Matthew 1:31 And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.

I’m amazed by all of the Christmas décor here in the Dominican Republic. Some began putting up Christmas trees back in September! After a few days of being upset about everyone ignoring Thanksgiving, I remembered that it’s a U.S holiday!

But still, why a Christmas tree in September? Maybe because Christmas is something to look forward to. When you live in a country where despair encircles you daily, you anticipate something sweet. H.O.P.E-maybe?

Even the wealthiest here are faced with this overwhelming despair each time they walk outside of their gates. Beggars are too many to count! You can’t stop at a street light without someone running to your car to sell you something! News of dying children ring in your ears constantly and the pain of the non-insured ill takes your breath away!

So, some shiny Christmas lights bring in a new H.O.P.E. An expectation of an awaited Savior! A day for families to forget the despair as they feast on roasted pork, rice and beans!

We, the Dominguez family, have been asking God to give us a way to share Him during this upcoming season and we believe that we have an answer!

A church in a nearby city has asked us to host a 2 day Children’s program there. We’ll use drams, pantomimes, preaching, music and puppets to teach hurting children God’s truth! We will do this during the Christmas season! We’ll then take the same program to a nearby village for the children there, then we’ll do it again at our church, Iglesia Vida en Cristo.

You can be a part of bringing these children H.O.P.E too! We’d like to give each child a gift. Ruben recently met with the manager of a large toy store chain here to share our plans with him. He has agreed to give us a significant discount on anything we purchase at his store! After purchasing prizes there for our Kid’s Club, we’ve realized that $10 would be a perfect amount for each gift.

Most of the children that will see our program have never had a Christmas gift before! Imagine their joy as we hand them a wrapped gift after sharing the truth of our Savior with them!

Will you help us bring the H.O.P.E of our Lord Jesus Christ to nearly 600 children?

 The church that asked us to come has 500 children attending their Sunday School, including those attending the Haitian churches they oversee on this side of Hispaniola.

 Their will be 50 children in the village, then another 40 at our church!

Would you consider reaching 5 to 10 children with a $50 or $100 gift this month for this cause? We truly believe that as these children play with their new toy, they will continue to remember the truths that we share with them at our program! These truths will save their lives and give them a H.O.P.E and a future!

Luke 2:7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

UPDATE ON STARR: Thank you so much for your prayers. Starr is doing better. Her neurologist is working with her closely and has put her on a different type of medication. Her cardiologist took her off of the high blood pressure meds and her blood pressure has been stable for the past 2 weeks!

No More Comfort Zone

Relief, reassurance, consolation, encouragement, soothing and gladness are all synonyms of the word comfort. I must say that it feels good to be in any one of those places. Who wouldn’t want some relief in the midst of pain? Who would reject encouragement while in the face of despair? A little gladness would be nice while sadness reigns. Yet, God consistently moves us out of a place of comfort.

When I think of the word zone, I visualize a place. Usually it’s a place where only certain activities are allowed. Some people’s hearts may have different zones. To name a few, a loving zone, a bitter zone, a guilty zone, a forgiving zone, and the all so infamous comfort zone.

The comfort zone is not only a physically place, but a condition of our hearts as well. I really thought that when I emptied my house in the states and boarded the plane to the Dominican Republic that I was leaving my comfort zone. Little did I know that my heart had areas that needed to be re-zoned.

It is amazing how God has used this physical location to mold me more and more into the person He’s ordained for me to be. I’ve come to realize that when we focus on ourselves in any way, we are living in a comfort zone. When our gaze is not solely upon Him, we are in a comfort zone. Oh, how I long to only see Him. Beyond the circumstances that surround me, beyond my own unbelief, beyond the great needs that seem to plague me daily; I long to only see my Father.

As we, the Dominguez family, walk down this narrow road; God has given us victory. We are all growing and accepting the challenges that God places on our path. Just the other day, José asked Jonathan if he wanted him to pray with him for a birthday gift since Jonathan’s 18^thbirthday is coming up. Jonathan sincerely looked at his younger brother and said, “Jo, it is always easy for us to pray for things that we want, but we should instead pray for the lost souls around us. Instead, let’s pray for our church services to be filled with God’s power. Instead, let’s pray for those who are hurting.” José walked away amazed knowing how badly Jonathan wants a rather costly gift for his birthday.

