a new rhythm.

This post is a tad different than most. I wanted to write about "a new rhythm" for this mama here in the Dominican Republic. There are many people who ask us what a typical day looks like, so my hope is that this post will give you a small glimpse into my little world.

I guess I should start by saying that no day is ever the same which keeps me on my toes for sure. Things stay very interesting around here....and I like it!

During this beautiful season of my life, my daily routine looks a little different than it has for the past seven years.  And oh my how I am soaking it up and loving every bit of it!  Although I still am very involved in mine and Will's ministry in the DR, I have been privileged enough to have the opportunity to spend more time with our baby girl, Ruby Ann.  Since adding this sweet addition to our family, God has really taught me some things as a mother.  He has taught me that to teach our child how to have a genuine faith in Christ and a personal relationship with Him, there MUST be a real faith lived in the home shown through Will and me.   To do this, I must continue to solidify my faith and my journey by taking the time to learn and grow in Him so I can pass this on and teach our daughter the ways she should go.  I am grateful that the pressures of life and the demands of this world aren't getting in the way of this pursuit. 

"Day by day", that's how we do things around here.  I have never been a morning person, but the simple fact that I get to wake up to this sweet face makes it all so much easier!  Some days Ruby and I stick around the house, playing, reading and trying new foods.  Below she is eating an avocado, which is simply amazing here in the Dominican!

Ruby watches as I  sweep the  dust and dirt off of our tile floor as it gathers quickly because of the open air.  We do laundry in our "Dominican" washing machine and hang the clothes out back on the line (we always hope it doesn't rain while the clothes are drying, because if it does, we start the process of washing all over again). This particular load of laundry below happens to be one of those where we had to "start all over" because of the heavy rains yesterday!

We water the plants outside and listen to the many sounds all around us that include roosters crowing, cars honking, motorcycles zooming by and the Haitian women who walk by the front gate selling fruit. We watch our Elmo videos in hope that the electricity doesn't go out.  When it goes, sometimes it's out for 20 minutes, and other times it's out for 6 hours.  We like the days when 20 minutes is the case! We wait anxiously for daddy to get home so we can hear about his day.  He's often gone hosting teams, running sports tournaments/leagues, building relationships and encouraging the men of the Sports Outreach Team.  I do always know that whatever he is doing, he's doing it in Jesus' name. Other times he may be out and about paying our rent or electric bill.  Sometimes we receive a water bill that has been thrown on our front porch by a young man walking by or riding on a bike..... and sometimes, we don't (there is no mail system here).  When Will is paying bills, he could be gone for 30 minutes, or he could be gone for 3 hours....just depending on how long the lines are or if the credit card machines are working at the electric company that day.

Many days look like what I described above, and some days look completely different.  There are many times where I have the opportunity to join in on the ministry taking place outside of the home.  I love working side by side with my hubby hosting teams and playing even the smallest part of this life changing experience for team members.

I also love our visits to ministry sites where G.O. is working and I so enjoy taking Ruby Ann with.  It is very important to us, even at such a young age, that she engrains herself in the culture here in the Dominican, that she has a heart for the people that is filled with compassion and love.  In fact, this is the prayer that I am stuck on for her right now, that God gives this little miracle just that, a KIND and COMPASSIONATE heart.  It is so refreshing to visit G.O's Nutrition Centers to love on and encourage the Pastors that work in these areas and to see God at work.  Below is a photo of us in The Hole where G.O. has a Church/Nutrition Center run by Pastor Felix Abreu.     

On a bit of a side note, because of the limited access we have to "things" here....the little things continue to make me smile.  I found a pumpkin for the first time ever.  It's sitting on my front porch and everytime I open the door it makes me giggle. It's a little piece of Fall, which is my favorite season of all.  On the other hand, it's "Spring" all year around here as the warm weather allows for blooming flowers...another one of those little things that brings joy to my soul.   

 

This year has been an adjustment for us in life and ministry, but God has been faithful as He has allowed us time to find our rhythm, and we love the beat of this drum.
 

