The Timothy Project

It is always exciting to see people of all ages and walks of life follow Christ in believer’s baptism. Yesterday was no exception! Five were baptized from Los Santos and Villa de Yaque.  Hector, whom we have prayed for a long time, was one of them! (You can see his picture in the Baptism Service photo album).  Milagros, the lady at the colmado in Villa de Yaque, was another one. She surprised me because she has told me for a long time her Catholic background and family would keep her from baptism.  As you can see from the picture- baptism is something that really captures the attention of people. I am thankful we can baptise in the community where we are working so people can see.

Pray for these 5 people to be strong in their faith- pray for all of us to encourage them and help them to grow!

We had six new students for the first class. We have a two year study cycle. Students can enter at any point in the cycle but all six that started last Saturday are new so they are beginning from scratch. Most of the students are folks from the three mission sites where I am working. I am thrilled for them, but ask you to pray for our existing churches that  they consider the importance of preparing new leaders.

We all had fun. Hector started and shared with us that he hasn’t been to school since Trujillo was in power- which is to say for a LONNNNNGGGGG time! Pray for them as they focus on their studies- not only that they study to show themselves approved, but that their life testimony will be a light that shines bright wherever they are.

As I sit here in our strategy training, I realize I have been making a grave mistake. I have gotten pretty good about placing prayer concerns on the blog for our existing ministries and people. Yet I haven’t been good about asking you to pray for the areas that have no evangelical witness where we need to get to to share the Gospel and plant a church.

I want to ask you today to begin to pray for those barrios that have no evangelical presence in Santiago and also around the Cibao: Moca, San Frtancisco, La Vega and Bonao. 

Further, I want to ask you to pray for these places: The hole in Gurabito- we have done some work there with volunteers last summer and need to get back there; also, the neighborhood where Hector’s family lives- he wants to go start a church there. It is across the bridge in a sector of Santiago where we have no Baptist work.  Pray that God would be preparing a “man of peace”- someone He has prepared to be a catalyst for the Gospel to penetrate that particular community. Pray for the community leaders to be prepared, to be given the grace to have a thirst and hunger for God.

Please pray for all our new believers in the three ministries, that they would catch the vision for reaching their own barrios and also other places.

Thanks for your prayer support!!

Here is some daily wisdom:

A candle loses none of its light by lighting another candle.
- Unknown

I have the priviledge to be at a training conference led by the IMB this week. I am here in the DR, in Juan Dolio, about three hours from Santiago.  We got in today and had a great session- looking at our hearts which is so critical to our ministry. I don’t say it enough, but I really am grateful to all of our SBC churches for the support we have that allow for these special opportunities for refreshing and retooling our hearts and minds.

Please keep all of us in your prayers- our colleagues from Haiti are here with us. And pray for the ministry team back in Santiago as they go about their work without me. I have found these sorts of occasions are really beneficial to growth. Sort of the sink or swim effect.

I have internet connection here which makes things nice so I can keep in touch with the world. I probably won’t be able to check email until the evenings when we are free. thanks for your prayers!

We begin a new training cycle of the Baptist Seminary here in Santiago next Saturday. I will be teaching “How to grow in the faith” using material from the Navigator’s (listed below).  Please be in pray for all our new students. I know of at least seven from our missions that want to participate and others too- pray for all to overcome whatever obstacles there are and commit to developing their gifts for Christian service.

Once again I will be on the road this week! We have a week of training with our IMB leadership. It promises to be a fruitful time of reflecting on the work of God and fine-tuning our vision of how we can best cooperate with the Spirit of God to bring about a turning to God.  I am pleased for this opportunity yet regret I will have to be away from my ministry!

Pray for the emerging leadership to be solid examples, calling their friends and family to faithful obedience! Pray for safe travel- I go back to Juan Dolio tomorrow which is about a 4 hour drive, and for fresh insight into how to best serve the Lord among the urban poor of the Cibao!

We returned yesterday from a very inspiring three day assembly of our Dominican churches. I was able to invite one leader from each mission to go with me. We heard powerful teaching and preaching- every thing from the Last Times to the role of worship in expanding a vision to being ambassadors for Christ. It was a truly blessed experience. Please remember Sol, Hector and Victor (and me) as we seek to put into practice all we learned and to share with our community all we learned.

Today in Los Santos we had over 25 adults and youth gathered for worship and it really felt like we worshiped the Lord! All of us were convicted by the message to be men and women of God- pray that we might live that commitment this week! Pray for Pastor Ramon and the group of new believers who will be baptized next Sunday- it is so exciting to see God at work, developing leaders and calling new people to walk with Him in obedient faith.

We were able to buy about 450 pairs of underwear for children. They have been divided among the three missions and these are some of the pictures of the children receiving their panties.  They were so thrilled- and their parents were too! Victor and Paula handled the process; many who weren’t at the service last Wednesday received their gift by way of a personal visit by Victor and Paula. Again, many thanks to LBC for making this gift possible!

A group from Lexington Baptist sent a gift for buying childrens interior wear. This may seem odd, but it is an awesome gift! I have been able to make a purchase in quantity- almost 500 pairs of girls and boys underwear. We are making plans to distribute them among the neediest children in the Hole, Villa de Yaque and Los Santos- pray for our members as they work  on this project and visit in the homes, that the families would hear the message of God’s love being shared by Christian families. Thanks LBC! (I hope to post pictures of the kids soon!)