"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!)

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.

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.

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.....

"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!

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.

"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

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!!

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

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