There are lots of questions out there about why people do short term missions.  Is it worth the time and financial committment?  Are we helping or hurting the locals?  People right here in my own country need help so why would I go to another country?  Without going into a long, drawn out explanation about why short term missions are a blessing to all involved, take a look below at the wonderful work God did in the hearts of a few (because I can't write about all 1,000 or so short term missionaries that participated in trips with G.O. this year) that came to serve for a week on the island of Hispaniola this summer!

"...I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now..."  - Philippians 1:4-5

Generoso and Yesica are the Dominican "Brady Bunch".  A few years back, they married each other and brought 5 boys together that are now proud to call each other "brothers".  Generoso serves on the G.O. construction crew while Yesica cooks for groups while finishing up her nursing degree.  Their sons; Isidro, David, Billy, Willy and Alexis are your typical Dominican boys that all want to grow up and be professional baseball players.

Beechland Baptist Church from Louisville, Kentucky, is a church that has a great desire to be intentional in serving outside their walls by partnering with the worldwide Church.  As soon as they stepped foot into the Dominican Republic and heard Generoso and Yesica's story, they fell in love because they saw a family willing to serve Jesus in their own country.

You might think this is a one way relationship because Generoso's family is the one receiving the "help", but if you have the privilege of watching this group of people get together to fellowship with one another, you would immediately recognize what the "Brady Bunch" does for this church across the ocean in Kentucky.  They share a partnership in the gospel that breaks down all cultural and language barriers.  That's why their relationship is "mutually transformational".  Thank you Beechland and Generoso for your example to all of us of what it means to be The Church!

"Here am I Lord, send me" - Isaiah 6:8

Some five years ago a girl named Becky decided to come on a short term trip to serve in Santiago, Dominican Republic for a week.  She got her hands dirty working construction, she stepped out of her comfort zone while testing her spanish and she dove into the culture as a seed was being planted in her heart.  When she went back to the States, her and a friend decided to bring their youth group from a church called Cornerstone in Albany, Georgia, so they could experience serving in a foreign country.  Two years ago, she decided to leave her roots behind and move to the Dominican to serve as a teacher at a school in Santiago.  Her desire; to see students come to know Christ in an intimate way.  This past summer, her youth group returned and was able to see what Becky's life of service is like in Santiago.  A short term trip changed Becky's life and when God needed a servant at Santiago Christian School, Becky said, "Here am I Lord, send me"!  Thank you, Becky, for your willingness to go where God has called you!

"I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me-"  - John 10-14

Stepping into a well established church as a new pastor would be a difficult position to be in.  This year, Pastor Mark Amspaugh, took a position at Dalton First Church of the Nazarene in Dalton, Georgia (Audrey's home church established in 1930).  A mission trip to the Dominican Republic was already on the schedule and Pastor Mark decided to jump on board.  Personally, I couldn't think of a better way to get to know your congregation than removing yourself from your "every day" life and distractions and serving alongside the members of your church.  Mark got to see the heart of his congregation at work on the construction site as well as their personalities while hanging out in the dorm rooms.  On the flip side, the long standing members of DFN had the privilege of serving with their pastor and getting to know him on a personal level.  As missionaries, Audrey and I gazed with smiles on our faces as we saw a church we love grow deeper in affection for one another while the nucleus of DFN became stronger.  Thank you Pastor Mark and DFN for giving us a beautiful example of what it looks like for a shepherd to know and love his sheep.

"Share with the Lord's people who are in need.  Practice hospitality."  - Romans 12:13

Stephanie, from Louisville, Kentucky, had been looking for a church to call home.  She had been visiting a place called Revolution for some time and really enjoyed all that God was doing through the church.  Eventhough she had not yet become a member of Revolution, she signed up to go on a short term mission trip with the church to the Dominican Republic with G.O. Ministries.  Throughout the week, it was obvious that the other members of the group shared a great appreciation and love for Stephanie.  Because of the nature of a trip like this, they were able to get to know one another more by sharing their stories and gaining a deep respect for one another as they worked to dig holes for a medical facility in a third world country.  By the end of the week, Stephanie shared with the group that she had not yet felt that Revolution was her home church, but after spending time with such hospitable and loving group of people, her need to find a home church had been filled.  Thank you Revolution for practicing your hospitality towards the people from your own community even though you were thounsands of miles from home!  You are a stronger church today because of your love for Stephanie!

"Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop..."  -  Matthew 13:8

For the past 15 years a group of men and women have been coming to the D.R. to do a basketball camp for the community of Hoya del Caimito.  It is an intense week of basketball fundamentals, games, competitions, testimonies and challenges.  Whenever a member of the American group gets up to speak to the campers, the heart of the message always centers around that fact that we all love basketball, but Jesus is the focus of the camp.  A guy named Dewin has participated in this camp for many years as a kid, but now has taken on a different role.  After the camp is over, we put on a 5 week basketball league for the kids and Dewin served this year as a coach/mentor.  His team won the championship this year and you could see his passion for the game and his kids from a mile away.  This past Sunday, Dewin decided to commit his life to Christ.  For years he has participated in that summer camp and heard message after message about how much Jesus loves him.  Those words encouraged him to seek others from his community that are Christians and ask difficult questions.  After years of asking questions and searching for answers, Dewin laid his life down at the cross and that seed that was planted so many years ago has now begun to produce a crop!  Thank you to all of you that have come on the basketball trip over the last 15 years.  You planted a seed, others watered it and God is making it grow!

... for I am among you as one who serves."  - Luke 22:27

I love overseas missions because it lights a fire under all of us to go back home and serve the people within our own communities.  Several weeks ago a man named Billy from Kankakee, Illinois, brought a group of young adults to the Dominican for a mission trip with River Valley Christian Fellowship.  Billy works with Youth for Christ and has discipled and trained up leaders from the Kankakee area.  It was such a blessing to watch his interaction with the people in his group.  They respect his leadership so much because he has invested in their lives and challenged them to be faithful followers of Christ and leaders in their own communities.  Billy lead his crew down here to get them out of their daily routine for a week so they could serve people they had never even met before.  Watching them love the children of Hato del Yaque and help build a ministry center for the community was a beautiful thing to watch.  What I loved most about this group of young adults was their willingness to whatever was needed.  Many times we all get caught up in working towards gaining position or some sort of recognition, but as I watched this group all week, I was reminded of Jesus' words in Luke 22:27, "...for I am among you as one who serves".  Instead of wasting time trying to fight over a postion at the table, what would it look like if we just served those around us?  If the King of Kings came to do so, I think we should be able to humble ourselves enough to follow.  Thank you Billy and all of you from Youth for Christ for being so willing to take what you learned in the D.R. back home with you and put it into practice with those that live in your community! 

Why short term mission trips?  Because we are blessed when we join God at work all around the world and He just might change your life forever in just a week's time in a foreign land!

Last week was the infamous G.O. Basketball week here in the Dominican Republic!  I had the privilege of watching my husband do what he has grown to be so good at.  I wanted to post a blog entry about how incredible the week was with the campers and the Americans who came to serve, but another G.O. staff member beat me to it, and quite honestly, I am so glad she did! She painted a much better picture than I could have.  Thank you Goody for the post you wrote below.  We are grateful for you!

***

"you could hear a pin drop. and in a country as loud as ours, that's saying something. you know when you can tell something big is coming, whether you know what it is or not, something in you just knows? all your senses hone in on what is taking place before you. you are acutely aware of how people are positioned, where they are looking, who is drawing the attention. you wait in anticipation for "the event" to occur, not yet knowing what exactly it is going to be. i was waiting, expectedly.

the young men that surrounded me, somewhere around two hundred of them, were fidgety. some of them knew it was coming too. others didn't want the words to be spoken. still others were waiting for the charge. to be part of something bigger than any of them even knew possible. because in reality, nobody ever really expected anything of them anyway.

