Alan and Jackie

August 27, 2011

An Invitation to Change a Life...

We want to introduce you to Yasmin.

She had my heart the moment I laid eyes on her.

She is 16 months old and has the most beautiful blue/grey eyes. She doesn't smile often, but when I caught the smile on her lips and the twinkle in her eyes I had to choke back the tears.

She isn't like most 16 month old little girls. She was born with a hole in the roof of her mouth making it almost impossible for her to eat, drink, sometimes even breathe. She weighs a mere 11 pounds putting her in the 0% for her age.

The little food her mom is able to give her, often comes out her nose as she is choking and gagging. Little is retained. Because she is so weak, she cannot sit up on her own, walk or even crawl. She has no muscle mass, likened to an 11 pound sack of potatoes.

There are other complications as well. She is severely anemic. She has fluid in her brain and in her lungs. She has not been given much longer to live.

"There are nights," her mom tells me "I walk into her room, and look at her body lying there barely breathing and think, this is it, she has died."

However, amidst all of this tragedy in her brief 16 months of life, there is much hope. An organization called Operation Smile, located in Santo Domingo has agreed to begin the preliminary evaluations to see if she qualifies for a cleft pallet surgery. If she qualifies, the surgery will be free.

We need your help. Aside from a free surgery, there will be many trips to Santo Domingo, over night stays in the capital city, medicine, and other essential costs that will occur outside of the surgery. We are asking you to pray and give sacrificially to help change this little girl's life. We need about $1000 for the additional costs.

$1000 will radically change this little girl's life. Forever.

Yasmin and mom Carina

If you would like to give towards her medical care, please respond to this email and let Jackie know at what cost you would be willing to donate.

Checks can be made out directly to G.O. Ministries, Inc. and in the memo line please write "Perez/Yasmin medical care." Please mail them to our G.O. Office at:

11501 Plantside Drive, Suite 14

Louisville, KY 40299

July 23, 2011

Check out South Hills in the DR!

South Hills 2011 from Amanda Braisted on Vimeo.

July 19, 2011

Thank you South Hills!

But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen. 2nd Peter 3:18

South Hills Mission Team

I am humbled to think we have this fleeting moment here on earth to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. My heart yearns to know Him more and more in intimate ways. My soul longs to spend unending time studying His word, talking about His life and the way he lived and did ministry on earth. I am beyond unworthy to spend all of eternity with him, but humbled by the good news of a great joy that is for all peoples. That is for me. That is for you.

It's most of why I am here in the Dominican Republic serving Him. I am learning countless lessons all the time through community with other missionaries and through ministering to Nationals on the Island.

We have the greatest joy when we are able to contextualize our love for Jesus and the love he has for the least of these when we can share and expose North American Believers and churches to what the Lord is doing amongst his people in Hispaniola. We have been so blessed by the many teams who have come and served as Jesus' hands and feet to the people here. It brings tears to my eyes to see lives being changed.

The teams who come and serve with us catch a glimpse of what is going on here and I am convinced sometimes all it takes is just that glimpse for a revolution in our own hearts, souls, and minds to take place. We call it mutual transformation. Teams come to the DR to serve and change lives and through their time serving, Jesus has changed their hearts and their lives. Forever.

I had the greatest priviledge to see this happen amongst a team of 11. A small, intimate team from Las Vegas, NV. My home church. South Hills.

November 6 of this year I celebrate 10 years of knowing Jesus. 10 years of Him penetrating my heart and changing me more and more into His image. 10 years of laying down my own pride, selfish ambitions and desires in my feeble attempts to become His image bearer. I haven't always (and mostly) done it well, but His grace covers me and I am humbled by that.

10 years ago, I walked into a church, fearful of my future and where I was headed and today I stand a changed person because of that church in Las Vegas and those who took great care in teaching and leading me.

10 years later, it was an honor for them to come to the DR to serve alongside Alan and me and the work we are doing through G.O. Ministries in the Dominican Republic and Haiti.

It was an incredible week. From the beginning they were humble and patient. They arrived in the afternoon and we wasted no time in taking them to the mother of all projects for G.O. Ministries. The Leadership Development Complex (or LDC as we have termed it). The LDC will be a wellspring of life and knowledge for the many men and women who serve there. It is a facility that will have a sports complex with basketball courts, soccer fields,baseball fields and almost every other kind of sport you can think of. Teams will participate in sports camps year round and the Dominican & Haitian sports team (including Alan) will be the forefront of all the ministry that happens there. A seminary will also be on the grounds, termed, Seminary of the Americas and will train up teams of pastors and Christian leaders to plant churches in communities all over Latin America and finally, Kingdom Businesses will line the property- over 40 acres that will provide jobs and sustainable income for the ministry.

We stood on what now is just over grown land and dreamed about what this place could look like... someday. I love what one team member, Diana said "The Lord told me to take off my shoes, we were standing on Holy Ground." Yes, we are standing on Holy Ground.

Talking to the team about the future LDC

Throughout the week, wherever they served they served cheerfully, without complaint and always looking for a way to bless those around them. Brandon, began putting up the brick facade on the front of the Central Church. The Central Church project is huge for our ministry and must be complete before the LDC so we can begin the Seminary training at the church. The church is one of the first of it's kind in the DR- it has age appropriate classrooms for children's ministry, and a common meeting/eating area, along with a kitchen and dorms to house teams. The plan is for the church to meet up top on the 2nd level, but it's not finished, so everything happens on the first floor and we are packed every Sunday.

