Well folks, my time in the Dominican has about come to an end.  I am on a bus heading to Santo Domingo from where I'll catch a 6am fight tomorrow.  The trip was exceptional, powerful, fruitful, and edifying all around.  Thank you for joining in prayer for my time here. 

As the mountains stroll by to my left, and the blue ocean waves sail away to my right, I am reminded of the LORD's almighty power and HIS never-ending goodness in our lives.  Bless YOU LORD for your kindness, for your majesty, and for loving us as your own children.  YOU are perfect!

In just 26 hours I will be reunited with my wonderful little family in Omaha.  I can't wait.  They have been doing very well holding down the fort.  Thanks for your prayers, and thanks to the family for taking care of Samantha while I was gone.

-           Extended fellowship with brother David; he remains a faithful spiritual son, daily growing deeper in JESUS as well as further impacting his community through disciple-making, leading his youth group, and training up the next generation of CHRIST followers.

-          Four church meetings with our dear ones in Guachupita.  Each and every time together was filled with love, celebration, worship, and deep study of HIS Word.  It is amazing how hungry they are, how willing to learn and apply the FATHER's teachings in their lives.  Brother David will continue to minister as the interim pastor while we are gone. 

-          Three key meetings with potential long term ministry partners in San Juan.  These are young families who we have been building community with, and it just so happens that we share many of the same passions, burdens, and dreams for GOD's heart in the Dominican and beyond.  Strategically, we are moving forward in each relationship.

-          I was able to collect funds to finish Celente's (Alexander's grandpa) latrine.  We purchased the final materials and contracted the work to be done.  Expect to see pictures soon!

-          GOD provided the means for me to also share some much needed nutrients (well balanced diet) to some of the poorer families in San Juan.  Some of the people that needed medical attention received that as well.

-          I found a new hot spot in Santo Domingo with free Wi-Fi, just a few blocks from the largest university in the country (700,000 students).  While hanging out at Dominos pizza, I was introduced to the Friday night college scene.  Not particularly my cup to tea, but I was able to share the gospel with many of the students who enjoyed the free pizza I was dishing out.

-          All the logistics, and work stuff I had to take care of as the base director went extremely smooth.  And despite the boring nature of business, each encounter was a blessings both to myself and others.

Progress: for the last three weeks the main sectors in San Juan have had electricity for 24 hours a day.  That is unheard of.  And if you have lived here you know how that changes things.  A lot of people are actually complaining because now they have to learn the discipline of turning things off when they aren't using them.  It's great.

Just like today was great.  I spent the first six hours of the day in Guachupita with the church.  When praying last night for my time with them I felt the LORD lead me to John 10.  HE wants them to understand that HE is their SHEPHERD and that HE is the GOOD SHEPHERD.  We took a portion of today to study through the first 17 verses of that chapter, tomorrow and Thursday we'll do the same.  There will even be some scripture memory thrown in there.  They are excited! 

This morning we celebrated the LORD's supper, which is something we hadn't done formally before.  It was awesome fellowship remembering JESUS' body broken and blood shed for us.  It was beautiful.  After that we shared a huge meal and enjoyed each other's friendship until moving into worship, prayer, and teaching.  They ate it up (and not just the food).  I could tell how hungry they were, how much they enjoy feeding on HIS Word in communion with the body.  While it is just them (that is, while we are not here), they manage, but I think they get more excited when I am helping lead.  There was some very personal, very genuine stuff shared, their struggles, their thanksgiving.  They didn't hold back.

I ended my time there this morning playing a game some of the kids got for their birthday.  A fake Nintendo.  I impressed them all getting to world 5-4 in Mario Brothers without dying even once! 

The rest of the day was spent visiting more friends, fellowshipping and praying together.  But despite the busy schedule, I have had gobs of time to spend alone with the LORD.  There is something about being a man on my own that makes it so much easier to get hours with HIM.  I am realizing the need, as a family man now, to sacrifice even more and get those long meetings with JESUS daily.  It's just too easy for me to get caught up in the daily grind and taking care of the family (as I should).  I guess I would summarize it by saying that the main difference between a single man's and family man's walk with the LORD is the higher degree of sacrifice to maintain a virant walk.  Maybe I should have known that by now, but better late than never I guess.

For those of you who are praying, thank you dearly.  Continue to ask GOD to lead me in the best way to empty myself out for these that I love.  As coach Mueller used to say before a football game, "leave it all on the field."

