Furlough has been a time of refreshment and an opportunity for us to meet many supporters of the Samaritan Foundation. The past 4 weeks has flown by so fast that we need to reflect on where it has gone.
Less than 12 hours after arrival we were on our way to Circle Square Ranch where another container full of desks, tables, blackboards, & furnishings was being loaded for the new school in villa Paraiso. Thank you to Moses DiSabatino and Cam Rothwell & Roy Murphy, members of Rotary, who have been instrumental in acquiring the school furniture and shipping the items down to the DR now and also in the past.
The container was sent; it arrived in Puerto Plata less than 2 weeks later and to our surprise was released by customs with little delay. So…work is waiting for us upon our return.
We thank the Lord for the opportunity to visit 7 churches and numerous Rotary meetings to greet and thank them for their support and share about the ongoing work being done in the Dominican Republic by the Samaritan Foundation.
It was exciting to hear news that some first time mission teams will be coming in the future also. We also visited the “Ontario Christian Gleaners” and “Sew on Fire” ministries to see firsthand how these partners in ministry share God’s love to the poor and needy of the world.
And finally we would like to thank our friends and personal supporters for a cup of coffee (or tea) while allowing us to tell of the wonders that the Lord has performed in the Dominican Republic. We greatly appreciate your continued support and enthusiasm and find that the work is a blessing indeed to us and others.
But life was not all about work…..family time is very important too. Our new grandbaby Raquelle is growing like a weed, smiling and is a very content baby. What a pleasure it is to hold her and spoil her rotten. 
We hosted an engagement party for our youngest son, Dan and his fiancée Jeannette having an opportunity for the two families to meet. Their wedding will take place the Lord willing on Friday, October 29, 2010. 
We were awestruck once again of God’s majesty in His creation as we visited Niagara Falls with best friends Randy & Nanda who were celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary and allowed us to tag along.
Birthdays…..shhh…..On June 20th it was the big 5-0 for Jane. Not really a scary thought but it sounds so old. What a wonderful surprise for her to receive a dozen yellow roses and a birthday cake in her honour at the church we were visiting that Sunday morning. Thank you to Pastors Robin & Mary Ella of Marshall Memorial Church for the unexpected gift. Friends are funny and sometimes even a little bit crazy. I love the “Dutch girl” hat that was presented to Jane in support of the Fifa World Cup soccer on her special day. Turning 50 was a riot!
Life is good and we are eager to return to the Dominican tomorrow to see the progress on the projects, meet the people and share the love of Christ. Please pray for safe travels as we return to the Dominican Republic and for strength to face the challenges ahead and may the also Lord bless you in your daily walk.
Less than 12 hours after arrival we were on our way to Circle Square Ranch where another container full of desks, tables, blackboards, & furnishings was being loaded for the new school in villa Paraiso. Thank you to Moses DiSabatino and Cam Rothwell & Roy Murphy, members of Rotary, who have been instrumental in acquiring the school furniture and shipping the items down to the DR now and also in the past.
The container was sent; it arrived in Puerto Plata less than 2 weeks later and to our surprise was released by customs with little delay. So…work is waiting for us upon our return.We thank the Lord for the opportunity to visit 7 churches and numerous Rotary meetings to greet and thank them for their support and share about the ongoing work being done in the Dominican Republic by the Samaritan Foundation.
It was exciting to hear news that some first time mission teams will be coming in the future also. We also visited the “Ontario Christian Gleaners” and “Sew on Fire” ministries to see firsthand how these partners in ministry share God’s love to the poor and needy of the world.And finally we would like to thank our friends and personal supporters for a cup of coffee (or tea) while allowing us to tell of the wonders that the Lord has performed in the Dominican Republic. We greatly appreciate your continued support and enthusiasm and find that the work is a blessing indeed to us and others.
But life was not all about work…..family time is very important too. Our new grandbaby Raquelle is growing like a weed, smiling and is a very content baby. What a pleasure it is to hold her and spoil her rotten. We hosted an engagement party for our youngest son, Dan and his fiancée Jeannette having an opportunity for the two families to meet. Their wedding will take place the Lord willing on Friday, October 29, 2010. We were awestruck once again of God’s majesty in His creation as we visited Niagara Falls with best friends Randy & Nanda who were celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary and allowed us to tag along. Birthdays…..shhh…..On June 20th it was the big 5-0 for Jane. Not really a scary thought but it sounds so old. What a wonderful surprise for her to receive a dozen yellow roses and a birthday cake in her honour at the church we were visiting that Sunday morning. Thank you to Pastors Robin & Mary Ella of Marshall Memorial Church for the unexpected gift. Friends are funny and sometimes even a little bit crazy. I love the “Dutch girl” hat that was presented to Jane in support of the Fifa World Cup soccer on her special day. Turning 50 was a riot! Life is good and we are eager to return to the Dominican tomorrow to see the progress on the projects, meet the people and share the love of Christ. Please pray for safe travels as we return to the Dominican Republic and for strength to face the challenges ahead and may the also Lord bless you in your daily walk.
Having personally served the soup to the children and the elderly…it piqued our interest to see where exactly it came from. Located in Cambridge, only 30 minutes from our hometown of Hamilton, the opportunity to see the OCG in action was taken and we stood amazed at their operation and dedication. 
Since the construction of their plant in 2008, this ministry is a thriving operation and a daily social event 5 days a week with the help of their dedicated volunteers who wash and prepare the food. 
The dicer machine chops the food into small portions and then is shoveled onto a conveyor belt to be taken up to the dryer which dehydrates it at a rate of 1000 lbs an hour and packed into barrels to be stored until needed. 
Once every three months, the chopping stops and the volunteers package the soup mix for an entire week. A two year shelf life on the product allows sufficient time for it to be distributed throughout the world. 
Over 1 million servings of soup were distributed to Haiti after the earthquake and 28,000 lbs. of fresh produce is needed weekly to keep up with the demand. It’s amazing how so many hands can produce so much soup. 
We were honoured to tour the “Sew on Fire” warehouse in Burlington this week and meet with Wendy Hagar. Recently, some of our mission teams have partner shipped with this ministry and brought gift bags to distribute to patients in the hospital in Puerto Plata, to the elderly, the poor and the needy. 
We saw that their warehouse was full of donated goods and an army of volunteers to sort them. Wendy says that “this is what happens when you step into the calling and destiny for your life. God pours provisions and blessings on you until your life is as full and overflowing as the warehouse”. 
Volunteers sew the thousands of gift bags needed each year, while others teach willing volunteers how to crochet, knit and sew not only blankets, hats, quilts, mats, slippers, clothing & dolls, but many more things too.
Create, sort, bag and then donate. As fast as the gift bags can be made and the backpacks filled with school supplies, they are sent in the luggage of mission teams or on containers to be given out to the poor and needy of this world. 
164,998 bags and counting ….. offered with the hope of a future in spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ. God’s Message is their mission!
