind by allowing us a few weeks to return to where our heart beat is....the island of Hispaniola. He gave us three beautiful weeks there in February. That time was packed full!

We have included a few pictures to reflect our time spent in the DR.

It was so nice spending time with missionary friends, the people who we do life with, Goody and Jackie.

Visiting with Bienvo's family in their house. This family is so precious to us and have been a big part of our lives for over 5 years now!

Oh how we love sweet little Wilson. We had the privilege to help find finances so he could have corrective eye surgery. Thank you to all of you who donated!

Alan Perez, a member of the sports outreach team, has began an English class ministry. Will really enjoyed sitting in on that while we were in the Dominican!

Do you see how big that smile is on my face?? I am getting ready to go run through my favorite place in the world.....the countryside of Los Perez!

Will working a baseball camp for the children in El Guano

This is a pic of one of the first church services in The Central Church. We were so honored to be able to attend. Thank you to everyone who played a part in constructing this beautiful building!

2011-02-24T07:55:00.001-08:00

the locker room . . . the upper room

"as iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another"
proverbs 27:17

this past week many of us experienced the true meaning of sports ministry. a group of 13 men from the united states (and 2 from the dominican) gathered together in santiago in honor of a Godly man and friend, Tommy Barnes, who passed away a year ago. although i only had the privilege of spending a week with Tommy, he seemed to be the type of person that challenged others to their core. based upon the stories his friends shared, he earned people's respect by the way he lived his life which allowed him to speak into your soul. several years ago, many of his friends were invited (..or told they were going to go) to the dominican republic to share their passion for Jesus and baseball. so, because of their love for Tommy, they went. on this trip, relationships were formed, love was shared, the Gospel was expanded and seeds were planted. today, 6 years later, the fruit is abundant while more seeds are being planted for the future.

the group representing Tommy came with great anticipation that the kids' baseball camp would go smoothly, they would win the adult softball tournament and the weather would be typical of the caribbean. so when their flight got re-routed to santo domingo (2 hours away from santiago) and they arrived at midnight without any of their bags you would think there would've been a sense of defeat in the air, but these guys were on a mission. the next day it rained all day long so the baseball clinic for 10-12 year old kids turned into a wet whiffle ball camp in the outfield of a local baseball stadium. the softball tournament got postponed due to rain and when the day finally came to play, they lost multiple games by 1 run and finished the week 0-6. disappointing right? not even close!

those of us that have played sports our whole lives could say that the locker room is a sacred place. what happens there stays there. this is where the coach really coaches, where teammates really bond and where emotions range from crying to jubilation to an occasional fight or two. when the glory days are over and we can't play sports anymore the days of the locker room are missed because those are the times when proverbs 27:17 takes place. the locker room was back in the lives of Tommy's crew this past week.

at the end of each day, rain or sunshine, win or lose, these 13 men went to the dorm and opened their hearts and challenged each other on what it means to be a true disciple of Jesus Christ. suddenly the locker room looked much like the upper room. i can only imagine what the disciples talked about while Jesus was sharing the last supper with them and giving them instructions on what they were to do after He was crucified. i can picture tears, heart ache, concern, fear, arguing. . . but i can also picture, after Jesus spoke, that the disciples felt empowered, challenged, encouraged, secure (as Jesus said, "you are those that have stood by me in trials. and i confer on you a kingdom, just as my Father conferred one on me, so that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on the thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel"). the same seemed to be true each morning as these men walked out of their dorm room ready to serve the people of the dominican another day. all of the sudden, only one thing mattered, the same thing that Tommy probably had in mind when inviting them all to the dominican several years back, the same words Jesus used while in the upper room, "I am among you as one who serves" (Luke 22:27).

as many of you know, there are 10 men (dominican and haitian) that work for our g.o. sports outreach team. we have been meeting every thursday for a few years now and we are studying the book Disciple by juan carlos ortiz. this book talks about what it means to be a true disciple of Jesus Christ. we too, the g.o. sports outreach team, live and act like we are in a locker room most of the time. we're always trying to understand what it means to follow Jesus and love one another and then extend that love and grace to those around us. this week, we saw what it looks like for a group of men to do just that. thank you Team TCB IV for showing us a living example of life in the upper room. we will continue to strive to sharpen each other as this journey of true discipleship continues. and, most of all, thank you Tommy for all of the seeds you planted throughout your entire life. your commitment to Christ lives in the lives of the baseball kids in the dominican as well as the lives of the men you discipled. we are honored and privileged to be on the receiving end of your hard work and faithfulness. as disciples, we will continue planting seeds.

banner in honor of Tommy Barnes

kids at baseball camp

Team TCBIV

please pray for the sports staff as they continue planting seeds

check out the show from the trip

2011-02-07T16:45:00.000-08:00

81 days
7 hours
42 minutes
5 seconds

This is the amount of time until Race Day! You can still register to run the Derby marathon or half marathon. It's not too late! You still have 12 weeks to train. The link to register is below.

http://www.derbyfestivalmarathon.com/Registration_Information.htm

We have 21 runners running so far, we would love for you to be the next to join our Run With Purpose team to help support our ministry in the Dominican Republic and Haiti. We guarantee that you'll have lots of fun!

For details on joining our team, click below or shoot me an e-mail. We would so love to have you!

audrey.partin@go-ministries.org

http://runwithpurpose-partin.blogspot.com/2010/09/blog-post.html

Please consider being the next to join. WE NEED YOU!

2011-01-14T09:43:00.000-08:00

Year in Review

"Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in Heaven"
Matthew 6:10

The year of 2010 reminded us of something very simple yet profound. . .God is all about His redemptive plan. He takes what is broken and makes it whole, what is damaged and restores it. Many of us have our salvation experience and then wait to celebrate the day when we enter into Heaven to spend eternity with God, but is that what being a disciple really is? Or by accepting Jesus Christ are we also accepting God's invitation to be a part of His redemption plan; to restore His creation? This year we had the privilege of watching God restore faith to a hurting nation, relationships that are broken, justice to the poor and hungry and His gospel to a lost people.

The year began with the earthquake in Haiti that created chaos and devastation. But God, being the redemptive God that He is, used the body of Christ to respond to a crisis. He also used this time to turn a nation that practiced voodoo into a nation that now praises and worships God. He continues to take what is broken and, piece by piece, is making it whole. Thank you to all of you that are allowing God to use you to help restore a damaged Haiti. G.O. Ministries was able to fly over 1 million pounds of aid to remote areas of Haiti as they fed, housed and cared for refugees.

destruction in Haiti after the earthquake

G.O. Ministries getting relief supplies to people in need

Haitians at a worship service

God loves to see His children come together in unity and fellowship and praise Him. The Central Church for G.O. Ministries is going to be a place for just that. We spent a large portion of our year working to create a place where the entire community can come together and worship. Thank you to all that have been a part of helping this building go up.

In the process of restoring creation, God calls us to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, give to the poor and heal the sick. This past year 987 people came to the D.R. and Haiti through G.O. Ministries to serve on a short term mission trip. "The King will reply, 'truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.' " Thank you to all that came down to serve on the island.

One of G.O's Nutrition Centers

As a part of the redemptive plan, Jesus commanded His disciples to "go and make disciples of all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you." This year, we have had the opportunity to train and equip to help fulfill Jesus' command to make disciples.

G.O. sports team

Baptizing Kerlyn Pena, member of the Sports Outreach Team

In Psalm 22, David cries out to God, "the poor will eat and be satisfied; those that seek the Lord will praise him, may your hearts live forever! All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the LORD, and all the families of the nations will bow down before him, for dominion belongs to the LORD and he rules over the nations." In Phaeton, Haiti, a place many would consider the ends of the earth, David's cry is being heard. God is working through the church and Pastor Lucner, the poor are eating in the Nutriotion Center, the people are seeking and praising the LORD and God is ruling over this particular part of the nation. Audrey had the opportunity to spend a few days there to help build the church that you see in the picture below for Pastor Lucner.

A church that G.O. Ministries supports in Phaeton, Hati

God made a covenant with Abraham telling him that "all people will be blessed through you." Many servants from the United States have come to love their brothers and sisters in the Dominican Republic and Haiti. Because of this act of agape, the people of the Dominican and Haiti want to go out and extend the same love and be a blessing to their people in different communities. Mission trips are now taking place from town to town on the Island of Hispaniola. God's covenant with Abraham still stands today. Will had the privilege to lead the mission trip that you see below to Batey Nueve.

Mission trip by a group of Americans, Dominicans and Haitians to a place ridden with poverty where opportunities are few, Batey Nueve

We have been so fortunate again this year to see the hand of God provide in a big way. Thanks to your faithfulness and generosity we were able to meet our budget for 2010. We are so grateful that we are able to do ministry in a way that we feel God has called us to and all of you play a HUGE part in it all!

We have enjoyed so much our partnership in ministry with you all. Our prayer is that together, as the Body of Christ, we move forward in carrying out God's plan to restore His creation. May we pray the Lord's prayer "Thy kingdom come, they will be done in earth, as it is in Heaven" and respond with a passion that continues for generations to come. Grace and Peace!

Love,
<><

Will and Audrey

2010-12-01T12:28:00.000-08:00

GIVING

The year is coming to an end.....it's sweet December.

We have had an incredible year of ministry and have been blessed beyond measure. Thank you to all of you who have supported us through finances, prayer, love and encouragement.

As you look at your finances and contemplate where to give your year end giving, please consider G.O. Ministries.

God is moving. He is doing big things. He is extending His grace, love and mercy.

Will you consider partnering with us by supporting our mission work in the Dominican Republic and Haiti by giving in this month of December?

Checks can be sent to the address in the right side bar under "contact information". Please make them out to G.O. Ministries and write "Will and Audrey Partin" in the memo line. All donations are tax deductible.

Thank you in advance for your generosity!

"But just as you excel in everything-in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us-see that you also excel in this grace of giving." Corinthians 8:2

2010-11-18T16:52:00.000-08:00

ROOTS

"And Mary said, My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for He has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on, all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me---holy is His name.

His mercy extends to those who fear Him, from generation to generation."
Luke 1:46-50

I (Audrey) have so enjoyed my time back in the states.

It began with a trip home to Georgia to visit with my parents and stay in the house where I was raised. While there, I had this overwhelming feeling of being so grateful for where I grew up, who my parents are, and the roots of my family heritage that have played a beautiful part of who I am today.

I love The Fall so dearly. It always seems to be such a nostalgic time for me. The pure beauty of the colorful leaves on the trees is a constant reminder of how much God loves me. They seem to bring about a running film reel in my mind of my ROOTS. I thank Him for this sweet gift!