One of our church members recently came over to tell us that her life has been so wonderful since she’s met us. She says that she has peace that she’s never had before. She has just made some difficult decisions in obedience to Christ, yet she is not hard pressed. She’s trusting Him.

Yesterday, we had children waiting at our gate an hour before Kid’s Club started. The neat thing about it is that their scripture memory books were in hand and they had memorized the verses therein! These children are memorizing new scriptures each week. What a joy to see God use His word to work in their lives to bring transformation within their hearts.

Please continue to pray for us. We need wisdom.

Thank you so much for your support,

Vicki-for the Dominguez family

Via Dolorosa

Christ walked down a long road, “La Via Dolorosa”. He walked down the way of grief to a deadly cross with a heavy piece of wood on his back. All of this for me and for you. Before this dramatic event took place, He wanted each one of His followers to know that we too would have to carry our own cross in order to follow Him. Reading those words sound so wonderful. Listening to a sermon about living a selfless life sounds so energizing. Watching others carry it out can often times be encouraging. Yet, doing it yourself is painful. It’s a pain that wells up deep within, yet we keep walking.

Walking down the road that leads to death of self is really the only way to obtain true life. Assimilating in a new culture is not easy. Adjusting a family of 10 to a completely new world is no simple task. Living out God’s word in the midst of naysayers is hard. But wasn’t that Via Dolorosa hard? Wasn’t that cross painful? Didn’t He say that we would have to carry ours as well?

This is an exciting death. This is the only type of death that truly produces resurrection. I must die so that He will live. I need Him to live through me in order to shed His light on those around me. I need Him to shine through me in order to offer love to the hurting by my side. We all do if we are truly His.

So we, the Domínguez family, which represent H.O.P.E 4 DR are happy to die for our Lord. We are thrilled to live out His word this way. Each day we respond to His call as we give to another in need. Each day we obey Him when we love those that despitefully use us. Each day we serve Him when we forgive those who have hurt us. No matter the cost, we’ve decided to follow Him.

A SPECIAL THANKS
Most of you reading this have given faithfully to H.O.P.E 4 DR and we are so grateful. You have helped us to reach over 100 children with consistent teaching from God’s word. You have helped us feed over 20 families. You’ve helped us pay the all so many bills for our home/ministry center. You’ve helped us to continue with our Sunday services and many are being transformed there. Just the other night one of our neighbors said that we were a light house to this neighborhood and he hopes that our light will reach his house.

UPDATES
•Our children are all studying hard each day. In addition to their regular studies, they create dramas for our Kid’s Club and other outreaches. They write and produce quality puppet shows. They work on videos and designs for our ministry and they reach out to those around us in love.
•We are still waiting on our non-profit paperwork and permit for orphans. Please pray for favor.
•We are still looking for land. Please pray for a miracle.
•Our meeting with the school’s superintendent was cancelled. We will start our classes in January. Please keep praying for prepared hearts in the schools.
•God is transforming lives at our church. Jonathan is working on a video of testimonies that we’ll soon share with you.
•Our Kid’s Club is growing strong. The children are learning new scriptures each week!
•Our house feels more like a home as we now have living room furniture.
•We had a wonderful visit with our Pastor Brad and his wife Angela and the team from Calvary Revival Church. What a breath of fresh air!


NEEDS
•A vehicle large enough for our family and for transporting people to and from church.
•Household furniture.
•A generator for our home and outreaches.
•A portable screen for the movies we show.
•A portable sound system.
•More puppets and a stage.
•Spanish Bibles.
•Small prizes for our Kid’s Club participants.

