Repost Sunday: Dreams

I wrote this post originally Jan. 6th, 2007, just two months before I left for KY and five months before I moved to the Dominican Republic. These pics are incredibly dear to my heart and are from Haiti, Moises Jean's church and the community of Hato del Yaque. God is doing big things through and in this ministry and I am humbled to be a part of this dream.

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"Dreams rise out of humility not humanity."

Some of my favorite pictures I have taken of kids in the DR & in Haiti. It humbles me beyond anything I can describe to be on this journey. To return to a place that, to me, is home. I often feel like I am being changed and touched more than I could ever change or touch one life in the DR & Haiti. It is special. And magical. And I am humbled to be a part of this. In my heart of hearts I know true peace here. Thanks for your support and prayers.

"Oh for you, I sing and dance. I rejoice in this divine romance. Lift my heart and my hands to show my love, to show my love" Phil Wickham.

Thank you CPC & CWAM!

We are so grateful to Central Peninsula Church for their continued partnership with G.O. Ministries and with our family.

Each year they host this incredible faire called "Christmas with a Mission," and people can buy artisan creations and make donations towards missions. We have been fortunate enough to be included for the last two years.

We were incredibly blessed by CPC this year and with the CWAM donations we were able to purchase enough food for a nutrition center to feed 80 kids for one month! We also were able to replace our stolen computers and still have funds to purchase books and Bibles in Spanish and Creole for children living in the DR & Haiti.

Gracias CPC for helping us continue the work God has called us to do. We are both humbled and blessed by your partnership! Thank you for allowing us to be the hands and feet of Christ to those in need.

Repost Sunday: Could I Be Free

As I was reading through past blog entries it was incredible to read about the ministry that has occurred on the island through G.O. since I moved here to the D.R. almost 4 years ago! I thought for the next month or so, I would repost one of those entries each Sunday as a way to look back and praise God for the things he has done. We've recently evolved our vision at G.O. and I will be sharing about that in coming posts.

This post [Could I Be Free] was written July 27, 2007. I had been living in the DR for 2 months.
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Let me tell you about the Bateys. There are approximately 14 Bateys, located in the Southwestern part of the Dominican Republic. This is where they harvest sugar cane. Most of these Bateys and sugarcane fields are owned by companies outside of the D.R. They have machines to harvest the sugarcane, but they refuse to bring them to the bateys because the cost of paying a Haitian to harvest the cane is far less.

Haitians are told that they could come to the Dominican and make up to $25 US a week. In Haiti the average Haitian makes $250 US a year. You can imagine how any Haitian would jump at the chance to make up to 4 times as much as they could living in Haiti. Once they arrive in the D.R. the guards tear up there papers, and many simply no longer "exist" to the world. With out any sort of birth certificate or official papers, they are nothing. They cannot leave. They make about $10 a week, and they suffer from extremely harsh conditions in the sugar cane fields. They cut the cane with machetes, and injuries are common. Boys may begin harvesting cane with their parents at early ages as well. They settled in these camps and many generations live here together. While the conditions here are better than that in Haiti, they are some of the worst in the Dominican Republic.

On this particular visit, we brought down a team of 18, which included 1 doctor, and two nurses. The team would provide medical care over the course of 2 days in Batey Cuchillo (pronounced coo-chee-yo). Many here have never seen a Doctor. We brought thousands and thousands of dollars in medications. Many of the people were patient and waited, understanding we were here to help. One woman, came in who believed she was pregnant, but she had bled for two months, and now here belly was no longer growing. Family is very important here, their kids are all they have. They were desperate to recieve care, knowing this may be there only chance to recieve help for their kids and family.

I met one man in his early twenties. He asked me for a Bible. I spoke to the Pastor, and it turns out he was a believer but did not have a Bible. I brought one to him and he was truly grateful. I continued on the day working alongside the team to meet the physical needs of our patients.

