Spring is Here!

Where has the time gone? Having 2 small children, it literally feels like the days and nights run together and we've just completed one long day lasting 9 1/2 months! Just yesterday, someone asked me the date, to which I replied, "I don't know, I think it might be the 9th or 10th maybe," it was the 12th.

All that being said, it has been a wonderful winter/spring season and we've had much ministry happening each day and we want to give you a little update on where we are right now!

Alan's role.

Alan's role has recently expanded. He works with the Sports Ministry and within that group of 10 guys, each of them have a very defined and specific area of ministry. Alan is the Director of Education for the Sports Ministry. He helps coordinate and lead their weekly Bible Studies and recently he just began an English class two nights a week. It has been such a joy watching Alan prepare throughout the week for what he will be teaching the other men in the sports ministry, making copies of handouts, composing sentences on the whiteboard before his class for them to work on, and typically he is leaving for class with a big smile on his face.

Alan with the sports Crew during English Class

His role with teams has expanded as well. He now works with most of our short-term North-American teams facilitating their trip and leading them into a deeper relationship with Christ. He works side-by-side with them, drives, and translates as well.

Jackie's role.

My role continues to be very fluid! Adding two babies to the mix has brought some interesting challenges but it has been refreshing over the last few months as I've had some great time for reflection, friendships, and to see the fruit of our work being lived out on the island. I moved into the Director of Teams over a year ago, but it really wasn't until the babies arrived that I had the opportunity to move into more leadership and less of the actual day-to-day coordinating. I oversee two of G.O. Missionaries (Audrey and Sunshine) and they are both very good friends.

Audrey and I now work together as she takes care of the day-to-day logistics which allows me time to build relationships with our team leaders. I am very thankful for how God has gifted her; she LOVES the logistics and coordinating. This really allows me to be able to do what I love too! I get to dream with team leaders about what they hope to accomplish on their trips, how they can encourage their National partners in ministry, and pray for and encourage them. I am still trying to figure out how to do this better and how to honor God with this (and I think once the girls get a little older, I will have more time to grow this!) More and more I see God's plan unfolding and the gift he is giving me to pour into others, as so many have poured into me (and many still are!).

Jackie, Sunshine, and Audrey

We feel so blessed to be working and living in the Dominican Republic that it really is hard calling it "work."  We feel so blessed to have a wonderful group of friends and family stateside encouraging and praying and financially contributing to us. We just want to say THANK YOU! God is so good and we feel and know that each day.

We will be coming stateside in just under 2 months and will be in Louisville, KY, Chattanooga, TN, Haughton, LA (yes, Louisiana folks!!) and Las Vegas, NV. We would love very much to visit, share, and thank you for the ministry you are helping allow us to do here! Let us know if there is an opportunity to visit with you!

Love,
The Perez Family

Haiti; Land That I Love

"See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me."

2004. My first trip to Haiti.

I left forever changed. Haiti, a country that I could not point out on a map had indescribably and inexplicably forever changed my life and my heart. I left Haiti fully knowing my life would never be the same. God had postured himself in such a way that I knew I had no other choice but to serve and to follow. Haiti changed how I love. Haiti was undeniably engraved on the palms of my hands; in the walls of my brain, as if the blood of the country coursed through my very veins.

I joined G.O. in 2007 and moved to the Dominican Republic. I traveled back and forth from the DR to Haiti many times. I was full and very satisfied.

And then nothing.

3 1/2 years passed and the land that I loved remained nothing more than a figure in my dreams. Photos on my computer. In 3 1/2 years I had gotten married and had twins. A lot of changes. My heart was full in a new way. But that longing remained.

In January of 2011 Alan and I had the chance to return to work in a fishing community on the Northern coast of Haiti known as Phaeton.

This guy didn't leave Alan's side

hand in hand

There are no paved roads, no electricity, no showers (unless you count 2 pieces of tin and a bucket full of water a shower) and only outhouses. Dusty children lined the streets running up and down shouting at the "blans" (white people) to come and play. The ran as hard as they could pulling each other in an old broken suitcase, laughing so contagiously that it was hard for them to stay upright while others were busy trying to fly a kite made from a trash bag. Not far from them, a group of men sat hovering over a dominoes board with clothes pins hanging from their faces signifying how many times they lost the game. While still, women were busy washing clothes, preparing food, fish lay drying out in the sun on the cacti walls which served as perimeter walls for their mud hut houses.

