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.

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

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"

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!