I have often wondered, "why am I the way I am?" I now believe it is because of my roots and the beliefs and morals that have been instilled in me. It's a glorious testimate to who my parents are and who my grandparents are and who my greatgrandparents are.

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

My parents have obviously played a big part in who I have become today. My dad is rock solid, consistent, God fearing, genuine, gracious. My mom is organized, hard working, generous, and loving. They have never steered me in the wrong direction.

My sister, my dear sister. Having a big sister is one of the grandest joys in life! She has led me by example and has been such a positive influence. She was a role model for me during those years when a younger sister really needs one . We competed together in basketball and running. I call her for advice or simply when I need a little bit of encouragement.

My grandmothers are a beautiful part of my family heritage. They are two of the most Godly woman that I know and I am eternally grateful for the way they raised my parents, which has been passed down to the next generation.
(My grandfathers, Jack Leatherman and Bill Lucas, who are now deceased also loved Jesus with a great passion.)

These are some of my dear friends from high school. High school is such a time of molding, stretching and shaping. It's an emotional time filled with dreaming, desires, disapointments, heart break, joy and love. It's a high, a rush. I thank God for precious friends during this time in my life (and still today) who share the same love for our Heavenly Father that I do.

The college years are molding years as well. The game of basketball was such an influential part of my life. It taught me so much about life, hard work, discipline, unity and how to function as a team. Many of my coaches throughout the years played a big role in steering me in the right direction as well. The gals above are two of my basketball teammates from college. We did life closely together for several years and are still walking beside each other during trials, triumphs and heart break.

The growing hasn't stopped. My roots are strong and I'm growing new roots. I married a man who is leading us in the direction that we need to go. We are growing in our faith everyday and learning what it means to be a true follower of Him. We want a family. We want to continue watering and making healthy the very thing that has helped us become who we are today.

To God be the glory, Amen.

Stay tuned for ROOTS part II, an account from Will on his heritage.

2010-10-19T12:52:00.000-07:00

Nation, Land and Blessing

In Genesis 12, God makes a covenant with Abraham. In this covenant He promises three things; that He will make a great Nation of Abraham, He will give him land and that He will bless others through him. As you all know, G.O. Ministries partners with Nationals through short term missions. Many groups from the United States come to the Island of Hispaniola throughout the year to serve and be a blessing to the Dominican and Haitian people. This has had a mighty impact in many different ways.

One of the aspects I love about God's covenant with Abraham is that it doesn't have a time frame on it, it's generational and still alive today. Every single year we organize and plan a mission trip. This trip is a little different as it doesn't involve a group from the States, but instead the group is made up of Dominicans and Haitians from Santiago. Because these guys have been on the receiving end of so many blessings from U.S. churches serving in their communities, they want to now allow God to use them to be a blessing to others by going on their own mission trip.

This year, 34 people from Santiago took a trip to the southern part of the island to a community called Batey 9. This is a desolate community made up of families of men who work in the sugar cane fields. Pastor William Decena has been working in Batey 9 for many years and G.O. partners with him to allow him to do full time ministry. We went to do sports camps for the kids and a concert for the community. The crew from Santiago loved on the children, developed relationships with the locals, served food to the kids in the feeding center and worshipped under the stars with the people of the Bateys during the concert at the basketball court! Blessings were abundant! Thank you to all of you who have come on a short term trip to the D.R. and Haiti. The next generation is following your lead.

Many people come back from mission trips saying they received way more than they gave in regards to blessings. I shared this feeling as I stood under the moon and the stars listening to hundreds of people from the Bateys sing out "Glory to God, Glory to God, Glory to God forever"! May we all continue to live out God's covenant with Abraham by allowing Him to use us to bless others.

Group from Santiago

Center of Batey 9

Basketball camp

Baseball camp

Soccer camp for the girls

Engineering or Architect camp for those that don't love sports :)

Community anxiously awaiting the concert

Praying for construction and growth of church in Batey 9

2010-10-18T21:10:00.000-07:00

Before we ran the Dalton half marathon on Saturday

Our Run With Purpose Page has been updated! There were three events that took place in three different locations for our team last Saturday. Click on the page above or the link below to check it out. May God continue to bless you all!

http://dominican-updates.blogspot.com/p/run-with-purpose_9798.html

"let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us"

2010-09-20T07:51:00.000-07:00

Voodoo Drums and Sunglasses

What an experience!! G.O. Ministries has worked in Haiti for many years. I (Audrey) have been there before, but have never experienced it quite like this.

A fellow missionary and I went to Haiti (along with members of our construction team) to help finish building a church that G.O. partners with in Phaeton. The church was damaged in a tornado a few years ago. We were there to help finish the new one that was already in the process of being built.

(This is the old church...the tornado damage is on the back side)

(The community came out to watch and help with the construction of the church)

(this is the back side of the new church after putting the roof on)

The town of Phaeton has a very interesting history. Around the 1950's an American built a rope factory in a desolate area in Haiti. He brought Haitians from different areas of the country to work in his factory. In the 1980's the factory went under and the community remained. All that was left were huts and people alongside of the ocean.

I was blown away by the abject poverty that I saw. Children with no clothes. Most people with no shoes. No stores to buy food and necessities. No running water. No electricity. No sanitation. No hospitals. No agriculture. No government. How do people live like this? It's all about survival.

I've often wondered why God allows people to live like this. Why do some live in complete abundance and others live in abject poverty?

God taught me something important in the beginning of my trip: It makes Him sad that people are living in these conditions. But, places like this exist because of choices that humans have made along the way. They are human errors, human mistakes. Not God's.

This is why God has asked every single one of us to be a part of His redemptive plan to restore His people and His creation.

You may wonder (like I so often have)......how do I do that? What can I do to help? The situation seems so hopeless. What can I do that is going to make a significant impact?

God taught me this. There are several ways that ALL of us can play a big part to help in desperate situations like the one these people encounter in Phaeton, Haiti:

Go on a mission trip and show these people love. Love on them and allow them to see Christ's love through you. Invest in their communities to help them prosper in His name.
And if we aren't able to actually Go, then GIVE. Give to organizations/missionaries who are making a difference in communities like Phaeton. And pray. Pray, pray, pray.
Pray. Go. Give.
These are 3 commandments from God.

I feel so blessed that I was able to be a part of building this church in Haiti. I pray that it stays full of people and that they cling on to the one true hope....Jesus Christ. I pray that these precious souls can hold on, hold on to the promise that their treasure is in heaven where they will suffer no more. That one day they will spend eternity wrapped up in the loving arms of the Messiah.

I had some interesting experiences.....some a bit comical, some a bit scary, some a bit intriguing:

I wore sunglasses to the worksite, all of the children were gathered around me getting closer and closer, staring into my eyes. What I finally realized was that they were seeing their reflections in my glasses. Most of them were probably seeing themselves for the first time. They were making funny faces and dancing all around with joy. What I saw through my sunglasses were beautiful creations made by God.

I woke up one night (I slept outside) to the sounds of drums. At first I thought it was probably children playing, but then realized it was the sounds of a VooDoo ceremony led by witch doctors. I was a little frightened at first, but quickly calmed by His overwhelming peace.
The next night we actually saw the ceremony taking place.
Voo Doo is a religion that many Haitians practice that involves the worship of spirts and demons.

(my bed, we slept outside all 3 nights)

There were many other interesting things: a tarantula crawled across Tim's chest while he was sleeping. I woke up with a chicken on my head. Taking a shower and going to the bathroom were quite the experiences. I ate horse for the first time (and last time).

(shower)

(bathroom)

(This is where they cook at the church for the children in the feeding center)

Dear Jesus, I pray for the people of this community that they will come to know the one true hope in a country where Voodoo is so rampant. I pray that we feel the burning passion in our hearts to be a part of your redemptive plan by giving, going and praying . Hold close those who are suffering in this world. I praise you for how BIG and mighty you are!

2010-09-09T07:12:00.000-07:00

"The goal of the Christian life is to Love well."

We decided to have a little celebration of our own this year for Labor Day. The first time ever! Labor Day in the Dominican Republic. : ) We invited friends over and had an awesome cook-out with great food, fellowship and wonderful conversation about LOVE.

"How wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love surpasses knowledge" Ephesians 3:18

One of our fellow missionaries, Mike Braisted, has had a year full of many emotions, trials, tears and triumphs. A year ago tomorrow, his dad, Joe, passed away from a heart attack. Joe was a man full of LOVE. He loved God with a fierce passion, loved people, and loved his family. For this reason, we are hosting a 4 team inter-church basketball tournament in memory of Joe Braisted that kicks off on Saturday at the court here in the neighborhood. The tournament is called, "Hearts of Champions", and the theme is love. The purpose of this tournament is to bring church to the un-churched. Three churches from our community; Cuerpo de Cristo, Asamblea de Dios and Vida Nueva Bautista will be particpating as well as a team of adults from the neighborhood that aren't attending worship services anywhere.

How do we use our hearts to love to full capacity?

This tournament is also in memory of a friend of ours that passed away 4 years ago from a heart attack, Claude LaMaster. This is the 4th year in a row that we've honored Claude by hosting this tournament. We have changed the name of the tournament so that it would focus on a commonality that both Joe and Claude shared.......hearts of champions.

We want to use this tournament as a tool to evangelize to the community in an expression of love. We pray that hearts are touched and that the purpose of these games is fulfilled in a beautiful extension of love.

"Our goal is to love God with our whole
being, to be consistently conscious of God through our daily life."

To read more about Joe Braisted, please visit the blog page of Mike and Amanda Braisted. The link is posted below:
http://braistedadventures.blogspot.com/p/heart-of-champions-tournament.html

Love God. Love People. Love Well.

(we were having a little too much fun with our Labor Day sign!)

2010-09-03T13:22:00.000-07:00

Love Hopes.

When I see this precious picture, all I feel is love and joy.
This photo was taken just outside of one of G.O.'s Nutrition Centers in Los Perez.
She sat in my lap while I fed her beans and rice. Her physical needs were being taken care of by the food that was being provided in this Nutrition Center.

Since her physical needs were being met, her mind could be clear to soak in the love that was being shown to her, and through that, I pray that she felt God's sweet arms wrapped around her.
After she finished eating, she went outside and began playing with this basketball. My heart was overjoyed by her beauty, smile and spirit.

Dear Jesus, I pray protection over this precious child of yours. I pray that you continue to provide for her so that she can grow up to be a strong, healthy woman in Christ. I pray that she always feels that love, mercy and grace that you so willingly give us.
Amen.