As the week drew to a close we had seen and treated almost 900 patients, held two VBS's, evangelized to Batey nueve and cuchillo, led 8 people to Christ, broke ground on the foundation of Pastor William's new church, and participated in the daily feeding of over 100 kids in the nutrition center.

So many things were accomplished that week for the LORD, and on the final night- we had a despidida (good bye party) for the Americans to say goodbye to the nationals they had worked alongside of all week long. There were over 100 people there, many had walked from Batey cuchillo, 30 minutes away, by foot. There are no street lights, just fields. Many stood up and thanked eachother, prayed for one another, and we worshipped as one body. Standing outside after the despidida, I caught sight of the boy who had asked me for a Bible. When he saw me, a huge smile came over his face, I saw a joy in him that was from our LORD. I walked up to him and said "Tu tienes la Biblia? Translated: do you have the Bible?" "Si, si" he replied and as he pulled out the Bible, he opened it to the back cover of the book, where the words had been written after I gave him the Bible "Dios te Bendiga" (God bless you) and his name! As I looked at his name poorly scribbled in his Bible, I thought how much the LORD knows each one of us by name, and I am reminded of this verse:

"Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows." Luke 12:7.

The LORD not only loves me & you, but each of our precious brothers and sisters in the Bateys, and all over the world, those who believe in the LORD, and those who do not yet, the LORD, has not forgotten one single person. He knew that that boy was to recieve a Bible from me that day in Batey Cuchillo. Please pray for him.

Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called sons of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 5: 3-10

Thank you all so much for going before the LORD on my behalf, and on the behalf of the many more who do not yet know Christ and those who need strength to keep fighting the fight.

Running For His Glory!

Alan and I have the opportunity to live in the Dominican Republic with our twin daughters and have a chance to see a beautiful glimpse of humanity being restored here across the island through our work with G.O. Ministries.  To say it is a “blessing” would not come close in describing the thankfulness we have in our hearts and the hope we believe in that God will and is changing lives through the Nationals here on the island. It is simply overwhelming.

Thanksgiving in the DR, we have so much to be thankful for!

We are both training for our 2^nd running event to raise funds and awareness for the Kingdom and our work here in Hispaniola. We will be running on a 4 person relay team on Saturday April 30 in the Kentucky Derby Marathon. Alan will be running a little over 12 miles and I will be running the 10k portion. 

Alan getting ready to head out for a run

After our first 1/2 marathon for our team

All of us missionaries with G.O. Ministries are committed to raising 100% of our funds for living and for the ongoing ministry on the island.  Through the work of the ministry here, G.O. is opening our 10^th nutrition center on April 7, 2011.  We are building schools, churches, homes, and nutrition centers where many people’s basic needs are being met and hope is found.  Nearly 50 short-term teams come from the US each year to help expand God’s Kingdom. Free Medical Clinics are held in some of the poorest communities in Hispaniola. There is ongoing education for pastors to equip them and empower them to preach God’s word to their communities. God’s glory is all around us! And that is why we run! For His Glory!

Alan and I hold various roles with the ministry and participate in leading short-term teams when they are here, working in sports ministry reaching out to high-risk youth, teaching English to the Dominican sports staff, and overseeing the coordination of all of our short-term teams.

Alan teaching kids at a sports camp

Jackie with Yahaira at the nutrition center in The Hole

We are incredibly passionate about what we do and we would like to invite you into an opportunity to join alongside of us and advance the ministry with G.O. By supporting us on our run. Please let us know simply by emailing me at jackie(dot)perez(at)go(dash)ministries(dot)org and letting me know the amount you would like to pledge. You can make either a one-time gift or through a per-mile amount.

If you would like to support us, you can do so by sending a check to:

G.O. Ministries, Inc.

11501 Plantside Dr. Suite 14

Louisville, KY 40299

PLEASE remember to put “PEREZ RUNNING” in the memo line so we receive the credit for the donation.

Or you can give electronically through the side bar on our blog!

By supporting us you will be making a big impact in the lives of those living in Hispaniola!!

Running For His Glory,

Alan and Jackie Perez

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!)