And I breathed. Deeply. A sigh of relief.

I was home.

This is Phaeton, Haiti.

Pastor Lucner and Marie

Typical houses in the community

the day's catch drying out in the sun

Not sure where they are going... someone said it was possible they were trying to sail to the US... I doubt it though. 

a sweet boy down by the docks

Fishermen, making their nets

bringing in the catch at sunrise

Phaeton will launch our new hub of ministry in Haiti. We have built a temporary church that is filled to the brim with worshippers and many others standing outside of the church and peering in through the windows listening intently to the message.

The temporary church (the tin structure on the right was the building project we completed while there)

In addition to a church that proclaims the gospel and frees from oppression, we have a feeding center which feeds the neediest of children one day a week. Our goal is to have the nutrition center running 6 days a week breaking the chains of malnutrition and the diseases that go hand in hand with it.

Feeding beauties like this one.

G.O. is in the process of acquiring land that will serve as the site for a dormitory, new church and nutrition center, local farm, and it will have a well on site able to distribute fresh and clean water to the community.

Watering hole where we went to get water to mix concrete for our construction project

We spent 4 days in Phaeton as a staff, building showers for teams that will come and work here and digging a hole for a toilet (that may even flush, the first and only flushing toilet in the community). We host so many teams in the Dominican Republic and we are so used to leading, it is often hard to remember what it feels like to go to a foreign land where you don't speak the language and are drinking in everything as you go. It was a great experience to share with friends and co-workers.

Our team

Alan mixing concrete

They were heavy buckets :)

Shoveling together

God is at work in Phaeton. Once a vibrant community known for it's rope manufacturing it seems all but deserted now as their are only the broken walls of what once remained. Hope would seem fleeting, but just as Haiti was engraved in heart, how much more would our heavenly father know the pains and anguish of His people. Being engraved on the palms of our Father is an eternal promise to save. The broken walls of this small fishing community are ever before Him and He is mighty to save.

The once functioning smoke stack

Ruins from the rope factory

Haiti needs our Lord, and we need YOU! Yes, we need you. We need you to pray for the people of this land. To pray for an awakening of the gospel in this place.

We need you to GIVE. Financially, you can help make a difference in the lives of kids, men and women. The battle against Cholera is raging in Haiti and a donation of 12 cents could save a life.

We need you to GO. We invite you to come and see the great work that is being done in Haiti through G.O. There are so many ways to serve and "spend your lives for the poor."

We say at G.O. that 100% of what you give goes towards where you give it. I had a chance to personally see that happen while in Haiti. I blogged here about sending Amelia and Stella's clothes to Haiti as an offering to those without. The first night in Phaeton at church I caught a glimpse of this little one...

 She is wearing one of the girls' dresses

She was a doll

And the next day at the job site she came to visit donning another of the girls' dresses. 

Over the course of our time there I realized she only wore our girls' clothes. I was incredibly thankful to see God's love in action. When you partner with G.O. you partner with our Lord and have the opportunity to witness His love in action.

Haiti is waiting for you. How will YOU respond?

"My righteousness draws near speedily, my salvation is on the way, and my arm will bring justice to the nations. The islands will look to me and wait in hope for my arm." Isaiah 51:5


**My camera was broken in Haiti so I wanted to give the photo credits to Amanda Braisted, our ministry photographer!!

Calico Half Marathon- January 8, 2011

Running a half marathon was incredible. It was both exhilarating and challenging.  We had so many obstacles during our training including my foot injury that really it wasn't until 2 days before the race that I decided to run it. I am so glad I did.

We run for His glory. We run to tell the stories of those who cannot. We run because He first loved us. We run to inspire others to be a part of something bigger than themselves.

I could give a mile by mile playback, but really the only thing that matters is that God was glorified! Each mile we clung to Him to bring us through the completion of the race, and I couldn't help but wonder why I don't live everyday that way.

It was a very spiritual time for me and I learned a lot from the experience.

We are so grateful for the love and support we received for our race. In total, we received close to $1000 for the race and Sheila's race in December raised around $500.

We plan on continuing to run for His glory and invite you to join us. You can join our running team and help us raise funds or sponsor us financially.