Praise God from whom all blessings flow.

2010-08-18T13:23:00.000-07:00

Thank you. Gracias. Mesi.

The summer is "officially" over. Many have come, many have served, great works have been done for the sake of The Kingdom.

We want to extend a million thank you's to all of the team members that so willingly came to serve the people in the Dominican Republic and Haiti.

Thank you for pouring out your love, thank you for your smiles, thank you for the many acts of service that were shown, thank you for your sacrifices, thank you for giving to the poor, thank you for feeding the hungry, thank you for working tireless hours to help construct churches, homes and feeding centers, thank you for playing a beautiful part in God's restoration plan to His people and His creations.

feeding the children in Los Perez

Thank you for teaching the children, thank you for being solid role models, thank you for instilling the importance of disipline, hard work and dedication to these young people.

teaching the children at basketball camp

praying before a game

Thank you for praising Him, loving Him, thanking Him and serving Him alongside of our Dominican and Haitian brothers and sisters.

Thank you to those of you who gave financially to send these people to be the hands and feet of Christ this summer. Thank you to those of you who were on your knees praying. You play a big role in this Kingdom work!

Thank you to those of you who financially support the two of us. This allows us to stay here on the field doing the work that we feel called to do. Thank you for your generosity, love and prayers!

There are so many beautiful things that took place this summer......

partnerships were formed
bonds were strengthened
people were saved and baptized
training was given
churches were built
children were taught
the gospel was shared
unity among believers was evident

Thank you Jesus for the work you are doing in all of our hearts. May we seek you for direction and hear when you speak to our souls. We love you. Amen.

If you are interested in bringing a team to come and serve, please contact Audrey. This could be a group of friends, small group, sports teams, Sunday School class, etc. To coordinate your trip, you will be working with the 3 ladies below.

Vicki. Jackie. Audrey.

2010-08-06T06:34:00.000-07:00

So blessed....

We have had about 25 teams here in the Dominican with us this summer for short-term mission trips. They have all come and gone being a blessing to the Nationals (Dominicans and Haitians) as well as being blessed themselves in unimaginable ways!
Another way that blessings have been poured out through groups this summer is to us as missionaries. This is exactly what happened last week. Let me explain.

This is River Valley, one of our supporting churches. What a blessing they are to us in so many ways. There is a small group from River Valley that has "adopted" us as missionaries. They weren't able to come on the trip, but they sent a bag down with one of the team members full of goodies. Thank you for the blessing!

One evening, we went to a dear friend's house to sing worship songs on his balcony. Kerlyn and his brother Kendrix led by singing and playing the keyboard. What a joyful sound it was! For us, this was one of the biggest blessings of the week...we were able to see Kerlyn using the gifts that God has given him for The Kingdom. Thank you River Valley for giving Kerlyn the opportnity to stretch himself and grow in his faith.

We have developed some precious relationships in the past 5 years since we have lived on the mission field. We see many of the Dominicans as "our family". It is such a sweet blessing to us when our family from the states comes to the DR and loves on our "family" from the Dominican. The picture below is a man named Felix who works on the construction team building churches and Nutrition Centers. The River Valley team surrounded him with prayer, love and encouragement this week.

It is truly such a blessing to have family here. We love our brother-in-law, Brian, and always feel encouraged by our time spent with him! We know that he prays continuously for us as we are here serving on the mission field. We feel those prayers and are grateful!

We are blessed to be a blessing to others......think about what that means. In God's covenant with Abram (Abraham) in Genesis 12, He says, "...and you will be a blessing.....and all people on earth will be blessed through you." Many times we think of the word "blessing" as us always being on the receiving end, but in God's covenant, He says that He will bless others through you. We have seen that covenant remain strong all over the island this summer. When teams are here, they truly are a blessing to us as missionaries, in turn, we are filled up and encouraged and can be a blessing to the Nationals. The Nationals are then filled up and encouraged as well, and are a blessing to the groups that come and serve. It's a beautiful cycle that happens and I have no doubt that it is pleasing to our Heavenly Father.
In all of the blessings being poured out, God is being glorified through the love that is being shown by His people.

How can you be a blessing today?

So blessed.....

2010-07-25T17:54:00.000-07:00

"And now, these 3 remain: Faith, Hope and Love. But the greatest of these is love."
1 Corinthians 13:3

It's been 5 years since we exchanged vows and committed to love each other like Christ loves The Church.
It has been a beautiful 5 years! 5 years that we wouldn't trade for anything, 5 years that have brought laughter, joy and tears, 5 years that have changed us and molded us into the people that Christ desires us to be, 5 years of learning how to serve on the mission field, 5 years of growing meaningful relationships, 5 years of trying to express to all of you how grateful we are for your continued love and support. We hope that you feel our gratitude. It has been a beautiful 5 years!

We write letters to each other every year for our anniversary. They are so meaningful to us both and such keepsakes. 5 years, 5 letters!

On July 22, 2005 we were married, and on September 23, 2005 we moved to the mission field. For us, there is no better way to have started our lives together. We feel fortunate to have loved so passionately and to have been loved so passionately over these past 5 years.

This is where our journey began.....a journey that has entailed true joy, passion, service, love, laughter, tears, ministry, heart break, happiness, and growth.

It's been a beautiful 5 years!

2010-07-17T06:16:00.000-07:00

It's been a God ordained summer, and the best part is....it's only mid-July. We know that there are many amazing things to come and we look forward to being a part of it all!
I (Audrey) just wanted to post a few pics of some of the summer happenings so far. When Will gets a spare moment, he is planning on doing a Blog post specifically about our annual G.O. basketball camp that took place 2 weeks ago. It was one of the coolest God filled weeks that we have experienced since we moved to the Dominican Republic almost 5 years ago.

The Youth Leader of our church, Isaias Gabriel, did a conference in Salcedo for 250 kids. It is called Urban Christ. Will and I went for the day to support Isaias and to listen to some great worship. This camp truly is rocking the island and our prayer is that these youth will experience God in a radical way!

This is Carmen, she cooks in the kitchen for G.O Ministries and has an incredible servant's heart. She cooked for 250 kids at this youth camp.

Kerlyn played the drums in the band at Cristo Urbano. He is so talented and a precious friend to Will and me. No, Will didn't play the guitar, it's just a prop!

Jose Luis and Will work directly together in sports outreach. He is head of our baseball ministry. Jose Luis was at youth camp doing devotions with the kids.

Many people were there supporting Isaias and his ministry. This is Lisa, a fellow missionary, with her sweet baby boy Ruben.

I had the privilege to host a babyshower for a fellow missionary and dear friend, Sunshine Leach. She is 7 months pregnant and will be leaving in a few short weeks to return to the states to prepare for the birth of her sweet baby boy. Some are missing from this group pic. We missed you guys!

We have helped host 15 teams so far this summer. We count it a true joy to get the opportunity to be a part of this life changing experience for people. This particular group is Crosspoint Community Church and they are from Nashville, TN.

This is Kentwood Christian Church and they are from Michigan.

Okay, so I had to post this picture and let the whole world know that there is a CHILI'S in the Dominican Republic. It's brand new! This is my favorite restaraunt in the states, it's usually the first stop we make when we return for the holidays. Needless to say, Will and I were pretty excited when we heard that it was here. : )

Again, this is just a small post in efforts to keep you guys updated on some of the happenings of the summer. We love all of you and are grateful for you! We continue to feel beyond blessed that God has called us to be here. We strive to love Him more everyday. As we love Him more, the passion in our hearts grows deeper to serve His people and through doing that, we hope that the lost become found.

We've added a few pages on the side-bar, check them out if you have the chance! Stay tuned for our next post about our annual G.O. basketball camp.

2010-05-23T12:22:00.000-07:00

"Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God."

Ephesians 5:1-2

We are back in the Dominican Republic after a wonderful visit to the States. This time was different because we didn't travel, but instead took some time to re-charge and fill up before participating in a summer that will require a lot of "pouring out". It's on our hearts to share a particular moment with you all that really reminded us of the lifestye we're called to live.

On May 8th, 2010, Will's sister, Lucy, got married to a man named Rory. The wedding day in itself was a time of celebration, but beyond that, the focus of their wedding gave us something to celebrate that lasts longer than a lifetime. The scripture they chose to read that day was from Ephesians 5:1-2: "Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God." After hearing this scripture, we looked into the footnotes of our NIV Bible and it says that the "love" Paul is referring to in this letter is "a love that goes beyond affection to self-sacrificing service." It's so easy to sit at a wedding and focus on the affection part of love and forget about the self-sacrificing love displayed by Christ as he came and made the ultimate sacrifice for His bride, the church. We are so grateful that Lucy and Rory remained focused on the love Paul talks about in Ephesians. Their first act as a married couple was to serve communion to each other and all those around them. They went beyond looking into each others' eyes with affection and rolled up their sleeves and served "the church". Thank you Lucy and Rory for your faithfulness to the gift of marriage and the example of true love that God has given to us.

This was a great reminder of how we're supposed to serve in a self-sacrificing manner all those that we come in contact with this summer. We have the privilege of hosting multiple short-term mission groups for 10 straight weeks this summer. Please pray that we too will stay true to the love that Paul is speaking of. Let us all strive to be imitators of God!

Lucy, Jack and Rory Lekites

2010-04-26T08:12:00.000-07:00

G.O. Team G.O........We did it!!!

Please click on the "Run With Purpose" page on the side-bar to see how the wonderful day un-folded.
Thank you to all of you for your support!!

2010-04-19T08:25:00.000-07:00

His Blessings Overflow

It's been a blessed winter/spring here in the Dominican!

These past three months have been a whirlwind, my how time passes by so quickly.
When we arrived in January, it was full force Haiti relief work at a hangar in the Santiago airport. Will spent many hours coordinating flights, pilots and locations to drop supplies in Haiti. Thanks to all of you who so generously gave! G.O. was able to send hundreds of thousands of pounds of food, tents and medical supplies to Haiti.

His blessings overflow.

Will on the tarmac at the Santiago airport

Audrey has been training for the past three months for the Derby half marathon that takes place on Saturday, April 24th. She has been doing an ongoing fundraiser asking people to pledge per mile to help support her and Will's mission work in the Dominican. She has a purpose to which she runs! (see page on side bar for more info). Thank you to all of you who have so generously given towards this cause. Your giving continues to amaze us. Thank you for allowing our God to work through you!

His blessings overflow.

Audrey running through the country side in the Dominican, one of her favorite places to run.