Bless you,

miguel

The torrential rains just subsided.  Hopefully, the sun will come out and I'll be able to get some washed laundry dry.  After just two days of thrashing through the muddy streets, my clothes are spent.  I sure love how simple life is so here.  The seemingly small task of getting clean clothes can be a daylong project.  Before long, you put the to-do list away and pass the time on the street corner with an old friend, or a complete stranger!

Everyone is excited that I am back, but sad to not see Kristen or Samantha.  I have been able to connect with the church in Guachupita.  All are doing well.  There have been some hairy moments in the past few months (death threats and gang murders) for the church, but GOD has continued to hold firm HIS protective hand over HIS beloved bride.  Their faith in daily life - and in the face of death (literally) - is so strong, so rooted in CHRIST.  It is encouraging to see. 

Children continue to grow up, thought not enough to forgo a quick game of dodge ball.  The small ones, who are Samantha's age, are beginning to walk and talk.  It is sad how their development is significantly slowed down by their situation (poor diets, playing in disease ridden mud, lack of attention).  I'll be able to do a little for now, but I believe the community center will be able to address many of the every-day problems the community runs into.  Hurry up Kristen, we need you babe!

Alexander is doing well, though he seems to be shy.  I think seeing me every 3 months is taking a toll on him.  Not knowing if he wants to get close or not.  Understandably so.  The World Race team that was here in January was able to build his family an outhouse.  It is just missing the tin roof and walls.  I should be able to help them finish before I leave.  Check out the video below.

Besides that, I have been inviting friends to every meal I eat.  It is a great way to bless them with a free meal, get some good fellowship in, and discuss vision for the ministry down the road.  I am nothing but excited to get back here!

I appreciate all of you who are praying for my time here.  It is noticeable and needed.  Many of you who have been here before, know that there are many saludos being mandado (greetings sent).  So if you are one of the blessed ones to visit our little town, San Juan te manda saludos!

Love you all,

Hey there everyone.  Miguel here.  I'm sitting at the Omaha airport just about to catch a flight down to the Dominican.  Samantha is going to Grandma's today while Kristen finishes off her last day of classes for the week.  I wanted to write an update on my upcoming trip, what I'll be doing there, and ways you could  pray.

As always, I'll be staying up late dancing meringue and drinking piňa coladas by the beach (probably not).

Here's what I'll be doing:

-          Visiting with the church in Guachupita; encouraging, teaching, and praying

-          Preliminary setup for the one short-term trip we have coming this summer

-          Connecting with some potential long-term partners in the ministry

-          Paying rent on AIM properties as well as our own

-          Spending time with friends and neighbors in the community

-          Doing all the above with brother David at my side; we'll get good fellowship and talk through his missionary work

The last few days have been a rush to get everything ready, so I haven't given much thought to the trip.  But now that I am about to hop on the jet, the heart is starting to pump!  Not only do I have a great love for Dominicans, but I feel as if it is a unique place for me to minister.  There is openness and an easy flow to sharing the love of CHRIST with my people there.  I'm very much looking forward to it.

-          Kristen and Samantha back in Omaha; protection and blessing while I'm gone

-          Divine opportunities to share the gospel as I travel

-          Wisdom with quickly identifying where the church is "at" and how my time can be best used to edify her

-          Smooth logistics so I can maximize my time with people and not on details

-          Protection over my body (health), heart and mind (always hard to be away from the family), and spirit (stay in tuned with HIS presence throughout the trip)

Sweet!  I would love prayer over those things.  There is very little that I can accomplish without a strong prayer base, and I appreciate you partnering with us.

As often as I can I'll be posting blogs about my time with pictures and stories.  So check back often.

Bless you all in the name of JESUS!

*****The Pay Yourself First Challenge is an online savings contest in which Kristen is one of five finalist.  The bank hosting the contest will award the winner $12,500, and winning depends on votes.  If we can win the prize, we will be applying that money towards Kristen's nursing tuition.  To read more about the contest, click here and here.*****

For those of you who have been casting your vote at Kristen for the PYF challenge, we want to say thank you.  We are currently two thirds of the way through the savings competition.  And thanks to the LORD's provision, good stewardship, and your votes, we have held first place the entire time.  But as we move into the home stretch, our competitors are catching up quickly - we need your support more than ever.  Two of the other four have reached their savings goal, we are only holding out by a greater voting tally.  The plan is to flood the voting boards and make it clear who holds the win.  Our HOPE is not in this contest, but it sure would be great to win!  Here are ways that you can help support our dream of incorporating medical missions into our ministry in the Dominican Republic.