Selina's Moon

Our precious Selina’s name simply means moon. I remember praying for God to give me a grand revelation of her name when she was a small child. I truly wanted her to see her significance as a child of God and I believed that her name had something to do with that. It took some prayer and fasting for me as a baby Christian back then to really hear what Father God wanted to reveal to her through her name.
The moon was bright one dark night as little Selina slept. As I gazed at the moon’s light, a gentle voice spoke, “Selina will bring light to this dark world. As the moon draws it’s light from the sun, she will draw her light from my Son to shine upon the darkened hearts around her.” I was filled with joy as God finally revealed His purpose for her to me.
Ruben and I both spoke this truth over our little light throughout her life. After years of hearing who she is, she truly walks in it. Her relationship with God is so special and sweet that it is difficult to be in her presence and not leave uplifted. We’ve seen the light in her dispel the darkness around her. God even sends the moon in full view outside of her window on the evenings when she needs confirmation of His presence.
As I ponder on Selina’s gifts, how could I not think of the children around me who don’t have parents speaking truth into their lives. Lots of times, we think that the children living in extreme poverty or in the villages around us suffer the most. Now that I’ve lived in this city for over 2 months and in this decent neighborhood for over a month, I see that hurting children are everywhere.
Our hearts ache each morning and each night as a toddler cries in the house behind us while in the care of an older sibling who has no patience for him. Apparently, both parents work and leave this tender child in the hands of another child who would rather be outside playing than babysitting. We hear him yell and scream at the baby each morning and night. We’ve decided to go to their house this week to offer our assistance in the care of this child. Please pray for wisdom on our parts and that their hearts would be open.
The young girls in our neighborhood seem to not know who they are. They search for significance in the arms of boys who could care less about them. The women, even professing Christian women, have no standards on modesty. They wear clothes to tempt men and are not ashamed of it.
Many of the young men have no goals, nor future aspirations. They don’t want to work, they’d rather find a woman who will work for them. They don’t want to stay in school, they’d rather roam the streets. Once they finally get married, they complain because they can’t find work that will pay them lots of money. So they give up and put pressure on the woman in their life to do what they should do.
We at H.O.P.E believe the solution is simple. Perhaps the process may be long and weary, but the end goal would be worth it. We’d like to begin a program for the youth of this city. In this program we will separate the boys and the girls.
Both groups will participate in physical training, grooming, W.A.I.T Training (a sexual abstinence program), computer and English classes, intensive Bible studies, and other gender appropriate activities. We will also use this as an opportunity to reach into each life and visit the homes of those whose parents would allow. Then ending the year with a celebration graduation ceremony where family members would be invited to see the treasure in their children and also have an opportunity to accept Christ as their Savior.
As the school year begins this week, we’d like to introduce our program to the local schools. We can openly speak about Jesus Christ here in the schools. They actually seek out pastors, priests and missionaries to come to teach Biblical classes in the schools. This present administration has included Biblical studies as a required subject in the schools here. We would love to take advantage of this opportunity to bring God’s light to the darkness around us.
We will be meeting with the superintendent of the public schools in our city this coming week, please pray for favor as we share our hearts with her.
OUR NEEDS:
In order for this yearlong program to be a success, we need those who would commit to financially support each youth. The city asks pastors, priests and missionaries to teach because they know that we will teach for free. We see this as a wonderful opportunity to reach into these lives, yet in order to provide a quality program, we would need financial help. A special gift of $200 per child would provide a year of all of the above training, tournaments, awards and our closing graduation ceremony. 100% of this special gift will go towards these youth initiatives. Please consider pouring this way into the life of a young person who desperately needs the love of our Heavenly Father.
THE LAND/ORPHANS:
We are still considering other properties. None compare to the price of the land in the mountains. We will keep you posted as we move forward. Please continue to pray. We would love to live in a village, yet we are convinced that God has placed us here in the city for a time such as this. We know that the land will come through at His right time.
We will be able to take in children as soon as we have the permits in our hands from the government. Many don’t go through this process in starting an orphanage here, but we believe that it is best to do it the legal way. Please keep praying as we await word from the government officials.
OUR FAMILY
We are all doing well. Jonathan and Selina will take classes online for now. The twins, Jr., Jojo and Starr will continue to home school with mom (dad helps too now). Please pray that we will continue to work well together as a team and withstand the attacks of the enemy.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND FOR YOUR PRAYERS. THIS WOULD BE AN IMPOSSIBLE JOURNEY WITHOUT YOUR FAITHFUL COMMITMENT TO US. SELINA SAYS THAT SHE SEES THIS PHASE OF HER LIFE AS AN ADVENTURE FROM HEAVEN! HOW EXCITING!

Ready for Heaven?

A few of us found ourselves lost one starry night as we strolled throughout our new neighborhood! My precious four year old Starr looked up towards the heavens and said, “Jesus, I’m not ready to go to heaven yet. Please let us find our way home!” The rest of us enjoyed a hearty laugh at Starr’s request. As we found our way home, she stopped in the middle of the street with hands lifted up and said, “Jesus, thank you for bringing us back home. One day I will go to heaven, but not yet!”