Will continues his discipleship with the Sports Outreach crew. They are working through the Theology of Redemption. The focus of this study is how God is using His son and His followers to redeem and restore His Creation. The guys continue to grow as a group in unity!

His blessings overflow.

The Sports Outreach crew (missing one, Gamaliel, who assists Jose Luis with baseball ministry)

Audrey's sister, brother-in-law and niece came to visit for 10 days. It was such a wonderful time of fellowship! It had been close to 4 years since Audrey's sister had been here. It was so fun getting to show her our life in ministry here in the Domincan.

His blessings overflow.

Audrey's sister, brother-in-law and niece in the feeding center in The Hole

One of the most special highights of these past 3 months was our home church from Louisville, KY, St. John United Methodist, coming on a mission trip. They helped build the Central Church which is going to be such a light in the community. Thank you to all of you for your love, encouragement and prayers. We couldn't be more blessed to have such a precious church family!

His blessings overflow.

St. John United Methodist Church in the Dominican Republic

His blessings overflow.

We leave for the states tomorrow (Tuesday) and plan on spending about 3-4 weeks there visiting family and friends, fundraising, having staff meetings,working the Derby as a G.O. staff and enjoying Will's sister's wedding! When we return at the end of May, we'll be gearing up for a busy summer with lots of teams traveling down for mission trips. Ready, set, G.O.!

Please continue to pray for continued growth in our individual walks with God. Thank you to all of you for your continued support. We are humbled by your love!

In Him,

Will and Audrey

2010-04-02T13:22:00.000-07:00

A Beautiful Partnership

The mission statement of G.O. Ministries is "to partner with Nationals through short-term missions". It is so amazing to see first hand the beauty of a Partnership.

Brian and Melissa Hyma (Audrey's sister and brother-in-law) partner with Felix Florentino. Felix is a hard working Dominican man who works on the construction team for G.O. Ministries. He helps build churches, feeding centers and homes. He is a tender-hearted Christian man who strives daily to become more like Christ.
Because of this partnership, Felix is able to do full time ministry and does not have to scrape by trying to find a second job to do on the side to support himself. Felix has recently made some tough decisions that go "against the culture" to set himself apart. He has couragiously stepped out on faith to show his love and committment to walking side by side with our God!

Brian and Melissa were here visiting last week and were able to spend some sweet time visiting Felix and encouraging him in his faith, his work, and his decision to live a life pleasing to Christ. Thank you Melissa and Brian for your gracious hearts and humble spirits!
Felix was also able to meet his "sobrina" niece for the first time. Nora Kate Hyma! Nora is truly a special gift from God. Brian and Melissa adopted her into their family a little over a year ago. Felix prayed without ceasing while the adoption process was taking place. He was nothing but smiles when he held her! He saw God's faithfulness directly in front of him.

In saying all of this...you can see why I say this is a "Beautiful Partnership".
Thank you God for your beauty and for your unconditional love for us!

Nora Kate with her "tio" uncle Felix

The Hymas with Felix on a Sunday afternoon playing softball

2010-03-18T07:59:00.000-07:00

Wave 3 News in Louisville, Kentucky, came down to the Dominican Republic and did a story on G.O. Sports Outreach. Take a look at the video below. The news crew was down here with us for a few days and got some great coverage. The old basketball videos are a little funny, but they did a wonderful job highlighting sports outreach.

2010-03-08T11:33:00.001-08:00

Why do I Run?

Please take a moment to click on the link on the side bar called, "Run With Purpose". There you will see the purpose as to which I (Audrey) run.

Thank you to all of you who pray for us, encourage us and love us.

We are humbled by the sacrifices that you make by GIVING. May God bless you as you have so richly blessed us!

Blessings,

Will and Audrey

Will and Audrey before running the 10K in Santiago, Dominican Republic

2010-02-16T13:49:00.000-08:00

During our hours spent out at the Santiago airport for Haiti relief, God has given us opportunities to meet some incredible people. Some came to help because they heard there was a need. Some came because they were looking for an adventure. Some because their boss said so. Some aren't sure why they came....but they did. Even though they all may have had different reasons to give of their time, plane, and finances, one thing remains the same; they came and helped meet the needs of a starving, devastated nation. It is truly an honor to work alongside so many people that have a heavy heart for men and women they had never met. We thank God for giving us a first hand experience of how the Body of Christ works. It has come together and performed in a way that brought about unity amongst strangers. Thank you Jesus for placing these pilots in our lives, they've impacted us greatly! These wonderful people have given so much of their time, some have donated their own planes and have paid for their own fuel to get relief supplies over to the Haitians who so desperatly need it.

For that, we are grateful!

Todd Scholten, Mark Linsley, Roger Powers, James Powers

The gentlemen above are from Grand Rapids, MI. They work for L-3 Avionics Company. Their company drove a semi truck to Florida with supplies from our Louisville warehouse then used their King Air aircraft to fly supplies from Ft. Lauderdale, FL, to Santiago, Dominican Republic. They made many many trips back and forth. They are all such sweet spirited, humble, Christian men .

To them, we are grateful.

Scott Dorfman

Scott Dorfman is a pilot and plane owner from Atlanta, GA. He was so so gracious with his time and finances. He was a marathoner in his trips back and forth from Haiti. He didn't stop! Every time he returned from Haiti, he had a story to tell about his encounters with the beautiful Haitian people. We so enjoyed his stories and pictures. Thank you Scott for your heart.

To him, we are grateful.

2 pilots (black shirts) John and Chris

There aren't words to describe John and Chris. They are pilots from Boston who came to fly their company plane for relief efforts. They impacted us so greatly because of their enormous passion to get the job done. They were true servants and we will forever have a special place for them in our hearts. Thank you John and Chris!

To them, we are grateful.

Richard Wod and his wife

Richard Wood is a pilot and plane owner from Vancouver, Canada. He was such a blessing to be around and brought such joy to all situations. He as well was very gracious with his time and finances and worked unbelievably hard to get as many supplies over to Haiti as possible.

To him, we are grateful.

There are so many more pilots that have come and gone that gave so freely of themselves. Thank you Spencer, Scott, Eric, Andy, Patrick, Ryan, Bernie, John, Kim, Tom, Phil, Frank, Steve, Steve, Steve, and Steve :)....and many more!!

The days continue to pass by, the Haitians are still greatly effected by the earthquake, and pilots are continuing to show up with their planes ready to serve.

To all of them, we are eternally grateful.

2010-02-10T05:40:00.000-08:00

Two New York Times Reporters came to visit our warehouse here in Santiago. They produced a story on all that is going on with the volunteer pilots using their planes to take food and doctors to Haiti through G.O. Ministries.

Please click on the link below to see the video! After clicking on the link, you will need to click on "In Haiti, Help from Above" in the column on the right.

Front: World Americas Playlist - Video Library - The New York Times

In Him,

Will and Audrey

2010-01-31T19:07:00.000-08:00

Incredible! God is so incredible! It has been nothing but pure joy watching the Body of Christ work as it should to restore His people and His creation.
The G.O. Help Haiti operations are running smoothly. We feel so blessed to be a part of these God moments that happen on a daily basis!
In a time of desperation and crisis, it's mind blowing that there are so many stories of victory and lives being changed. We look forward to the time when we get to share them with you all and give praise to our Savior.

We have been given a warehouse at the Santiago airport where all of the donations are being stored. Supplies are being bought by the truck loads thanks to all of you who have donated to the G.O. Haiti relief fund. The warehouse is being run by the missionaries with G.O., several of the Dominicans that work for our ministry and some volunteers.

Will and Ken (G.O. Missionaries) planning where to send planes filled with food, water and medical supplies.

Our make-shift office in the warehouse

Pilots from all around the world show up at the warehouse in Santiago eager to help. They are all so gracious in donating their time, planes and fuel. We load them up with food, medical supplies and sometimes doctors and relief workers, then send them to one of the locations that we are working with in Haiti. We communicate with the organizations in Haiti to let them know that supplies are coming. They wait there in great anticipation until the supplies arrive. We have been able to take almost 30,000 lbs. of cargo on a daily basis over to Haiti! This operation has been running for almost 3 weeks now. We will continue sending supplies into Haiti as long as the resources are still there and as long as God continues to bring pilots and planes our way.

plane getting ready to leave for Haiti

supplies ready to be loaded onto a plane

Sitting on a mountain of pasta getting ready to go to Haiti. Thank you for your donations!

Richard and his wife, volunteer pilot that flew his plane for G.O. help Haiti relief for a week. He said that this was the "best experience of his life". Thank you Richard for helping us get supplies to Haiti!

God continues to provide us with strength as the days at the airport are long! We are grateful to Him for that. We are completely driven by His love, hope and promises. We're in complete awe of Him as He has His hand in all of this. We pray that all those affected by this earthquake turn towards our King instead of rebelling against Him. There have been wonderful reports of Haitians worshipping God in the streets throughout the day. Please pray with us that the people of Haiti seek Him and find Him and that the world doesn't turn a blind eye.

Your help matters.

Please continue to give at http://www.gohelphaiti.org/

Love,
Will and Audrey

2010-01-27T05:31:00.000-08:00

Drew Moore has been serving with G.O. for a week to help us get aid into Haiti! Thanks Drew! Check out this video & his call to action- How will YOU respond?

G.O. Help Haiti- Drew Moore Responds to the Haiti Earthquake from Jackie Perez on Vimeo.

2010-01-26T09:16:00.000-08:00

G.O. Ministries- Responding to the Jan. 12, 2010 Haiti earthquake from Jackie Perez on Vimeo.

2010-01-24T13:01:00.000-08:00

G.O. Ministries was able to fly 15 doctors and nurses over to Jacmel, Haiti to do some emergency relief work. They returned to Santiago last night exhausted and stunned by some of the images that were engrained in their minds. We were privileged to sit with them at dinner listening to their stories and their hearts. They saw many of the injured Haitians, casted broken bones and amputated limbs. The bravery and passion shown by this group of physicians is nothing short of amazing. On a small scale, they were able to give pieces of comfort and hope to the victims of this tragedy. We still pray that God continues to reveal himself to this country in need and that they find His hope, His love, and His mercy!
We housed the doctors in our dorm in Santiago last night and got them off to the airport this morning so they could return home to their families in Boston.

