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

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.

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Will and Audrey

"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,

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Will and Audrey

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!

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Will and Audrey

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

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

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

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

LOVE,
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Will and Audrey

FELIZ NAVIDAD!!

"Aqui Estoy. Enviame a mi."

Isaias 6:8

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Que Dios les bendiga mucho,

<><
Will and Audrey

Please enjoy pics from the Bateys below

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

Ephesians 2:8

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

Simon, Alan and Pastor praying after their baptism

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

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

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

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

Bendiciones,

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Will and Audrey

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

1 Corinthians 2:9-10

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

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

Dalton Crew praying for over Pastor Felix and his family

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

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

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

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

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

In Love with Jesus,

<><

Will and Audrey

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

Matthew 5:16

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Con mucho amor,

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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"