Getting There

It's quite amazing how time flies.  We are in the DR now but our last post noted a need of $1500 that remained outstanding but seemed well within reach considering how God had provided thus far.  Within 24 hours that exact amount was met.  GOD MOMENT!!!!

Then, we submitted our numbers to the spreadsheet person who promptly found an additional need of around $400.  Prayers immediately went out.  We didn't blog about it because that would seem rather shady.  But within a couple days of figuring out exactly where the shortage came from the funding came in abundance.  God is so good.  All that seemed a confirmation of Gods hands on this trip.

We gathered up all the batons in the hands of Jillian and myself and invested many hours distributing them to willing and capable carriers.  After more than a couple meetings we could pour ourselves into packing and preparing.

Packing was actually pretty easy.  If you typically wear it in a normal week, bring it.  This was no quick visit.  We've got to last a bit.  We squeezed it all in and without a single scale in the house, hoped for the best when checking our luggage.  The airlines allow 50 lbs per checked bag.  We were over by a few pounds on my bag and so we opened up on the floor and distributed stuff until we passed.  Then another bag went on.  26 lbs over!!!  There is no way we were going to spread that out. Then, we discovered, because of a scheduling snafu, Jill had a different kind of ticket that allowed her 20 extra pounds per checked bag.  GOD MOMENT!

When we got on the plane there wasn't enough space for all the carry-ons.  Miah had to gate check her bag.  The steward said he would bring a claim ticket. He never did.  We disembarked in Newark and immediately asked about the bag.  The agent asked for a ticket...and that was the beginning of that little adventure.  I went on a long walk, got turned around by TSA (they can yell the word "sir" with the greatest amount of contempt) and we left Newark, heading to the Dominican Republic, with one less bag.

Our flight was otherwise completely uneventful.  We arrived and started unpacking.  We couldn't find  toothbrushes, one flip flop, and shorts.  It was a bit unsettling in a new place, language and ministry while missing some basic comfort items.  And as we waited Miah's bag was delivered, shorts were found and toothbrush discovered.  All told, somehow, we lost a single flip flop between Buffalo and the Dominican Republic.  We made it!

Thanks for all your prayers.  Keep them coming!!!

HUMBLED

Wow!

So as time has moved forward we have started to roll downhill.  Momentum is picking up toward our time of departure and the list of things to wrap up seems ever mounting.

Here is what has us most in awe.

Provision.

There are people who are reaching out to support us who are giving over and above what we could ever ask.  People are making sacrifices that we could never ask them to make.  There are students just starting out in life that are giving who probably have a hard time making ends meet.

And I am humbled.  Humbled by the love that is evidenced by the kindness of so many.  From Florida to Oregon to California to New York.  Friends (friends who love us like family) & family have been so supportive.

Someone asked how we were doing financially for the trip.  I told them we have around $2,000 left to raise but it feels as if we're already fully funded.  This morning it's around $1,500 and I'm amazed.  BUT that last $1,500 amounts to our flights back into the country.  So here's the deal, they won't let us leave unless we have flights to get back.

And here is the other thing; the Nieves family needs to be centered and still as we begin seeking out God's best for us in this experience.  It's a spiritual preparation that matters most for these next few weeks.  We must not be distracted by the last few dollars to be raised when we need to be considering the souls to whom we will be ministering.

I imagine most people reading have already given.  And we rejoice in your faithfulness.  We simply couldn't ask anyone to do anything more.  So please pray.  Pray that the last bit comes through and our hearts have a servants posture and we will have ample energy to keep the pace at the complex and we will enter the field with hearts overflowing so we will have much to pour into others.

I have so much gratitude right now and its humbling.  And it's not a bad place to be.

Humble and Lifted

Michael, Jillian and Family

21 day Jesus fix, post from Jillian

Three weeks from today!!!! We leave in 21 days. This amazing opportunity is the constant conversation in our house.  We go from "How can we prepare our hearts for what we will see and experience?" to "Do we have enough underwear?"  Yeah, that is some range isn't it?

The whirlwind of the end of school year activity has begun.  The kids are either winding down in their studies or spending 4 hours each night on review packets for exams.  Once again, range.  Michael and I are continuing to minister to our church family, all while trying to figure out the details of the summer here and there.

I have had so many conversations with co-workers, extended family and church visitors about the DR.  What a great way to sow seeds of God's love.  I am praying that these Q & A's plant a little inspiration into their hearts.  I am stepping quite a ways out of my comfort zone.... if I can do it, you can for sure! It doesn't have to be huge.....stop and have a conversation with your neighbor, send a note to someone you thought of today, follow up on that thing you have a passion for, look into their eyes when you ask them how they are doing....really.

Serving doesn't have to be hard! Serving is always a blessing to those served AND the servant. Being front row to giving joy is just about THE best thing.