i could hear it in Will's voice. he wasn't going to shy away from this conversation. he knew this was the moment. he knew a week like this was his platform. God's platform. Will knew that if he wasn't bold, if he wasn't real, if he didn't hit them where it hurt, then all of this they'd been doing would have been wasted on deaf ears.

he started to talk about fathers. risky subject. maybe you or i have a pretty good picture of a dad because we grew up with amazing ones. but these boys don't have that good fortune. a majority of the fathers here are the furthest thing from what a father is supposed to be. and when i say majority, i'm not exaggerating a statistic so you'll be blown away; the cold, hard truth is good examples are few and far between. they abuse their children, beat their wives, drink incessantly. and that's if they are around. most "fathers" are but a vapor in the wind. you only speak of them when signing official papers or are enlisting in school and the school officials need to know your father's name. do you know a couple dads like that? i know twenty; and they all live on the same street.

so when Will brought up their fathers, for most of them it was like opening a wound they would rather just put a bandaid on. but Will wasn't having it. he knows that if something doesn't change, 99% of the kids sitting in that room would grow up to be just like their fathers. abusive. deadbeats. criminals.

Will asked them to raise their hands if their fathers drank a lot. more than half the hands in that place shot to the roof. the others raised their hands, not physically, but with a disgraceful expression. "how many of your fathers hit your mom?" less hands went up this time but their expressions went from disgrace and shame to hurt and angry. "how many of your fathers hit you?" only the hands of the younger boys stayed up. the older ones know you don't let others see that kind of truth. "do you want to be like your dads? do you want to follow in his footsteps? do you want to abuse your kids and beat your wives and get drunk every night?" i could hear the quiet sound of influence passing over the crowd. the sound of sniffing and tear-wiping began too.

something incredible happens when a person is empowered. when they realize they have expectation. it ignites something in them. they suddenly feel like who they are now doesn't have to be who they will always be. change is a powerful thing.

there was this moment when i could barely see through my own tears and i watched as Will's eyes welled up too. i realized THIS is God's redemption plan for this island. maybe the young men who are here, listening, will change the course of an entire community. maybe looking back ten years from now we could track a new generation of husbands and fathers to this very room. maybe, all it took was one guy from louisville, kentucky to charge these boys to be Men of God. and almost as if it were rehearsed, when Will asked this room full of broken boys if they wanted to be Men of God they chanted back at him, "Hombres de Dios," with fists raised in the air. not because they were expected to or they would win a prize if they did it really loud but because the flame was lit and the torch was passed and for a room full of boys, the buck was stopping here."

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: the old has gone, the new is here!"

2 Corinthians 5:17

 

I recently went to a place that reminded me of my story(and more than likely your story too) as a follower of Jesus Christ.  Phaeton, Haiti, is a remote village located in the Northeast part of the country that has a history that seems to fascinate, bother and excite me all at the same time.  As you walk across the desert-like terrain and enter a village that has no electricity, running water, grocery store, market, starbucks or mcdonalds, one has to wonder why anyone would choose to live in such a place.  The only thing to eat is what they fish out of the bay that backs up to the community.  As you walk a little further, the incredible story begins to unfold.

Once upon a time, a man from New York decided to build a rope factory in an area of Haiti that backed up to a bay (later known as Phaeton).  His factory brought many Haitians to this community looking for work and a better life.  That is exactly what they found.  At one point, the rope factory was amongst the largest sources of income in the entire country of Haiti.  The community had electricity, homes for the workers built by the factory owners, plantations built for the owners and managers of the factory that were surrounded by pools, tennis courts and a beach along the beautiful bay waters.  As I try to picture Phaeton in the mid-1900's it almost seems like a dream place to live and work.  Life was good and the village of Phaeton was important to the world because the world needed what it had to offer.  In return, Phaeton found it's identity in their contribution to the world.  Then, decades later, after the factory was sold multiple times, the workers showed up to work one day only to find that work didn't exist anymore.  The doors were shut, the owners were gone.   The world didn't need Phaeton anymore and the people of the once thriving community were left with absolutely nothing.  They were forgotten.  Identity lost.

