Earlier this year I sensed the Lord wanting me to spend some of my annual sabbatical time in the Dominican Republic training pastors, teaching in churches, and leading a Missions team. Vicki and I first arrived in the D.R. on Tuesday, June 28, and we’ve been in a glorious “whirlwind” for the past 10 days. During our time here we’ve been a part of:

• Training over 1000 Pastors and Leaders in 3 different regions/locations
• Speaking in 5 different churches, and in those churches we’ve seen an incredible response to the teaching of the Word of God and the work of the Holy Spirit. In 2 of the churches I was told by pastors that they had never seen such an “altar call response” where so many people were responding for salvation, prayer, empowering, etc.
• Leading a great Missions Team that has done a fabulous work while ministering in 2 orphanages, street witnessing, and leading a Vacation Bible School. Our Missions Team members have been Ryland Burkhardt, Darien DeGrusha, Brett Hardeghen, Jimmy Heneghan, Kevin Hingle, Sandra Mesa, Manley Miller, Sammy Mitchell, Elizabeth Phelps, Nick Renoff, Brandon Walker, Dennis Watson II, and Vicki and I. Each person has contributed in a mighty way to the great work that God has done here.
• Seeing over 150 people come to faith in Jesus Christ. Some of those people received Jesus in worship services and in the Vacation Bible School, but many others were won to faith in Jesus through street evangelism or activity evangelism.

We’ve also had the privilege of getting to know Pastor Manuel & Bienvinida Rivera, Pastor Jhoman and Diana Rivera, and other great men and women of God. The Rivera family has shown us an incredible love for the Lord and for people, and they have graciously welcomed us into their family. We all feel so fortunate to now be members of the Rivera “family.”

Today our Missions Team is leaving Santo Domingo to go to spend a day at a beach on the Caribbean before we return to New Orleans tomorrow. We’re tired and worn-out, etc., but we would all say that “it’s been worth” all of the money, time and energy that we’ve expended. We all will leave the Dominican Republic with new spiritual experiences, new friends, a new love for this nation, and a new perspective of the greatness and goodness of our God.

Manley Miller and I preached in a church “The Good News Church.” The “good news” for you is that you can participate in a Missions Trip through Celebration sometime in the near future. We have Missions Teams going this year to Honduras and to Kenya, and we will be sending Teams to many other nations next year and in the years to come. My question for you is:

What nation would you like to bring the message and ministry of Jesus to?