Although her prayer was delightful and amusing, it was true for 94% of Dominicans. Few are not ready to go to heaven as Starr prayed. So many need to find their way home. We are continually grateful to God for choosing us to reach them.

God has given us many ways to reach out to those around us. The best way has been to live a life of Godliness before them. Many know the scriptures, but don’t live them. Many attend church services, just to go back to a life of sin. In light of the realities we face, God has made it clear that we MUST live His word before all. Thus, those who watch us are changed.

Let’s take our neighbor Marco for instance. He would watch us out of the window for days. Then he decided to come to one of our movies. After watching the movie, he stayed to talk for a while. Each day he comes by to visit with Ruben. He always leaves impressed. He now attends our church services every Sunday! Ruben preached a message about faith the first Sunday that Marco visited. He focused on the woman with the issue of blood during his message. Marco was amazed because his mom has had the same problem for a few months. We went to their house to pray that day and she is now doing better. Please pray that Marco will give his life to Christ.

Cesar is a pastor’s son. Everyone thought that he would also grow up to be a pastor, but he lived the past four years of his life in sin. He has spent countless hours sharing his heart with Ruben and has now given his life to Christ and is helping us in many ways. He picks up church members who don’t have cars each Sunday. He chauffeurs Ruben and I everywhere! He helps our family face the various un-expected trials that confront newcomers to this country. He also invites new people to church each week! Please pray that he will continue to grow in his walk with the Lord and fulfill the call that God has placed on his life.

Then there is a single mom named Carmen. She was brutally beaten by her boyfriend the night before she attended our service for the first time. I spent some time sharing God’s truth with her about her value to Him. She believed what I said and accepted Christ as her Lord and Savior that day. She now faithfully attends service each week with her children. She has left that boyfriend and is growing in her walk with the Lord. Please pray that she will continue to press forward and not turn back to sin.

Carmen’s eldest daughter didn’t want to speak to me the first time I saw her. She had just watched her mom get beat and left for dead. She was afraid of everyone. I asked Selina to spend some time with her. By the end of the service, she was hugging us. Now, she runs to us when she sees us! What a delight to see God move in her heart. Please pray that she will grow to be a witness for the Lord and a bright light that shines in her home.

I cannot leave out the Fernandez family. The husband, Jaime, did not want to have anything to do with God or the church until he met Ruben. Now he is the one who wakes everyone up each Sunday morning and helps his wife get the children ready for service. His wife called me the other day to tell me that she is doing her homework from our Sunday School class and that she is very happy to be growing in Christ. Please pray that this family will continue to seek the Lord and grow to be strong pillars in His kingdom.

The Land
We are still looking at other properties. It has not been easy for us to let go of the mountain. We are still praying for a miracle since they have not yet sold it. Please join us in this prayer.

Our Family
We have started school! Our routine is not as great as we would like it to be. We have lots of distractions each day. Visitors come on a daily basis. We’ll get this part down soon!
We are looking at schools for Jonathan and Selina. Please pray for wisdom as they continue their education.

Orphans
Our paper work probably won’t be done until the end of August or September. Keep praying as God prepares our hearts and our home for more children.

Thanks to all who have faithfully given. We would not be able to continue this work without your support! You are special to us. Please let us know what your prayer needs are as well and we will lift you up before the Father during our family prayer time. We love you all! Continue to be servants of our king!

More pictures are coming soon!

*Names of the above have been changed. I’m sure you understand why.

New house, new journey!

Thanks to those who responded to God’s tugging to assist us financially, we were able to move into our new home. We were blessed to find such a large home in a decent neighborhood for such a low price! God is showing us daily that He is with us!

Our home has a lot of space, yet it does not have the amenities that a house in the US would have. For instance, our water reserve tank doesn’t usually work so each day when the city cuts off the water in this neighborhood we don’t have water. We have not had water for almost 24 hours now. It has gone off for hours at a time for the past few days. The hot water heater doesn’t work either so cold baths and showers have become the norm for us. Nor de we have a generator which means that each day when the city turns off the electricity in our neighborhood, we are in the dark too! How about no air conditioning! We are grateful for each breeze that comes our way!

