It’s great to be back again in the DR. We were greeted with great big sloppy kisses from our 3 dogs, and were pleased to find that all was well with the house. We feared that there may be a break in while we were gone because about one hour before we left for the airport, the road was completely blocked. A backhoe had dug up the hill to properly fix an ongoing leak in the water line which forced us to walk past the entire neighbourhood with our suitcases in tow to a waiting truck at the bottom of the steep hill. Many of the local people wished us a happy trip as we passed by knowing that we were leaving for an extended time and our house would be empty. Our closest neighbour, Pastor Jose was hired to paint and finish building the cistern while keeping watch on the house. With the extremely poor job situation in this country robberies are a common occurrence.
Seeing some young men eyeing the black car, he cleaned up the garage and was able to squeeze the car inside away from prying eyes, disconnected the battery in John’s truck and prayed for safety, and he was pleased to tell us that no further incidents took place. Gracias A Dios!

HOW TIME FLIES

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.

THE GLEANERS

Based on the Biblical principal in which God commanded farmers to allow the poor to gather food from the fields already harvested, the OCG uses this principal to share with love and compassion out of our surplus to those in need. OCG has distributed the dried soup mix to reputable organizations in 26 countries around the world including the Dominican Republic.
A Mission team arrived this winter with 30 bags of soup mix (each one serves 100 portions) to be distributed through the feeding program in villa Ascension with Jim & Sue Coates. 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.

“The Ontario Christian Gleaners (OCG) is an interdenominational Christian organization that seeks to demonstrate God’s love to a hungry world by working with volunteers and donations to collect, process, & distribute surplus agricultural produce.”

SEW ON FIRE

Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction. James 1:27.
An ordinary woman’s personal commitment to sew 100 gift bags has reached over 150,000 gift bags and delivered to over 90 countries in just nine years….with an “extraordinary” God.

– Wendy Hagar founder of Sew on Fire Ministries.

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!
If you would like to partnership with "Sew on Fire" go to: http://www.sewonfire.com/.

ELECTION DAY

After months of campaigning, the merging of allied parties, and many lively pep rallies that the local communities embraced with a great deal of enthusiasm, the day has finally come for the voters to have their say. Today, May 16th, is Election Day in the Dominican Republic. - supporters for the white party travelling down the highway at 80 kms/hr on their way to a pep rally taking place in Sosua!
Submission to authority is never easy especially if the government is corrupt, but God uses governments to carry out His good purposes on earth. Romans 13: 1-7 states that ultimately we are accountable to God and that our submission to human authority reflects our submission to God’s authority. Juan Pablo Duarte - father of independence for the Dominican Republic
Please pray for those who will be elected today into leadership roles to govern this country that they may seek God’s wisdom during their term of office.

JAMES COATES – 3 MONTHS LATER

February 1, 2010 will forever be a day etched in the minds of Jim & Sue Coates…one in which their lives were inexplicably changed forever….a day where Jim suffered a massive stroke …one of which most victims would not have survived. Even though the brain stem bleed left Jim paralyzed on the entire left side of his body he was thankful to be alive.
Despite the doctors’ grim prognosis, they feel that God has really placed his hand on Jim.
A miracle has happened.
Three months later, we all stand amazed at the progress Jim has made in his recovery. With the help of physiotherapy, his facial muscles are strengthening and the lopsided smile is barely visible. Feeling in both his arm and his leg are slowly returning along with his characteristic sense of humour. The other day, he was even able to walk a few paces with some assistance. The progress I saw after a 5 week absence was truly amazing. Sue looks more rested and Jim was sitting up unassisted in a chair, joining in conversation with us, while also practicing with his small rubber ball to improve the mobility of his fingers on his left hand. The Lord has been gracious to them and we ask that you continue to keep them both in your prayers. Often the greatest challenges are not always physical. With so much time to think and contemplate the past events, they experience times of doubt and depression. Doubt of how this could serve to God’s honour and glory and depression combined with discouragement at the seemingly slow progress. Time to think about the future and the past, time to think about what has been and what will be, along with their roles, plans and decisions that must be made for the months and years to come. Satan seeks whom he may devour especially within our own minds.
Please continue to hold Jim and Sue before our sovereign Lord, that these discouraging, often doubting and disconcerting thoughts may not derail their knowledge and trust in our heavenly Father’s loving providence.

WE’RE BACK….. IN THE SWING OF THINGS

One of the things I enjoyed on my visit home was the lack of humidity in the air. The unseasonably warm temperatures made our stay pleasant but the hot blast of humidity as you get off the plane here really hits you upon arrival. The temperature has risen significantly with the last 2 days of 100+ degree Fahrenheit weather. HACE MUCHO CALOR!
But we’re back to work once again. Thank you to Giuseppe, Rob, Tina, Mike, David and Issachar for making sure everything ran smoothly while we were gone.

Paper beads made from recycled product packaging.
The paper bead jewelry project has been going very well with many orders being placed by visiting teams. Even after they leave this beautiful island, their hearts are still with us as they sell the jewelry to people back home. As stories and events are shared, awareness is sought, and the desire to help the poor increases. The people making the eco-friendly jewelry are paid a "fair trade wage" and all profits go to help the people in the village. Thank you to all the supporters of the “H.O.P.E. BEADS” in villa Esperanza. Maria Rosa, Francia & Juan Marie stringing the beads. Francia bagging the finished product.

Please continue to support this project by saving recycled paper packaging (cereal boxes & assorted packaging of similiar thickness) and purchasing the H.O.P.E. beads and thereby Helping Other People Eat. For more information go to: http://www.jewelryofhope.blogspot.com/ or email: jewelryofhope@gmail.com.