Preparation Devotion

 2 Timothy 4:1-5 

"I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction. Fir the time will come when they will not endure soon doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths. But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, and do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry." NASB

Summer has begun and so have our preparations for our Fall STM Retreat and our mission trip in January. While details for our travels, lodging, and such are important the most important thing is for us to be ready now, preparing our hearts, souls, and wills by spending quality time with God through through our quiet time in His Word and in prayer. We also need to be comfortable in sharing the gospel and our testimony with others. There are resources that are available including EvanTell, https://www.evantell.org/evangelism-videos/, to help you. Also, please get with either Lynn, Roxanne, or Deb if you have questions or need help. 

Our Fall Short-term Mission Retreat is September 13-15 at the Woodchuck Ranch, N5768 18th Lane Princeton WI. Be watching for more details in the upcoming weeks. 

There is so much to be thankful for and also to pray about:

• Scott's neck surgery on April 4, went well and though his recovery is slow (it will take at least a year) he has been making progress. We are thankful for GOd's provision i a wonderful care team who recognize what is happening when he cannot find the words and have clearly explained the importance of not overdoing it to keep recovering. he will be seen by his care team again the end of October to see how he is doing and prayerfully figure the next steps to find out the root cause(s) of his underlying poly and peripheral neuropathies and other neurological symptoms that were not from the myopathy.
• Hector has a new position as Director of Operations and the Bucher family have arrived safely in Indiana and will serve as the Executive Director and Director of Development.
• The plentiful rain the has ended our drought.
• Prayer for that Hector will be able to raise the support needed and that he and the Buchers will have a smooth transition into their new roles.
• Prayers for wisdom and discernment as we prepare and plans are moving forward. 
• Open and moldable hearts, wills, and souls as we prepare for our next missions and all God has prepared will serve as He intended. 

Last day for Medical and Construction Teams

 Yesterday, Wednesday, the medical team served in Ellias Piña which is a two-hour bus ride from the guesthouse and along the Haitian border.  The construction team worked at the guesthouse and a local church. The teams were able to visit the new clinic, which many helped in the construction of, and enjoy dinner at a local restaurant.  

Both teams are currently serving their last day either on medical or construction and will be cleaning up and restoring supplies they used, repacking their things in preparation to head back to Santo Domingo in the morning and visit with their sponsor children.  Please pray for endurance as they are tired, for continued protection from the enemy, and for soft moldable hearts for each of them, those they are serving, and those they are serving with. May God's love and grace be evident in their actions, words, thoughts, and attitudes. 

Psalm 136:23-26

Who remembered us in our low estate,

For His lovingkindness is everlasting,

And rescued us from our adversaries,

For His lovingkindness is everlasting;

Who gives food to all flesh,

For His lovingkindness is everlasting.

Give thanks to the God of heaven,

For His lovingkindness is everlasting. 

Buenas Tardes

 Good Afternoon, 

Our team arrived safely in Santo Domingo, DR on Saturday, January 20, were joined by the rest of the team, and enjoyed a good night's rest at a local hotel. 

Sunday, January 21, they had a 3 to 4-hour bus ride to their guest house in San Juan de la Maguana. Once there they unloaded the bus, had a meal, went through orientations, sorted through the donations they brought, and prepared the necessary items they would need for the next day.  

On Monday, January 22, the medical team served in a barrio in Las Matas. They were able to care for 85 patients. 

Psalm 133

Behold, how good and how pleasant it is

For brothers to dwell together in unity!

It is like the precious oil upon the head,

Coming down upon the beard, 

Even Aaron's beard,

Coming down upon the edge of his robes.

It is like the dew of Hermon

Coming down upon the mountains of Zion;

For there the LORD commanded the blessing-life forever.

Thank you for your continued prayers,

Deb

January 8 Devotion and Some Final Details

 January 8

13 days until our arrival in the Dominican Republic

The following is paraphrased from Bruce Steffes's wonderful book, "Medical Missions: Get Ready! Get Set! Go!"

Some important points that will make the whole process of going on missions easier:

• God knows exactly what and who you are, and you will not surprise HIm
• You can do all things beyond your own ability because you are doing them through Christ's power
• You are not responsible for the results, only the attempt
• "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them." Ephesians 2:10NASB

Strength and peace about preparation, action, and follow-up will come when you pray regularly. Please have a prayer partner/and or group who you keep in contact with daily, including times during and after the mission. 

As a reminder, our team commissioning is this Sunday, January 14, please try to be at Grace Bible Church by 9:50 am. If possible please wear your team t-shirt or scrub shirt. We will have a potluck lunch after the service, finish packing, and fill out the e-tickets forms (https://eticket.migracion.gob.do/Auth/TravelRegister/). Please bring a dish to pass and a suitcase.

~Roxanne

Good Afternoon,

I will be sending out a What's App invite on Sunday to those traveling from Chicago so we can communicate with everyone on a single thread. What's pp is available using WiFi or cellular data. 

I also want to share two songs that Faith led us with last year and we would like to do again this year.  

https://youtu.be/XtvT12z18sA?si=8LU1gOJbBuLgPStR

and 

https://youtu.be/G2XtRuPfaAU?si=qJ4QCBO4wgjewoEy

Blessings, 

Deb

Philippians 4:6-7 "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." NASB

Rejoice Always

 18 days until we are in Santo Domingo

Rejoice Always,

Pray without ceasing,

In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

Test all things, hold fast what is good.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18,21 NKJV

Concentrating on all the good God has brought about in our lives is the best way to rejoice. Cares, concerns, and worries can suck the joy out of our spirits.

Please take time to reflect on the changes God made in your life when you believed in HIm. This is your testimony. be ready to share it with others. You may want to write it out or jot some notes. Keep it short and to he point, less than 3 minutes. 

We will take some time at the next meeting to go over this.

Please bring your suitcases if you have any empty space in them as we will try to fit in all the donations.

The commissioning service at Grace Bible Church begins at 10 am on Sunday, January 14. Please arrive 5 to 10 minutes before so we can gather in an orderly manner, or at least not be too confused.  We will meet after the church service and share a potluck lunch while we finish the last-minute details.

Schedule for Friday, January 19:
For those traveling from Portage - be at church and ready by 9 am

For those from the Janesville area - we plan on being there around noon (One of us will try to send a text to you when we set out)

For those meeting us in Chicago - we will hopefully arrive at the hotel around 3 pm:

    Residence Inn O'Hare

    7101 Chestnut St

    Rosemont IL 60018

At the hotel we will eat together, and do whatever reorganization of supplies we can. We will have a scale to weigh each bag. 

Saturday, January 20:

We will ride the bus to O'Hare, leaving the hotel no later than 5:30 am to arrive at the airport in time for check-in and luggage check. 

~Roxanne