Please continue to give of your resources so more lives can be saved. Visit our site at:

http://www.gohelphaiti.org/

In His Arms,

Will and Audrey Partin

2010-01-21T19:37:00.001-08:00

Below is a link to a website that has been set up for people to receive information about the relief efforts in Haiti through G.O. Ministries. Updates will be sent to this website. There is also a place to donate funds so we can continue meeting the many needs that still remain all over the country. Please click on the site to see video footage of Brook Brotzman (President of G.O. Ministries) in Jacmel, Haiti yesterday. We will send more written information your way soon. Keep praying and challenging all Believers to continue to function as the Body of Christ that spreads worldwide.

http://www.gohelphaiti.org/

Love,
<><
Will and Audrey

2010-01-20T19:17:00.000-08:00

We just wanted to let you all know that we have landed safely in the Dominican Republic. There are many incredible things going on right now on the island and we will share them with you soon. As a ministry, we are gathering all of the information and releasing it from our home office. When that takes place we will be more than happy to pass it along so you can stay in the loop. We just ask that you continue to pray that God will use His people to extend helping hands towards our Haitian brothers and sisters. Thank you for your prayers and we will be updating you when information is released.

Love,
<><
Will and Audrey

2010-01-14T13:13:00.000-08:00

G.O. Haiti Relief Fund

We wanted to pass this along to all that follow our blog and haven't already received word from G.O. Ministries. Many have asked how they can assist with the tragedy that has taken place inHaiti. Please read below.

A record 7.0 earthquake rocked Haiti on Tuesday, January 12. We are still getting reports in of the massive destruction and devastation especially around the capital, Port-Au-Prince. All teams, partners and missionaries with G.O. Ministries are safe. However, many have not heard from family members and friends and our hearts are broken for our brothers and sisters. Cell phone and landline services are down in Haiti and we are working hard to get more information
As a result, G.O. Ministries is setting up a Haitian Relief Fund called 'Help Haiti'. We thank all of you for your phone calls and your desire to help. Right now, the most important things you can do is pray for the recovery efforts and give. Thank you for those who are willing to go, however, we are currently using people that are already there to funnel our resources through. If you would like to give, please make your checks out to G.O. Ministries with 'Help Haiti' in the memo or you can give online here: http://www.go-ministries.org/give.shtml. Make sure if you're wanting to give to the "Haiti Relief Fund" that you specify with the drop down box where it says "Program". 100% of what you give will go towards providing recovery resources specific to the relief efforts in Haiti.
Thank you for your continued prayers and support!

2009-09-04T13:26:00.001-07:00

"Give thanks to the Lord, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done. Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts. Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice."

1 Chronicles 16:8-10

As we spend time preparing for the summer, we pray for God to reveal Himself to us in new ways knowing that He is at work in our lives and the lives of those around us. We had the privilege of working alongside many different people that came down here to fulfill the command found in Matthew, to go and make disciples of all nations. This year was a little different as we had more groups come to partner with our sports outreach. Through basketball (boys and girls), baseball, volleyball, flag football and whiffle ball, we were able to spend time with hundreds of kids. Our sports staff is learning how to evangelize through building relationships and that's exactly what took place this summer. So we wanted to take this opportunity to praise Him and tell of His wonderful acts while giving Him glory and rejoicing along with those who seek Him. We hope you enjoy the pictures below of the ministry that took place over the past 3 months.

Basketball Camp with Eastview Family Group

Flag Football with CPC

Girl's Basketball with Banta

G.O. Basketball Week

Volleyball with Pathways

Baseball and Basketball with Shepherd of the Hills

We also finished our 4th annual G.O. Sports Outreach Summer Basketball League. This was a huge success as kids learned how to play as a team, grow as a team and realize their importance in the body of Christ. After six weeks of Bible studies, practice and games, the boys experienced what it means to cared for by their coaches......men who have become role models and faces of Christ in the community of Hoya del Caimito. Below are some pictures and a video of this year's league.
Click on the link below to watch 2009 G.O. Sports Outreach Basketball League:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cs8V6XSmqu4

We hope you enjoyed sharing a piece of this summer with us. We are blessed to be here!

With love,

<><

Will and Audrey

2009-05-20T11:52:00.000-07:00

"This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples."

John 15:8

The last two months have been filled with fruit. There have been countless reminders of what God is doing on the island of Hispaniola so it's only fair that I share them with you all.....the people that so faithfully support and encourage our ministry.

For the third straight year, our home church in Louisville, Ky, came down for a week long mission trip at the end of March through the beginning of April. Throughout the week, we talked a lot about the large steps the church has taken in over seas missions. When we decided to move to the Dominican Republic 4 years ago, everyone was asking what our needs were. Of course we had many prayer concerns and monetary needs, but the one thing that we remember asking of everyone was to come down to the D.R. and experience it. No matter how many pictures we show or stories we tell, it's just not the same as someone physically walking the streets, hugging the Dominicans/Haitians, sitting in the homes, smelling the coffee, riding in the cars in crazy traffic, feeding a kid in a feeding center, eating ice cream at Bon or working alongside our Dominican and Haitian staff in the hot sun. So after almost 4 years of living on the island, we are praising God for the fruit He has provided in answering our prayers and our requests.......people are coming down to serve and experience the Dominican Republic. Thank you to all that have come, will come and for those of you that cannot, thanks for praying for the people that can. We are encouraged every time we see a familiar face and so is our Dominican Family.

St. John United Methodist Church, Louisville, KY

Sports Ministry is making huge strides in the training of our work crew both spritually and in leadership. We have continued to study R. Kent Hughes' book The Disciplines of a Godly Man and the response has been....fruitful. Pedro, Romano, Jose Luis, Simon, Alan, Alexander, Kerlyn, Wilson, Eric, Mike and Will are learning what it means to be Godly men in our homes, work, relationships, mind, devotion time, worship, church, leadership, giving, witness and ministry. Please continue to pray for this journey we are on.

At the end of April, we tested a new area of sports ministry and it was a success. A group of 11 men from Illinois came down to help us with a football camp.....American football! We knew we were in for a ride when the kids looked funny at the ball, then picked it up and tried to throw it like a baseball. We started from scratch and by the end of the camp, we were ready to call the NFL about a couple of new Dominican prospects. The kids loved it and caught on very quickly. Two kids that particpated in the football camp are now new Believers and are attending the church. God's fruit.

These same men from Illinois held a men's conference in a city called La Vega. There were close to 150 Dominican, Haitian and American men that attended and it was incredible. The topic for the week was "Breaking the cycle of Sin". In the Bible, it gives many examples of sin being passed on from generation to generation and gaining power on the way down. Many people today struggle with the sins of their fathers, grandfathers and great grandfathers, but it doesn't have to be passed on to our children. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" We celebrated that promise all weekend long.

Group from Illinois

The final fruit we want to share covers the entire G.O. Ministries organization. Every four yearsour ministry takes a few days to look back and see what God has done. We call it the Celebrationof Partnerships. All 61 of our Dominican, Haitian, Columbian and Mongolian workers and their spouses (about 100 total) made their way to Puerto Plata (northern coast of D.R.) to meet up with our North American Partners that support the ministry. We worshipped in 3 languages, participated in Beach Olympics, ate together, swam together and celebrated together what God is doing through His unworthy servants. It was an incredibly refreshing time as we took this opportunity to get to know one another on a deeper level and sing praises to our King. Thank you to all of you who play such a huge role in expanding the Kingdom.

group photo from the celebration of partnerships

G.O. Staff

egg toss competition

human pyramid competition

Please pray for us as we head into the summer months and host many short term mission teams. Pray for safe travels and that we will not get in the way of what God has laid out for us. We'd love to hear from you, so don't be afraid to toss an email our way!!

With love,
<><
Will and Audrey Partin

2009-02-19T13:03:00.000-08:00

"Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own, you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body."

1 Corinthians 6:19-20

Often times when people ask us what kind of ministry we do in the Dominican, they don't understand exactly what we mean when we say "sports ministry". We want to share just one of the wings of ministry that we are involved with via Simon, one of the members of the G.O. Ministries Dominican/Haitian Sports Outreach Crew.

After an 8 year career in the professional basketball league in Santiago, Simon came to us and said he was interested in starting a little business that would be a great opportunity for outreach. Simon wasn't the best player in the pro league, but he was arguably the strongest and most physically fit. So after taking classes and receiving his certificate to become a licensed Personal Trainer, he wanted to open his own gym. He found a guy that was selling some old equipment and his plans were to build the gym behind his parents' house in a rural community called Don Pedro. In this drug infested area, there is a large number of teens and young adults that hang out in the streets without much to do. Simon's dream is to provide for them a place where they can take care of their bodies, as The Bible tells us to in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, as well as present an alternative activity where they can spend their time and energy. He began to build and the response has been wonderful.

Inside this gymnasium you can find a couple of stations for bench press, incline press, decline, dumbells, shoulder press, squat wrack, stationary bicycle, abdominal workouts, two dogs for security, a rooster that runs around and a gecco that arrives in the morning and leaves for lunch in the afternoon. On the mirrors, Simon has written bible verses and motivational quotes such as, "Dios es tu fuerza"..."God is your strength". He has made his gym affordable as it only costs 20 pesos per visit (57 cents). Will, Mike and Eric (other American sports missionaries) visit Simon 3 mornings a week to encourage him and receive a personal workout from the master himself.

As we've said before, the purpose of our ministry is to get behind the Nationals (Dominicans and Haitians) and encourage them to do ministry amongst their own people. Simon came to us with a vision and a passion, so we are standing behind him in his fitness ministry and so are you. Because of your generosty, we were able to provide Simon with some financial aid to get this gym up and running. We thank you and he thanks you!

Simon is just one of eight guys we are working with in the area of Sports Ministry. His passion is to teach the message from 1 Corinthians 6:19-20. Every Saturday we study a book called The Disciplines of a Godly Man with these young men in order to keep each other accountable in our journey to become men of God. As the year goes on, we will continue to introduce you to these men so you can see who they are and what they are doing. This is sports ministry and we are here to love, encourage, disciple and provide the needs of the Dominican and Haitian men that have a passion for their people. Please enjoy as we take you on a tour of Simon's gym through the pictures below.

Love,
<><

Will and Audrey

2008-12-05T12:24:00.000-08:00

"All a man's ways seem right to him, but the LORD weighs the heart."

Proverbs 21:2

It has been a very long time since we have updated our blog and once again I find myself apologizing to you all. A couple of people have told me lately that "forgiveness is always on the horizon", so I pray that you feel the same way :)

2008 for G.O. Ministries, Inc., was an incredible year. Everything from the number of people (868) that came down to do short term missions to the enormous amount of people that received medicine at our medical clinics to the thousands of kids that participated in sports camps and on and on and on. We were so blessed to meet such a large number of Believers that make up the Body of Christ and serve all over the globe. In saying all of that, there was one thing that God really taught us through out the year, "all a man's ways seem right to him, but the LORD weighs the heart." There were many moments this past year where we (Audrey and I) felt like we were at the top of our game and doing ministry in such powerful ways because so many people were involved. But then one day we were led to the verse in Proverbs and began to ask ourselves...."if the Lord is weighing our heart, what would the result be?"