Please continue to pray for us and the ministry we are a part of!

Much peace,
Alan and Jackie

Here are a few race day pics!

Jackie at about Mile 8

Alan heading up to Mile 8

Alan about to cross the finish line

Jackie coming to the finish line

After the race, barely standing!!

With our good friend Valarie, fellow team-mate and photographer! (Thanks Val!)

Save a Life In Haiti This Christmas!

Save a Life in HAITI

“Once our eyes are opened, we can’t pretend we don’t know what to do.  God, who weighs our hearts and keeps our souls, knows what we know, and hold us responsible to act.”

Proverbs 24:12

Right now, as I type, many are being infected with Cholera, and many more are dying in Haiti. Following the deadly earthquake in January It was just a matter of time before an outbreak like this occurred. It spreads in areas with untreated sewage, contaminated water, and people living in close proximity. It also spreads amongst those ill or malnourished. That’s what the reports online say. “ill or malnourished.” Does that strike a cord within you? Probably not. It doesn’t really with me and I live on the same island and visit with the “ill and malnourished,” that they describe.

How about this instead… As I type these words, and as many Americans are busy checking the internet for the best deals at Target, Best buy or where ever else we think we can get the cheapest gifts for our kids and loved ones, thousands of helpless children who had no choice as to where they would be born or spend their days on this earth are faced with the sinking reality that their only meal for the day (if you could call it a meal) is eating dirt. Dirt cookies. Dirt infested with parasites and other sickness. Dirt that locals mix with oil bake on top of their tin roofs in the sweltering heat to provide the swollen malnourished bellies of their children some relief from the pains that must torment them. My eyes are filled with tears at the thought of these children begging for something to eat, crying out in their pain. In their agony. They have no rice, they have not a vegetable, or a piece of fruit. They have dirt.  Dirt that is killing them.

Infected water that is killing them. They bathe in water filled with waste. Think of the smell, think of the stench that must fill their nostrils. What do you think they feel? What must be going through their minds? Are they cursing God? Are they crying out to Him for help? Do they think everyone must live like this? Have they heard of America?

Do you know how Cholera takes a life? Immediately a person (or child or baby... think of yours) falls ill with diarhea. Violent diarhea. Fever. Vomiting. They lose GALLONS of fluids in a day. They become dehydrated. Their heart rate falls. Lack of potassium causes cardiac arrhythmias and sudden death.


Now go look in the eyes of your child and imagine that terribly horrific reality as if it were for them… do they still need the PS3 or the new Ipad or latest cell phone or could we instead spare some of the gobs of Christmas money we as Americans shell out each year on crap to save the life of a man, like our husbands, or a woman like our mothers or sisters, or a child like our own children. The ones we would live or die for? The ones we spent countless hours comforting, rocking, feeding, drying tears and celebrating all their milestones with. 

Do you know how much of that Christmas money you would need to spare to save a life from the deadly Cholera outbreak?  12¢. 12 lousy cents. Does that even seem right to you or fare? People are dying over 12 freaking cents. 


Here’s what would save their lives: a mixture of salt, sugar, and clean water. And it costs 12¢.


You could save his life.

Or her life.

Or her life.

What if it were these girls who needed you? 

12 ¢.


That. Is. All. It. Takes. 

A matter of life and death over 12 cents. It’s not right and it’s not fair. But you and I are called to this. As human beings we are called to this and as followers of Jesus we are called to this, and rightfully so, will be judged for how we respond.

“Once our eyes are opened, we can’t pretend we don’t know what to do.  God, who weighs our hearts and keeps our souls, knows what we know, and hold us responsible to act.”

Proverbs 24:12

We will be held responsible.

Please please, I am begging you to save a life and donate now.

So, how do you do it?

Several ways- text GOHAITI to 85944 and you will be making a $10 donation. Enough for 80 treatments!

Send a check to G.O. Ministries, Inc. and mail it to:

11501 Plantside Dr.

Suite 14

Louisville, KY 40299

In the memo write “Haiti/Cholera”

For more posts on Haiti visit here, & here. Also, if you look in the archives of our blog in January and february you can read about the many things G.O. did to save lives after the earthquake.  

HOW WILL YOU RESPOND?

Help Bring the Cholera Epidemic To an End in Haiti!