Brandon and Alan using a water level to measure up the side of the building

Mixing up some concrete

The team spent 3 days working on the Central Church project as well as two houses we are building for Rene and his family and Luis and his family. They both lead our construction crew, who work tirelessly to continue building churches, nutrition centers, and houses all over the island. They have each worked for the ministry for over 10 years. It's a great blessing to give these houses to them for their service in ministry.

The team works on the roof of Rene's house

South Hills helped us paint a few walls in our house and prepare the backyard for grass. The joke is that we outgrew out house the day I found out I was pregnant. Last year we moved to a bigger house, only to be broken into and we had to move back to our old house. We've been ready to move ever since, but learning that it's God's timing and not ours. In the meantime, we wanted to create a place where our girls could play and have more space. It was lovely being blessed by the team in this way.

The "before" shot! Thanks Bruce for working so hard to get that palm moved!

The "after" shot! Grass installed!

Jose painting the inside of our home

Towards the end of the week, we made a trek to Phaeton, Haiti. A rural community lost in the middle of nowhere setting along the coast. It is said that someday Haiti will be in the ocean. Until then, we are committed to the vision God has set upon this ministry to redeem people, renew communities, and restore Creation. Our total time in Haiti was a little over 4 hours. No matter how much time I spend in Haiti, my world is always rocked by what I see there. I am grateful that the Lord is using G.O. to restore dignity and hope to a long forgotten people... though the world may have lost sight of them, the Lord has not forgotten them.

A typical home in Phaeton

Molly feeding a sweet child in the nutrition center

Sandra loves on the kids in the nutrition center

Jared was so tall all the kids wanted a ride on his shoulders

We were so encouraged by the team. After long days they would go to Alan's English Class that he teaches to support him and the Bible study he is a part of.

Alan teaching English class

On the last night they were here, Jose, a team member came to me and asked me if I would be present when he talked to a girl about 13 years old who had been helping cook the meals for the team. With tears in my eyes, I listened as he shared about his own family and how he had a daughter about her age, pure and kind. He told her Jesus loved her, and someday soon boys would come if they hadn't already and try to sway her, but their promises could never match that of Jesus and His promises for us. He encouraged her to stay strong in her faith and to wait until marriage no matter what any boy said to her. I was overwhelmed at Jose's kindness to share with her fatherly love. To be Jesus and speak his words. Overwhelmed.

But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen. 2nd Peter 3:18

We have been changed by our week with South Hills and we want you to know how incredibly thankful we are for your partnership, continued love and encouragement to us, and for pointing people to Jesus and His truth while serving with us! We are giving the Lord all the glory for the many amazing things done in His name and for His glory.

We are so thankful to Brandon and Amy! Thank you for who you are in our lives!

We love you South Hills and continue to pray for you all!

Alan and Jackie Perez

The summer... so far and openings for 2012

Our summer has been rich with service. Many lives are being transformed, Dominican, Haitian, and North-American.

Here's a quick picture of our June teams! I recently began taking over the task of booking teams that would like to come and serve in the DR & Haiti, and we have almost 20 teams on the calendar for 2012!

Summer 2012 is filling fast- if you are interested in bringing a team, please let me know asap! You can email me at jackie (dot) perez (at) go (dash) ministries (dot) org.

Peace,
J

June 6, 2011

Oh the Love of Books! {an opportunity to give}

For our girls' first birthday we chose to do something a little different. Instead of gifts for Amelia and Stella we asked guests to consider making a contribution to a fund we would use to buy books in their name for kids in the DR and Haiti.

Alan and I both love to read and hope to pass that love onto our girls. There is nothing quite like curling up on a rainy day with a good book. I love the smell of the print on the pages, the sound the paper makes as it turns... one after another. I love the feel of the book in my hand, the older the better. There is something timeless about a book. I love shopping for old books with fancy titles. I'll read almost anything. We have bought our girls many books. They are stocked up! They love to play with them (and especially chew on them!). Soon we hope they will love to read them with us.

In Haiti they estimate only 52% of children over the age of 15 can read or write (87% in the DR). We hope these books will help little kids learn to read and have a love for it. We are so grateful for the beautiful gift and ability to read that God has given us. Many children all over the world have never even owned a book or perhaps seen a book.

Help us change that! If you would like to donate towards Stella and Amelia's book fund for Hispaniola email me at jackie (dot) perez (at) go (dash) ministries (dot) org. We'll be ordering books soon... that's where the fun comes- choosing books! We've raised over $100 so far!

picture courtesy of: www.wolfeyebrows.files.wordpress.com

Stats courtesy of: www.cia.gov

May 2, 2011

1 Day. 2 Events. 1 Purpose. To Bring Him Glory!

We are so grateful for the support and encouragement we received from our races this past weekend. It was an incredible day filled with so many blessings as me, my mom, Alan, and Mark ran in the Kentucky Derby Marathon Relay team while Rebekkah Gathright ran in the Nashville Music City 1/2 Marathon.

It is an honor for us to do this for His glory. We love being able to share the vision of G.O. and what God is doing to redeem people, renew communities, and restore creation. HE IS GOOD!!!!!

"Running this half marathon was a great experience for me. During the race I focused on all the reasons why I run for His glory! There are too many to name. The only bad part was that the race ended too soon! I had a blast and finished with a time of 2:16! Being a part of this ministry has blessed me."

Rebekkah Gathright, I Run For His Glory team member

Alan, Jackie, Sheila, Mark: I Run For His Glory team members

You can still give by clicking on the "Financially contribute" tab at the top of the blog.

Peace,