So many times we get so caught up in the "what" that we forget about the "how" of our activities. There aren't many things easier in the Dominican Republic than grabbing a few basketballs, going to the court and inviting kids to play. Before you know, you have started a camp that then leads to a league. At the end of 6 weeks, the kids had a blast and learned a great deal about basketball. But is that it? Was that really all we were hoping to accomplish? We felt like we did a good thing; our ways seemed right. But after a while we began to wonder, are we fulfilling God's desires or are we simply creating activities that take up time and make it look like we're expanding the Kingdom. Well, our hearts were weighed and it was time for a change.

God has taught us so much this past year about how important it is to seek His guidance before we take every step. Often times we get so comfortable with our own decisions that we just leave Him out of the whole process. Time and time again, His results proved far more amazing than anything we could ever produce. When it came time for God to examine our hearts, I'm afraid He wasn't seeing much of Himself. Please pray that we continue to seek Him before we move forward.

Especially during Christmas, as Believers, our hearts are softened to the needs of people who are without. So we spend time serving meals at a soup kitchen or delivering blankets to homeless people and really reach out to different communities. The prayer that we lift up today is that as we continue to reach out, that we don't just do it because we're supposed to, but that we learn to love the people we are serving. That we take time to get to know them and invest in their lives. It is a powerful thing to be able to provide a physical need for someone, but the rewards are eternal when we take the time to provide spiritual food in the lives of those around us. When our hearts aim to please man, we'll be disappointed, but if our hearts' desire is for God, He will move mountains.

Please pray that God continues to challenge us on the mission field to not only provide activities for the people we work with, but also do our job as Believers, to lift up the Gospel and allow the Word of God to transform us all. Allow Him to lead, because if we are people after His own heart, when it comes time for Him to weigh ours, He'll be pleased.

Much love,

<><
Will and Audrey

Below are a couple of pictures of Miguel from Hato del Yaque. God really taught us a lot through a few hours spent with this kid as all he wanted to do was sit, play and hug. In a day filled with activities that we were supposed to be involved in, God revealed Himself to us through this little guy.

2008-08-17T14:23:00.000-07:00

"But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him."

Luke 15:20

This is a verse we need to read more often as it portrays the love that God has for his children, the unconditional kind. I love as the story continues in Luke when the prodigal son begins his speech about how he's not worthy to be called his father's son anymore because he's sinned against him and God, but his father isn't even listening because he's calling for his servants to bring clean clothes, food, sandals and the family ring to place on his son that has come home; his son that was "dead and now alive again."

How many times have we been ashamed to turn around and head back home to our Heavenly Father? Only to find that as we begin our journey back to Him, He's already running towards us to embrace us, kiss us, protect us, clothe us, feed us and clean us. This was the message that we shared at our first new worship service for the tigeres (tigers is what they call "street thugs") of Hoya del Caimito.

I was standing outside the church one day wondering why the kids from our camps weren't attending church when I realized that they didn't feel welcome. Someone along the way has planted in their head that they have to clean up before they go to church. So the new worship service alongside the basketball court is called, "Come as you are". 80 people did just that on Thursday night. Some soaking wet from playing basketball, some looking for the prize at the end of the service (we raffled off two tickets to a professional basketball game) and some a little tipsy after having a few drinks on the corner of the street. It was different.....it was church.

The praise band was made up of people who are passionate about music and sharing it with the people that surround them. All are young people from the community that have participated and led sports activities over the last few years. They did an incredible job and you could feel the energy as they worshipped God through playing and singing. We began a series on the Prodigal Son as we're trying to get these young men and women to understand that just like the father ran to his son in the story, God is wanting to do the same to us no matter what we're in the middle of. Something we can all remember daily.

Meet the band: Kerlyn, Isaias, Mike, Kendrix, Romano, Audrey and Goody

We recently had an incredible sports week as well. The Indiana Wesleyan Men's Basketball team came down for a week to do construction, basketball camp and compete in a tournament against teams from the Dominican Republic and Miami. They were outstanding as they were so excited to work in the Hole and dig a 15 x 15 x 15 ft. sistern at the land for our new central church. As far as the tournament was concerned, after a rough first game, they took home the gold by beating the Santiago all-stars in a rematch. They were a joy to watch as many of them have been transformed from young basketball players into true men of God. Thank you IWU for coming and serving here in the D.R. Check out the video below from their week.

http://www.vimeo.com/1509476

Please continue to pray for G.O. Ministries and all that is going on in the Dominican Republic. Pray for the new worship service that we'll have two thursdays a month. We love you all and pray that you experience God running to you as well!

Love,
<><
Will and Audrey

2008-07-07T12:03:00.000-07:00

"And the parched land shall become a pool."

Isaiah 35:7

July 6, in My Utmost For His Highest, Oswald Chambers writes about visions and reality. He says, "we always have visions, before a thing is made real". After spending three years in the Dominican Republic working with sports ministry casting visions, God gave us a glimpse of reality this past week. In 1998, a group of 12 guys travelled to Santiago to put on a basketball camp for 40 kids with the hope that the community would catch on and the event would grow into an ongoing ministry opportunity. In 2008, a piece of reality arrived. Basketball camp week turned into an all sports week. We just finished an incredible 4 days of boys basketball, girls basketball, volleyball, baseball and women's fitness. Over 300 boys, girls, men and women participated in the clinics. Through out the week, we taught about the fundamentals of each sport, competition and what it means to use our entire body to glorify it's Creator. The response was outstanding.

Check out the video from the sports week below

http://www.vimeo.com/1371318

Later in the Chambers devotion, he says, "every vision will be made real if we have patience.......in the light of the glory of the vision we go forth to do things, but the vision is not real in us yet; and God has to take us into the valley, and put us through fires and floods to batter us into shape, until we get to the place where He can trust us with the veritable reality." I'd like to say that the full reality has come to fruition, but the truth is only part of the parched land has become a pool, the vision is still out there, and as a sports ministry, we're still in the valley. We saw amazing potential this past week during the all sports clinics, but a Sports Complex, that is the vision. The ability to reach the entire island and beyond would be limitless if we had a place to host kids from all over for week long sports camps, bible studies, conferences, tournaments, etc... Please pray with us as we seek God's guidance in regards to the future of sports ministry. The visions are huge, so please walk with us hand in hand through the valley as we await the arrival of reality. God's timing is always perfect.

This summer has been incredible and we're only half way through it. Each group that has come to serve has gone off without a hitch and we're overflowed with blessings. Thank you to all that have come, prayed and given in order to help G.O. Ministries grow. We are so very grateful! We hope to hear from many of you as it's always nice to get updated on what's happening at home.

Love,

<><

Will and Audrey

2008-05-08T11:31:00.000-07:00

What's goin on........

Hey everyone! We apologize for the delay in updating our blog. It has been a very busy and exciting winter/spring so we wanted to let you know about a few things that have taken place. Here is a run down of some of the latest activities in the Dominican.

2nd Annual Claude LaMaster Inter-church Basketball Tournament

Body of Christ Church

Assembly of God Church

Baptist Church

Hoya del Caimito

St. John United Methodist Mission Trip (Home Church in Louisville)

Click below for a video of the week
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ne31zd80GM

Men's Adventure Weekend (Conference for men of Dominican Republic and Haiti)

"Wild at Heart"

Recreation and Fellowship

Baptism

Communion

Prayer

Worship

Thank you all for being such a huge part of all of these events. God is doing HUGE things inside and through the people of the Dominican Republic and Haiti. We wish we could share EVERYTHING with you all...... He's incredible!

We are in the States until May 27th. We would love to set up meetings and visit. Please email me at will.partin@go-ministries.org with any requests, prayer concerns, information, questions or just to say hello. You are all very close to our hearts as we continue this journey. Please pray continuously!

Love,
<><
Will and Audrey

2008-03-27T12:38:00.000-07:00

Online Giving

Hey Everyone! We just wanted to let you know that the ministry has provided an online giving option. As you can see in the right hand margin, a PayPal account has been set up and with a click of a button, you can donate to the ministry. You have the option of setting up a recurring donation or a one-time gift. Please note that if you choose to give online, there is a transaction fee that amounts to 3.2% of the donation that will go towards paying PayPal for allowing us to use their services. Example, if someone gives $100, $96.80 is what will actually be donated to us. Just wanted to let you know this is available to those who are interested.

<><
Will and Audrey

2008-03-11T07:47:00.000-07:00

"The Lord upholdeth all that fall, and raiseth up all those that be bowed down. The eyes of all wait upon thee; and thou givest them their meat in due season."

Psalm 145: 14-15

Like most jobs or new experiences, it usually takes a while to adjust and see results or "fruit". Because we are Americans and grew up in a culture where success is measured by immediate progress, it has been at times difficult to feel effective and useful in what God is doing down here on the island of Hispanola. In a study that we've been doing, we've spent time in the Scriptures that refer to waiting on God. For us, this has been difficult because our personality is to try and make things happen right now and without much help. In 2 Timothy 3: 16-17 it says, "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." We have experienced the teaching, rebuking, correcting and training of the Word of God.

Over the past year, our Dominican and Haitian sports staff has grown. We packed the 2007 calendar with sporting events (camps, clinics, tournaments, leagues) and had great success as far as numbers of kids who participated. But God placed it heavy on our hearts that we were still somewhat out of focus. Since January, 10 leaders have been meeting every monday to dive into God's word in hopes of being taught, rebuked, corrected and trained in order to be thoroughly equipped for the good work. Seeking to be equipped not for just an activity, but for the spiritual battle that everyone faces every day. Instead of trying to produce our own results, we have been taught to WAIT on HIM.

Simon and Alan

We met a man named Simon Abreu two years ago. Will was practicing with the professional basketball league and Simon played for Club Sameji. Although his 6'4" - 200 lbs. frame may appear intimidating, his heart proves to be gentle, humble and meek. Simon made the personal decision to get baptized over 6 months ago and since then has been struggling through the beginning of his walk. I say struggle because he's recognized the significance of being a Believer and that the path is narrow. Just last week, after 6 weeks of studying, praying and waiting on God to lead us to the next ministry opportunity, Simon started his own basketball ministry in his neighborhood. Because Simon played for Sameji, who won the professional league championship the last 4 years, he has earned a great deal of respect from the kids. 60 boys from the ages 8-20 came on the very first day. When Simon spoke, they listened. Two years after meeting Simon and spending time with him, the Holy Spirit has moved in him and placed him in ministry.