In a place that seems to have no purpose, no hope, no reason to exist, there is a ray of light that has been alive for quite some time now.  Lucner, the pastor of the Christian church in Phaeton, grew up right there in the community and his parents worked at the rope factory.  A man that has committed his life to the Gospel in a community and country that once pronounced voodoo as it's primary religion, stands firm in his faith with great plans to restore hope to a village that has lost everything.  G.O.  Ministries has partnered with Lucner to start building a new foundation and a new life in Phaeton.  Already, we have found water for the community and built a temporary church to replace the old, damaged, roof-less one.  Soon, there will be a feeding center, a new church, farm land, recreation facilities, cattle...all centered around the hope of a revival that Phaeton will find a new identity; one that lasts for an eternity and understands that the world desperately needs what it has to offer.  An identity that brings life to the lifeless, hope to the hopeless, food to the hungry, clothes to the naked, healing to the sick and a home to the lost.  An identity in the Creator of all things, God the Father Almighty.  

I had never known a place like Phaeton before going there, but it sure did remind me of myself and all of those that have chosen to follow Jesus.  I don't miss the moments when I seek to find my identity in the world and what it can provide for me.  I love knowing that Jesus has a plan for my life.  I don't miss the feelings of expecting the world to sacrifice for me because I have a Savior that died on the cross for me.  I don't miss the times that I need to be affirmed for who I am in this world because I know that I have a Heavenly Father and Friend that loves me unconditionally for who He created me to be.  

I had a moment where I felt like weeping for Phaeton for what it once was.  But then I found myself getting so excited for who Phaeton is becoming because Jesus is alive and moving amidst it's brokenness.  My time in Phaeton taught me to rejoice in my brokenness, because without it, I would continue to live in my own glory.  Then the world would forget about me and I'd be left alone again and again without a true identity.  Praise God that when we finally decide to stop searching for our place in the world and die to ourselves, we then become a new creation in Jesus Christ; the old has gone and the new is here!!  The old Phaeton is gone and the new is here!    

 

        

Pinnacle Moments

"3 Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as
Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may livea new life."

Romans 6:3-4

A number of different things can happen on a short term mission trip. Sometimes people come looking for an experience in a culture that is completely different than their own. Some come because someone has told them they need to serve somewhere outside their own community so they can return passionate about the area in which they live. Some have heard of the amazing
things God is doing across the world so they want to see it with their own eyes. The reality is, no matter what the reason may be, we've found that most people come on a short term mission trip in search for something...and almost 100% of the time, they indeed find "something".

We have the privilege of hosting people that are excited and driven to grow in their faith journey. Even though it might be just a small window of 8 days, we've found that God can move mountains in the lives of those who are earnestly seeking him in a week's time.

This past week a group of men came to Santiago, Dominican Republic in honor of a dear friend that passed away two years ago. Tommy Barnes, a passionate, bold disciple of Jesus challenged others to walk more closely with Christ and His efforts are still bearing fruit in a powerful way today! Some of his dear friends, along with a few that didn't even know him, put on a baseball
clinic for kids in our community and played in a softball tournament in the evenings while in the D.R. last week. From the outside, it sounds like a pretty simple, fun week filled with kids smiling and past baseball players living out their glory days in the form of Dominican fast pitch softball. But as you dig a little deeper, God was moving in the hearts of these men as they came looking
for an unforgettable experience with their LORD and Savior.

Dozens of "wow-moments" took place in the 6 days the group was here. A powerful message was preached in the Hole by a guy named Tiger; real, genuine faith was shown in the midst of difficulty by Shane; true love for one another was expressed mulitple times by each individual; a band of brothers was formed through selfless service towards others; and to end the week, a public profession of faith was made by Matt as he was baptized in the ocean. These were pinnacle moments in the lives of everyone involved.

Over 2,000 years ago, God sent His Son to earth to fulfill a purpose. After the resurrection, Jesus gathered His disciples and said, "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey
everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

Tommy Barnes understood that Jesus was talking to all disciples of Jesus, not just the 11 on the mountain that day. Because of Tommy's obedience, he took many young men to a different nation in accordance with the words of Jesus. Today, those young men are now bringing others and the cycle continues. The result? A band of brothers that grows each year because they come
on a short term mission trip that challenges them to deepen their relationship with Christ. This group came down in pursuit of God and He blew us all away.