Typical Home in Dominican Villages

Thank you for supporting us in prayer and finances.  We have been blessed with 75% of the funds needed for the summer!  We cannot even begin to express our gratitude for the love shown through this.  Your prayers are helping us stay on track and that is crazy important to me. Please continue to lift us up.

We would love for you to pray for the following things that have been on our hearts

flight plans completed
-  finished tasks at home and church
-  level heads when it comes to packing
-  mercy filled hearts for Michael and I
-  bold and servant hearts for our kids

Kitchen

-  the full time missionaries we are going to work with
-  PJ Bogoniewski who will interim at CenterPointe
- LauraBeth taking care of our home
-  the ability to jump in with both feet when we get there

The count down is on......thanks for partnering with us.

You can still give using the online store at https://squareup.com/market-centerpointe-community-church

Developments

The first missions trip I ever attended was a national trip to Miami.  We wrote letters, made a display at church and promoted several find raisers.  We all had enough funds to make the trip.  The next big trip I went on was international to St Lucia.  I also wrote letters and sent them out.  This was in the mid 1990's and email was just gathering popularity.  

But here it is in the new millennium (which isn't exactly that new anymore)  and next to no one sends out Christmas cards or even calls people on the phone.  So how to connect with the people I know to let them know about this adventure.  I did what I know and sent out letters.  May of you have responded and I am thankful.  A second wave of contact went out through FaceBook.  Soon a third wave of contact will go out though texting alone.  How strange that I would have people in my life that I consider true friends and not even know where to send a piece of mail.  Even more strange, is that I feel like I'm imposing by asking for their physical address.

Anyway, despite the hyper connected yet physically estranged world we live in, I hope you have been able to keep up with our progress.  We have received $5,510 toward our goal of $12,000.  That is a monstrous blessing and my entire family is completely floored by the generosity of our friends and family.

BUT, we still have a ways to go.  So remember Jill, Miah, Caleb, Jonah and me in prayer and respond if God prompts you to give.  Every $5 adds up.  Maybe you can skip your latte for the week or day.  Skip a meal out with the family.  I feel so bold in suggesting this, but maybe you could.

Here is the link to give through SQUARE.
https://squareup.com/store/centerpointe-community-church

Rejoice in the progress we've enjoyed.  Pray for continued advancement!

The DR Back Story

It must have been 2013 or so when the grind of ministry life began to wear on me.  I remembered an aspiration that Jill and I shared when we were just returning form our first missions trip as a married couple.  We would travel at least every other year to an overseas ministry location to remind  ourselves of the way God sees His work.  I prayed a desperate prayer, "God, please let me travel."  It was a couple months later that Go opened the door for me to lead a trip to Nicaragua with Chad Heim, who planted CenterPointe with me.

Upon returning, our church was excited to travel again.  Six months later the opportunity was presented to visit the Dominican Republic to see the ministry work there.  I eagerly accepted the chance to visit a Caribbean island in the middle of February.  It was then and there that God grabbed my heart.

I recalled that I had proposed to Jill in our first few years of marriage that we might live in a Spanish speaking country for a while, and give myself a chance to learn the language.  She agreed.  But that was 15 years ago, before children, before planting CenterPointe, before buying a house.  I mentioned that to Jeff Hackett and he informed me there was a position that existed on paper, that no one had ever held before of a Campus Pastor.  It could be held on a short term basis of a year.  I was floored. Could God be giving me a dream?  I returned home and shared my experience with Jill.  She was on board with giving it a shot but there were many times to work out.  Our kids were still in school, I lead a growing congregation, I have a board to whom I am accountable, would they be on board?  God worked out each an every obstacle.  The first being, the flexibility of SCORE to allow me to spend just the summer with my family on site.  subsequently, the board offering their blessing, speakers lining up for the summer and our children getting increasingly excited and eager to head out.

Jill and I made  quick visit to the Dominican to see for herself where we might live, what our kids might do and how the ministry operated.  This is of course was the most important endorsement of all.  The spousal "veto" could put everything else in jeopardy.  Well, that visit went even better than imagined.  Jill discovered that our could would not only survive, they might even thrive in the nurturing, safe and spiritually adventurous climate of the SCORE complex.

I don't know if I will ever spend a full year there or another Spanish speaking country, but this one thing I know, nothing is too big for God and no dream is ever to outrageous for God to grant!  I am excited to be on this adventure.  I thank you for taking the time to read and hope that you will remember us on your prayers.

Support Letter

ANSWERS TO PRAYER

Thanks for stopping by the blog.  I love to write and don't often take the time to do so.  So I am happy to take on the challenge of operating this blog as our family raises funds to get to the Dominican Republic the summer of 2016.

While there is a lot to say about the adventure this post is just to break the seal on this project.  Here you will find prayer requests, updates on our fundraising and faith raising progress and even hear from some of the rest of the family.

Thanks again for stopping by.  Next post, I'll share the
story of how we ended up accepting the opportunity to spend the summer in the third world island nation of the Dominican Republic.