When we wait, God givest us our meat in due season.

Challenge for all of us: Slow down and wait on God.

As much as we'd love to have a sports complex, sports vehicle, 10 new leaders, 40 new camps, 90 more kids in church, the reality is.......it's not up to us. "They eyes of all wait upon thee; and thou givest them their meat in due season." He is very aware of the desires of our hearts, if they are the same as His, in His time, He will provide.

Please pray for Simon and the rest of the sports crew. This new area we're working in is infested with drugs. Pray that basketball will be an attractive alternative. Also please join in praising God for His faithfulness to His word. He has given us our meat in due season.

We will pray the same for all of you.

Love,

<><
Will and Audrey

2008-01-31T13:26:00.000-08:00

Just Ask!

This blog is a month late, and if you know the two of us well, you'll know that Will is the one responsible for writing the entries :) Not only is it late, but it is long overdue as we'd like to extend a HUGE THANK YOU for the year of 2007!!! God moved in incredible ways as He always does. One part we want to share with you is the way He worked through each and every person reading this blog. Provision.

Matthew 7:7-8 says, "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened."

We have spent a large amount of time asking, seeking and knocking over the past year and God has met those needs by using His faithful......you! Our last blog stated how much financial support was needed to finish out the year. "For everyone who asks receives." Praise God, we met our goal. Thank you so much for allowing God to work through you to make our ministry possible here in the Dominican. By having the financial resources, many doors have been opened and we will continue to knock and see where God will lead us for the coming months.

Not only has God provided through finances, but the prayers, encouragement and gifts have been abundant. We feel them, we need them and we ask that they continue. Each and every prayer and gift is being put to use here in the D.R. For example, Louisville Slugger sent a large quantity of their 2007 inventory to support our baseball ministry. In doing so, this allowed us to host our first sports camp of the year this past week. A group from Kansas City Baptist Temple came down to do a baseball clinic for 60 kids, play in a softball tournament and do discipleship training for our pastors and women of the church. It was an incredible week as they taught the kids about control. Control your mind, control your body, control the ball, control the play and control the game. The kids heard the message that if you allow Jesus to control your mind, then he will also control your body and your life. Many of them understood the parallel between the game of baseball and a Christian walk as around 40 came forward to learn more about a life with Jesus. Please pray for them as we meet tomorrow morning (Saturday) to aid them in their "next steps".

After a wonderful visit to the States, we have to say that it is nice to be back in the Dominican Republic. Aside from the beautiful weather, we missed our neighbors, friends and co-workers. We thank you for sending us back home. We will keep you updated as ministry happens. We love you and pray that this year will be even more amazing than the last!

<><

Will and Audrey

2007-12-12T10:59:00.000-08:00

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.

2007-11-26T11:31:00.000-08:00

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!!

2007-10-05T08:28:00.000-07:00

"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

2007-09-02T18:16:00.000-07:00

" 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

2007-07-09T14:37:00.000-07:00

"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

2007-04-13T06:37:00.000-07:00

"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"

2007-03-21T12:39:00.000-07:00

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

2007-02-24T16:52:00.000-08:00

"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

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Will and Audrey

Kansas City Baptist Temple

G.O. Missionaries watching softball Softball tournament trophy ceremony

2007-02-07T08:43:00.000-08:00

"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,

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Will and Audrey

2007-01-21T18:20:00.000-08:00

"the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore."

Psalm 121:8

Saluda de la Republica Dominicana! We are happy to say that we have safely arrived back home to Santiago. Our Dominican and Haitian brothers and sisters welcomed us with a big hug and bright smiles as they do to everyone that comes to see them (the gift of hospitality). We made it to our apartment around 10:30 p.m. on Wednesday night and immediately unpacked so we could wake up the next morning and join the wonderful sounds of roosters, motorcycles and kids playing at the school next door. It's amazing how quiet our parents' homes are compared to here......even during the holidays. A little peace and quiet was nice, but these noises have become a part of our life.

This is our apartment in Santiago (the pink one up top)

Our last couple of weeks in the States were outstanding as we continued to visit with friends and family. The last Sunday that we were in town we had the opportunity to present G.O. Ministries to our church in Louisville (St. John United Methodist). The president of the ministry, Brook Brotzman, came and delivered a message that prepared us to return to work here on the island of Hispaniola. Brook truly is an instrument of God and allows Him to use him in a powerful way. A big thank you to Pastor Kelly McClendon and the St. John crew for giving us that Sunday to share our hearts and allow people to learn more about the ministry. We are excited about the church coming down here to work in March.

Our other home church in Dalton, GA, (Dalton First Church of the Nazarene) is defining the phrase "team-building" as they prepare for their trip in June. Thank you to all that have taken the leap to join us for a week in serving the Dominicans and Haitians. We are so excited to have the opportunity to share future experiences together.

To those of you we got to see over the holidays, we enjoyed our time together. For those of you we didn't have the opportunity to sit down with, we pray that that time will come soon whether it be in the States or here in the Dominican Republic. To all of you, thank you so much for allowing us to work in 2006. God has used all of you in a mighty way to teach us what it means to give of yourself....fully. Many of you are making sacrifices by setting aside time to pray for us, giving financially or sending encouraging words; we love you all and we hope that God will use us in return to provide something for you as well.

As we've prayed about where God is leading us for this new year, we ran across something in a book called "Velvet Elvis" by Rob Bell:

"Missions is less about the transportation of God from one place to another and more about the identification of a God who is already there. It is almost as if being a good missionary means having really good eyesight. Or maybe it means teaching people to use their eyes to see things that have always been there; they just didn't realize it. You see God where others don't. And then you point Him out."

Please pray that God will allow us to see where He is in everyone and help bring Him to the surface. We will be praying the same for you. HE is all around us and always has been. Let him shine!

Con el amor de Cristo,

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Will and Audrey

2006-12-13T06:44:00.000-08:00

"Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God."

Matthew 4:4

Merry Christmas! We pray that you are enjoying this holiday season and that the words of God are ringing in the streets.

We have been back in the States now for over six weeks and we've added a few miles to the car. The ongoing fundraising tour has been in full effect and though it isn't our favorite part of ministry, God has shown us the gift of provision. Thank you to all who have been so supportive both financially and prayerfully and we ask that you continue to be a part of this Ministry.

The entire G.O. Ministries staff is State-side at the moment as we have just finished our year-end meetings. As exciting as 2006 has been, we are all very anxious to see how God is going to work in our lives and in the lives of the Nationals of the Dominican and Haiti. There are many exciting events coming up and we're looking forward to sharing them with you. We just ask that you pray for the G.O. Staff and the Ministry as a whole as we continue this wild journey.

We are here until January 17, so please keep in touch and we hope to see you during our stay.

Feliz Navidad

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Will and Audrey

Merry Christmas from the G.O. Staff

2006-11-13T12:06:00.000-08:00

Happy Hoildays! We made it home safely and are adjusting to the weather:) We arrived in the States October 30th and have already spent some time in Dalton, GA, visiting the Leatherman family. We had a great time as we were able to hang out with Audrey's parents, visit her church that has been so faithful through support and prayers, and even catch a wedding of an old friend. We are now in Louisville working in the G.O. office and preparing for the end of the year activities. God has been so gracious as we look upon this last year in the D.R. with a huge smile on our faces.

Before we left the Dominican a couple of weeks ago, we had a crazy-fun time. In just 10 days, we hosted 4 different churches from the U.S. and 2 individuals that came to explore the Ministry. Within these 10 days we had two medical clinics, soccer camp, dental clinic, women's conference, childrens' ministry, evangelism, and trips to Haiti. Our entire staff was stretched all over the island, but the Holy Spirit kept everything together and the experiences we all had were Outstanding.

As far as the sports portion, the soccer camp was great! We had a total of 80 kids for our first adventure with soccer in the D.R. The kids here are naturally talented at basketball and super-skilled at baseball, so we weren't quite sure how the "futbol" would go. After a couple of days of fundamentals and short games, the kids were having a blast and improving fast. The soccer ministry is officially launched and we are excited about the future.

Once again, we want to thank all of you for your prayers for the teams that come down to serve and the work that continues within the Ministry. When we were saying good-bye and preparing to come home, it was a little different this time. We always love coming to the States because we love our family and friends, but leaving was a little tough. We feel such a peace about where God has placed us at this time in our lives. We never would've thought a few years ago that He would take us to another country and settle us in and allow us to call it home; but that's who God is and it's just a testimony to how He can change and mold anyone. Thank you all for your encouragement as we have continued to adjust to our new life together.

We will be in the States until January 17. There will be lots of traveling and visiting, so we would love to see you if the opportunity presents itself. During this time we will be speaking with churches, spending time with family, and continuing the ongoing journey of fundraising. Please pray as we move forward with trying to expand our support circle. We started off pretty strong this year with our funds, but as months have passed, things have died down a little. We know that God will send the right people at the right time as He has always been so faithful. He is definitely teaching us how to trust in Him for everything and through everything.

We pray that all is great with you as the holidays approach. Please send emails and cards as you find the time so we can see faces and hear stories. We love you all and hope to hear from you soon!

In Jesus

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Will and Audrey

this is Debra, a little girl from our street who visits us A LOT!!:)

2006-10-06T07:34:00.000-07:00

Greetings from the Caribbean! Although we didn't have any teams come down in the month of September, we have managed to find ways to keep us busy enough to wonder where the days have gone. We've been continuing our spanish classes and they have provided much help in many different ways. Both of our teachers are Christians so they bring great encouragement to the work that is going on down here and they teach us a thing or two about the language as well:) The only down side is homework.....just when we thought we had abandoned that nightmare by graduating, we throw ourselves right back in the mix. All in all, we love class and spanish.

In our last update, we mentioned that a group of men from our church went to Columbia for a month to help serve and learn more about the structure of other churches. They arrived home safely to a community that was anxiously awaiting them. These men are a great encouragement to our neighborhood so they were greatly missed while away. While in Columbia, these men learned a great deal about what kind of changes they want to make in the churches here in the Dominican Republic. They now realize the importance of accountability through small groups. We had a meeting last week where leaders from the church discussed their plans for implementing these small groups into the church structure. Audrey and I have been appointed as leaders for the sports crew, as well as helpers in the marriage group and the young adults. We are thrilled with the ideas that are forming and the passion that the people here have for God, their church and their community. Please pray for the efforts that are taking place to expand the church body and for the discipleship that lies ahead.