Yet, we don’t complain. We literally rejoice over the fact that God chose us to join Him in what He’s already begun to do here in the Dominican Republic! I’m reminded of the morning that I had to walk downstairs to the bathroom in the back of the house to take a cold bath out of the buckets of water we reserve for water outages. I did complain in my heart as I gathered my towel and soap. Just as I began to feel sorry for myself, the Holy Spirit flashed the picture of Ruben sitting in our garden the other day ministering to the young man who lives next door to us. Then I remembered the children in the village of Moca. I then saw the faces of those who faithfully come to our church services every Sunday! How could I complain when I chose to give my life for them? I then thought of the people who live only 15 minutes away from me who never have running water. How could I complain when only a few minutes away many live in wooden shacks?

MINISTRY

Ruben has had lots of pain in his leg lately. His pain has kept us from going into the village. We hope to return soon. We instead have been ministering to our neighbors and to those in the neighborhood where we lived before moving. We had our first program for children last Sunday evening. It was great to see them all learn to put God first and that Jesus is their super hero!

We also show an evangelic movie on Saturday nights. Our street fills up with people as we show the films. Afterward, Ruben takes a few minutes to share the gospel with them. It was through one of the movies that our next door neighbor wanted to share his heart with Ruben. He and his brother continually seek Ruben for advice now.

Our Sunday morning services are going great as well. We start out with Sunday School where I’m going through Lies Women Believe and the Truth that Sets them Free with the women and young ladies. Ruben is teaching the men and the young men who they are in Christ. Selina and Jose are teaching the 6-12 year olds to put God first this month. Jonathan and Josue are teaching the 3-5 year olds the fruits of the Spirit. After Sunday School we join together for our church service where Selina leads worship, the boys usher, I start off with a welcome, prayer and scripture and Ruben preaches! How fun to work together as a family.

OUR CHILDREN

I truly feel honored to have children willing to give up so much to work for the Lord and still continue to make sacrifices daily for His sake. They sleep on the hard floor each night and never complain. They work in the ministry each weekend while the children around them have fun doing other things. They sit in flimsy plastic chairs each day for school or on the floor, yet accept it without any fuss! I am blessed beyond measure as I watch their response to this transition. I can clearly see God’s hand upon each one of them.

THE LAND

We have not purchased the property yet. First of all, we did not raise enough money to buy all 38 acres. Unfortunately, many who promised to purchase an acre have not yet upheld that promise. Also, we are still negotiating with the owners. It would be a lot easier to negotiate with all of the money available to us. Three other people want that land right now who have more to offer than us. We are now considering other pieces of land. We’ll keep you posted as we move forward with this.

PRAYER POINTS:

1. Pain and swelling in Ruben’s leg to diminish.
2. For our family to continue to walk in unity.
3. Grace with the government as we seek non-profit status here and permits to take in orphans.
4. Provision.
5. Hearts of those to whom we minister would be transformed.
6. Favor with the owners of the land or another piece of property.

NEEDS:

1. Furniture, especially beds for the children.

2. A vehicle large enough for our family and to transport people back and forth to church.

3. Continual monthly support.

4. Spanish Christian movies, music and curriculum for Sunday School.

5. Generator large enough for our home.

6. Large containers to reserve water until our tank is fixed.

Die to Self, Live for Christ!

How many times do we sing songs like, "Lord, I want to be more like you"? Or pray prayers like, "Father, let me decrease so you may increase." Such prayers flow with such passion and desire to see them fulfilled. Tears may even flow as we fall to our knees in an earnest quest of His likeness to overcome our flesh. Little do we know that God uses everyday circumstances to answer such requests. For us, His response was a lifetime transition. It was for us to make disciples in a different nations. Disciples big and small. God has given us the opportunity to die to ourselves and to live for Him in a way that defies reason.

We thought that we had been givers when we lived in the States, none of us realized that God was calling us to give in a greater way. He constantly calls us to a higher place in Him. He will not stop streching us until we meet Him in the sky! Our attitudes and hearts must joyfully obey. So here, we give more. We give food out of our pantry. We give to orphans out of our family's monthly support. We give our time, literally all day, to those in need. Ruben gives with just one working leg! All of this is done out of our hearts as we respond to His call.