1. Vote every day: every vote counts and we need your daily vote through the end of the contest (April).  To vote, just go to the official website, pyfchallenge.com, and click on the button that says Kristen.  One way to remind yourself to vote, is to make the website your homepage. Every time you get online, you won't forget to vote. 
2.  Leave a comment: it doesn't need to be anything fancy, but the more traffic we appear to have, the more traffic will come!  To leave a comment, just click on an article, scroll down to the bottom of the post, fill in the boxes and submit it.  It's easy, helpful, and encouraging.
   
3. Tell your friends:  ask people within your network to vote as well.  Some of you have done this already and we know for certain that it has generated a large amount of votes.  Send out a quick email to everyone on your list requesting their support in a cause you believe in. 

In a time where some of us are hurting financially, this is a great way to give toward the Kingdom.  The bank has already decided to part with the money, we are just telling them where to invest it!  It doesn't cost a dollar, only the click of the mouse.  And just by voting, you are helping us take one step closer to bringing basic medical attention to those in the DR who can't afford it.  It's not about the contest, the money, or winning.  It's about sharing the love of CHRIST through meeting people's needs.  Please help us achieve that by doing the three things above.  If you have any questions at all about the contest or how to vote, please don't hesitate to ask. 

Bless you all in the powerful name of JESUS!

On the first of January, I (Miguel) was privileged to spend 12 days in the DR.  Praise the LORD for taking me home!  Despite the sadness of being apart from Kristen and Samantha, who stayed back in Nebraska, the trip was incredible.  Officially my time in the DR was dedicated to helping launch an AIM ministry called the World Race.  It's a pretty sweet deal and I encourage you to read up on.  In short, 60 young adults (25-35 year old's) landed at the base and spend the entire month of January learning what it means to live as a disciple of CHRIST among the people of the beautiful San Juan. 

It was a blessing to have the team there, fellowship with them, and equip them for ministry.  And while I was there I had an amazing time reconnecting with all of our friends back home.  Man I can't describe how awesome it was for me.  It was 12 days of non-stop activity.  On average I was getting 3 hours of sleep a night, spending all day out on the streets and taking care of odds and ends.  My voice was shot two days into the trip due to how much I was talking.  Some of the highlights of my trip included:

-          -  Personally reconnecting with the LORD in a deeper way than I'd had in a quite awhile

-          -  Deep fellowship and prayer connecting with our spiritual son David

-          -  Spending gobs of time with the church in Guachupita; they are doing great, growing deeper and larger.

-          -  Hanging with friends throughout the town, especially those our age who have recently had their first child

-          -  Enjoying cruising on the motorcycle in the perfect tropical climate

But above all, I wanted to share one particular experience with you that rocked me.  After leading a small group of World Racers on a prayer walk through Guachupita, the HOLY SPIRIT came upon us in a powerful way.  We were gathered in a circle debriefing and praying through their first visit to the harsh slum.  Several of the team was deeply moved by the stauch darkness over the land, but even more so, by GOD's incredible love for the people and the shimmering hope that resides over them.  During our time of intercession, I began to feel a wave of passion slam my heart.  It was a longing for the people of Guachupita to be free.  Free from sin, free from oppression, free from fear, free from want – free through the blood of JESUS

And I saw how much more so the FATHER desires for them to be free.  I ended up falling to my face on the street right then and there and began pleading for this freedom to come.  As my spirit poured itself out on the hot, cracked sidewalk, a vision came to me. GOD hovered above Guachupita in a cloud of glory and a great number of good gifts HE was about to hand out.  A smile was upon HIIS face as HE was ready to rain down HIS blessings upon these people. 

But then I felt as if HE had left it up to us to call down those blessings.  HE impressed upon me our role in HIS work being done.  At last, the vision led me to Moses before Pharaoh.  Moses stood firm and held out his finger pointed at the enemy who kept GOD's people enslaved.  His voice rang loud as he demanded, "let my people go!"  The LORD impressed upon me our need to fight; fight for the freedom of HIS people. 

At this point my heart had been pierced with a renewed brokenness for the Dominican people.  And once again, a simple but solemn "yes" accepted HIS work in my inner man.  Through tears we continued to pray as a body of believers broken but ready to fight until we ended praising HIS name and thanking HIM for sharing HIS inheritance with us.