On the sports side of things, the basketball league here in Hoya del Caimito has ended. The championship games were very exciting and the awards ceremony was something the kids really enjoyed. After the games were over, we invited the kids and coaches of the league to an awards ceremony on the third floor of our dormitory. I had the opportunity to deliver a message which tied in all of the devotions the kids had with their coaches through out the league. After that we gave out awards and our media director put together a video filled with pictures and live action from the games. The kids went CRAZY! We set up a projector and put the show on a wall so they could see themselves in action on the big screen. They cheered and laughed the entire time. It was great to see them enjoying each other as they looked back upon the 7 weeks we spent together. Please pray that these boys will continue to pursue what they learned in their devotion time and that we will have the opportunities to visit with them and help encourage them.

Now that basketball is over, we have begun our adventure with volleyball. We now have a volleyball clinic for girls on Saturday mornings! God is so good as He brought us over 30 girls on the very first day. Now that things are under way, we had to change the schedule and split the clinic into two different groups at two different times due to the number of kids. Please pray that these girls will understand 1 Corinthians 12:12-27 as we try to teach them what it means to be "one" as a team and as the body of Christ. After the clinic ends at 10:30, we have invited adults of the church and the community to play volleyball with us. So far, many have come to play and the games are pretty competitive....which we LOVE :)

It hasn't been all "work" and no play over the past few weeks as we had a staff trip to Santo Domingo (capital). There we visited the place where Columbus and his ships made their home here in the Dominican back in the late 1400s. In the early 1500s, the first church of the new world was built and still has services today. It is a catholic church known as the cathedral and it is beautitful. We then toured the city some more before heading to Outback Steakhouse.....obviously the only one in the country. Also for entertainment, Will has been playing in a basketball tournament in a town outside of Santiago. Club Amistad is the name of the team and they are in the championship beginning next weekend. We have really enjoyed meeting the people in this community and seeing a different part of the country.

We also had a couple of visitors this past week......Rob and Jennifer Partin (Will's parents). They arrived on September 28 and stayed until October 4. We all had a great time seeing ministry sites, touring the city, hanging out, and spending a night at the beaches of Sosua. It is always a blast having visitors because they bring energy and a fresh view of the ministry and the Country. A girl from Santiago (Virginia is her name) spent one year at the Partin household about 7 years ago, so this was the first time that the Partins could come here and meet her family. They really enjoyed getting to see them and learn about their life here in the D.R.

The month of October is here and we have a busy month ahead. There is a group here right now from Michigan working on construction and childrens ministry, so pray that their hearts are open to what God has to show them through this experience. We have a few more groups coming which will entail construction, two medical clinics, soccer clinic, childrens' ministry, womens' ministry and evangelism. As we prepare for these weeks to come, pray that the people will continue to see that Jesus lives in the hearts of these people and that we all solely rely on Him for everything. He is the air we breath...He is our daily bread.

The holidays are approaching and we are planning on coming home at the end of October. We look forward to seeing all of you as usual and we pray that you are allowing God to move in your life. We'll be updating you soon on our plans for our time at home so we can schedule some times to get together. We love you all and praise God for what He's doing through you.

In love with Jesus,

<><
Audrey and Will

2006-08-18T09:33:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone!! Well the summer full of short term mission groups has officially ended for G.O. Ministries and the staff is taking a moment to re-energize before the Fall. With 16 teams in 3 months, we were able to accomplish a lot through medical, construction, sports, childrens' ministry, VBS, ongoing training for pastors, and simply loving on the people of the Dominican and Haiti. The Holy Spirit is moving in this place and God's people are fired up for ministry.

Since our last update in July, Audrey and I have had the opportunity to serve in a medical clinic in Los Salados, construction in Brisa del Campo (a new church for one of our Hatian pastors), an all girls basketball clinic with Indiana Wesleyan's women's basketball team, childrens' ministry in 10 or so churches, and we have continued running our basketball league here in Hoya del Caimito. The picture to your right is a little boy from the medical clinic who had a cist on his forehead that needed to be drained. He was a great sport about it! We have learned that you grow the most in Christ when you are broken and tired. We have had to learn how to rely solely on Him especially when there's not much left in our tank. God has been so good through this summer as each group brought a certain energy that allowed us to continue to serve Him.

Audrey just finished a 6 week basketball tournament where she was playing with a women's team here in Santiago. There were 4 teams in the tournament and bragging rights were at stake. Her team won the championship and she made the local newspaper and her picture will forever be on the walls of Club Pueblo Nuevo. She made awesome relationships with the girls on her team and is really looking forward to nurturing them.

I had a great opportunity to return to Haiti for the second time. We had a videographer come down to help us with our new G.O. Ministries video. This visit to Haiti was a little different because I was the only one that had ever been there. We had 3 groups down here at the time, so I volunteered to lead a group of 4 to Quanaminthe. God was so amazing as he made the entrance and exit to and from Haiti a smooth one. Usually it takes quite some time to get across the border, but that day we only spent about 5 minutes trying to get through. It was a great day in Haiti as I got to sit down and interview Arsenio (pastor) and hear why he has such a deep passion for the Lord and his people in Haiti. We spent time in the feeding center, market, school, and joined in on a prayer and worship time in the church. Listening to people worship in their native language is a beautiful thing! Please continue to pray for God to change lives and perform miracles there!

We were really excited to have IWU's women's basketball team here this past week because they were like trailblazers for the girls side of sports ministry here in the D.R. This is the first time we've had an all-girls team come down to hold an all-girls clinic. As you can imagine, the females of the community were beyond excited. The girls had a 3 day clinic and participated in a tournament in the evenings. Womens' selection teams came in from 3 different cities to play against the IWU girls. The tournament included Santiago, La Vega, Mao and U.S.A. The Americans won the tournament and had a great time sharing their testimonies and forming relationships with their sisters in Christ. Please pray that the girls from these different cities and the 25 girls from camp who came forward after an altar call, will continue to pursue a relationship with Christ.

In the midst of all of the groups, we had two visitors come down to experience life in the Dominican. Tom Goodwin, a good friend joined us for 4 days. He was able to see a lot of the ministry and he mentioned that he felt that tug to come back again to serve in the D.R. Audrey's sister, Melissa (Sis), also came for about 5 days. As you can imagine, they had a blast hanging out and traveling all over the place seeing what kinds of things we do here. I enjoyed being the driver and tour guide! We have been so blessed to have visitors as they bring such encouragement and strength at the right times.

Prayer Requests:Please pray for the sports ministry as we're on the brink of something big. We really need to raise funds for this minibus as we have developed relationships with kids all over the city that would like to participate in clinics and leagues, but don't have transportation to get everywhere.A group of 15 men from our churches and work team here in the D.R. just left for a mission trip to Columbia. For many of them, this is their first time out of the country. The goal of our ministry is to empower the people of the Dominican and Haiti to spread the gospel......God has answered prayers as these men have left their comfort zones for a month to go and make disciples of all nations!! Pray for them and their safety as they work and serve.Just please continue to pray that the Holy Spirit will boldly move throught this island!

We love you and miss you all and we hope to receive updates about you all soon!!

<><
Will and Audrey

Sis and Audrey

2006-07-16T14:31:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! We just wanted to say a huge THANK YOU to all of you for your prayers and your support. We can feel the showers of prayer that are being poured upon us every day. We know that each day prayers are answered as we wake up and experience God in new and exciting ways. We are also so grateful for the financial support and the special gifts that people are sending. After about 3 rough months in a row for raising funds, God provided in a major way for the month of June. Thanks to all of you, June was our largest financial month yet which has allowed us to take care of many ministry expenses we've had for the summer sports camps and leagues we're having for the kids. When we received our monthly donor report, we were blown away by how many people have responded to supporting this ministry! We know that every month won't be like June, but we thank you and ask you for your continued support as we know it is needed in the future.

Some of you have been so supportive in other ways as well. We have received brand new sports equipment from Louisville Slugger, basketball shoes from North Oldham Middle School, and all of our vitamins and sunscreen have been provided as well. There is a baseball team that we spend time with every Thursday and they are ecstactic about their new equipment. The basketball league has begun and kids are able to play in real basketball shoes. We are staying healthy and feel energized because of our vitamins. Again, thank you all for being so creative and generous with your support.

In love with Jesus,

<><
Audrey and Will

Vitamins, Sunscreen, Louisville Slugger gear & shirts

2006-06-29T11:20:00.000-07:00

Greetings from Santiago! This is our first update since we arrived back here in the D.R. on June 13 after a nice visit in the States for 6 weeks. When the plane landed here a couple of weeks ago, we hit the ground running in preparation for the 9th annual basketball camp in Hoya Del Caimito. In 1998, this camp consisted of 10 American helpers and 30 Dominican campers. This year we had 160 campers and 35 Americans come down to serve. The presence of God has been working in this camp as it continues to grow.

Every morning we began camp with chapel. Three women from the church and a few men formed the praise and worhip team as we lifted our hands through singing. All of the kids in the camp loved clapping, worshipping, and laughing at the Americans who had no rhythm. Each day one of the Americans shared their testimony and a Dominican friend of ours, Samir, preached. By the end of the week, the response was great as 40 kids came forward to find out what a relationship with Christ is like. Please pray for these kids who are hungry for the gospel. Audrey, Pedro, and I are spending this week visiting the houses of those who want to learn more. Pray that we will all be consistent in our walk with God.

We are now preparing for the first ever G.O. Ministries basketball league that will begin July 4th. This will be an 8 week league where kids will practice, play games, and have a Bible study with their teams. We are praying that this will provide consistency, commitment, and discipline in the lives of the children here; 3 big things in which they are lacking.

The summer is a very busy time for the ministry as a whole. We have two teams down here every week working on a variety of things. Right now, a church from Illinois is here for a medical clinic and construction. Also, a church just south of Indianapolis is here to serve in construction and children's ministry. Because this is such a jam-packed summer with short term mission trips, sports leagues, and the usual daily ministry, please pray that we are able to continue to grow spiritually as a staff. Many of us know what it is like to get so busy that we forget our daily time with God. Please keep us accountable by checking in with us and asking if we are continuing our much needed quiet time.

We are so excited about being back here and we can't wait to see what God has in store for the summer. Each day He reveals something new to us and He becomes bigger and bigger. There is great comfort in knowing His plans are far great than our dreams. Thanks again to all of you who are praying and supporting us. We are blessed to be here. Please enjoy the pictures from the basketball week!

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Audrey and Will