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.

"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!

". . .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!

"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

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!

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

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!

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

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

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.