Thank you, Tommy, for your faithfulness to the Gospel. We are fortunate to see the fruits of your labor. Take a look below..."just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life." Amen!

".....of greater worth than gold"

A while ago I heard a guy speaking about how tempting it is for us, as normal human beings, to want to protect our life from any sort of difficulties or trials. He went on to say that it's even more magnified as a person starts a family as our natural instinct is to protect family members and do our best to shield them from anything that could be uncomfortable or hurtful. The guy speaking went on to say, after making multiple attempts to prevent his sons from falling down, getting hurt or shedding a tear, he had to give up and he realized that God was teaching him something that would change his perspective. He said that he felt God saying, "let ME write their story". See, this speaker had a difficult up-bringing and didn't wish any of that upon his family. But what God was saying was, through all of that difficulty, trial and tribulation that you experienced as a boy, look now at the man you have become. As I think about my time with this man I am in awe of how God has healed him, shaped him and molded him into a person that is committed to sharing that same grace with all that he comes in contact with. He endured much heart ache and many trials only to have God do what He does best, take something broken and make it whole again.

1 Peter 1:6-7

6 In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7 These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith--of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire--may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.

This man's faith, because of his trials, is of greater worth than gold. God is writing his story and he's allowing Him to do the same for his kiddos.

I've had the privilege of watching another story unfold over the past few years. This one is a little closer to home but the ending is just as sweet! The moment I became a husband I wanted nothing more than for Audrey and myself to grow together in our relationship with God and in our marriage. But, like the guy in the previous story, I wasn't so sure that I was willing to go through trials in order to get there. I mean, who wants to learn through difficulties, mistakes and heart ache? The problem is, they are unavoidable, no matter how hard we try!

When it was time for us to start a family, I had no idea what was coming! After a few years of being unsuccessful, a fear crept into my heart that was new and unfamiliar. I had a strong desire to have children, but I learned quickly that a woman's desire is one, I am convinced, that only women can understand. I feared for Audrey's heart every time there was a failed attempt to get pregnant. There was nothing I could do. I was reminded of those 5 words that I knew I had to submit to, but had diffulty accepting...let God write your story.

Fast forwarding to the point of this entry, my prayers as a husband have been answered ten-fold over the past couple of years. I always prayed that Audrey and I would grow spiritually as a couple, but never stop our journey with Jesus as individuals. The fear that consumed me, that Audrey's heart wouldn't recover from the difficult moments, turned out to be a result of my desire to protect those closest to me. I wasn't allowing God to write our story. I was so busy trying to protect Audrey that I never really stopped to take a look at how incredible her faith was during this whole process. So when I finally gave in and lifted up my head, I saw something that still brings joy to my heart every single day...Audrey, living out 1 Peter 1:6-7. She suffered trials that as a man, I probably will never understand, but her faith in God is proven to be genuine, worth more than gold! Her faith never waivered, her hope never lost. And nothing could make me happier than that.

So here are some pictures of what happens when we realize that God can write our story in a way that we can't even imagine. We were blessed with the adoption of a beautiful little girl named Ruby Ann (her story can be found in a previous blog entry). I hope, when you look at these pictures, you see a women of God holding onto God's grace and mercy with a joy that comes from knowing He is the Author of life...and a fine Author He is.

Thank you. Gracias. Merci.

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

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

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

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

We love you all,

Will and Audrey

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

The work of a loving, gracious and merciful Father

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

scroll down to meet our new family members! Enjoy!

Mark, Gail, Jacquelyn, Donna and Chris

birthmother, Jacquelyn and birthfather, Juan

Ruby Ann and Donna

First trip to the doctor, Doctor Mayo

Ruby in the hospital at 2 days old



Happy mom!

......life in slow motion

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



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

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

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

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