In addition to helping other missionaries with their initiaves, getting our family used to this change and keeping ourselves strong in the Lord, we've begun church services on Sunday mornings. Our living room has been full to its max, so some sit on the porch and others on the floor! We've prayed for God to give us a larger home that is not far away from those we've begun to reach and He has answered that prayer. After looking at many homes throughout Santiago, we've finally found one that works well for us. 6 bedrooms, 5 living areas, a closed in yard and only $475/month. Yes, half the price of the house we almost signed a contract for. Now, we'll have space for our family, the church services, mission groups and a few orphans. It is only 5 minutes away from the neighborhood that we've been reaching and a few minutes away from the others that attend our service who don't live in this neighborhood.

We also travel to the village of Moca each Sunday afternoon. What a joy its been to see the lives of the children in that village changed as they learn truths about our Savior! Yet, it has been difficult to get our family there each week since we don't have a vehicle. We usually pay someone to take us and this has become expensive.

Yesterday, Ruben had to ride on the back of a motorcycle in the rain with his cast sticking straight out! As I watched him ride down the hill, (the rest of us walked in the rain) I prayed for his safety and asked God again if this was really His will! As we walked into our host's small home, I was amazed at God's quick response as I saw the faces of the children who had walked for miles in the rain to hear us share His truth with them. Afterwards, we walked to the house where the sweet, precious orphans live. I was humbled even more when I saw chickens walking throughout their home and old curtians hanging in the doorways in place of doors. These children don't walk around crying because their parents died, they sang lots of praises to God during our service and smiled the entire time. It didn't seem like a big deal to them that their clothes were too small and that they didn't have much to eat. They were just happy to be alive.

We will begin a summer camp in a few weeks for the children in the barrio of Los Cerritos. We have enjoyed getting to know them and are excited about ministering to them this way. We'll keep you posted as we move forward with this.

So friends, today I sincerely ask for your help. Would you please join our team of monthly Kingodom Investors? A gift of $50 or more per month would enable us to provide consistent service to those seeking truth here in the Dominican Republic. Perhaps you'd like to help with a special gift towards a vehicle, our down payment of $1500 for the house, money towards new furniture (the kids are sleeping on air mattresses) or money for supplies for our upcoming camp ($1000). When you give, please specify what the gift is for.

Please know that whatever you give will not only bless us, but many on this island.

Prayer points:
1. Continued healing for Ruben's achilles tendon. Provision for the physically therapy and wisdom for the doctors.
2. Wisdom for the ministry in Moca and provision for the orphans there.
3. Hearts of those who attend our service each Sunday will continue to transform.
4. Wisdom for the internet cafe.
5. Grace with the government as we legalize our ministry and orphanage.
6. Peace for our children as we move into another home.

Giving information: For tax deductible gifts send and write checks to CCI, PO Box 721191, Dallas, TX 75372-1191. Please DO NOT write our name anywhere on the check (not even in the memo section), but attach a note stating, H.O.P.E Dominican Republic.
For non-tax deductible gifts, please click on the donate button on our blog.

Our mailing address is Dominguez, Agape Flights STI 22437, 100 Airport Avenue, Venice, FL 34285. When mailing packages, please send a check to the CCI address to cover the $1.50 per pound that we are charged for cargo. Please DO NOT send us checks as it has been difficult to cash them here. Call us anytime at 214-810-7333, just leave a message if we don't pick up and we'll return your call ASAP!

Thank you very much! Pictures are coming soon and please call, email or send letters...we miss you!

Cold Water and Toilet Seats

Our pastor, his family, other friends and my parents met us at the airport to say goodbye at 3 a.m. last Thursday morning! What a departure! As we walked away, the tears in my heart burned my eyes. As the plane took off, the reality of what we were really doing hit me. We left it all and are on our way into the unknown.

Our flight to the Carribbean was good in spite of the wheel chair, crutches, 22 checked containers, and 20 carry on bags. We were not able to sit together on the plane. A nice elderly woman switched seats with Soli so she could sit with me and another gentleman swithced with Starr. The rest however, were scattered on both flights! The flight attendants were amazed at our children's behavior, they said that they'd never seen such well behaved children before. One could not understand why we would want to have so many children-I took it as an opportunity to share God's word about them being blessings. She was amazed at my attitude and beliefs, too bad I didn't have more time to share with her.

We arrived in Santiago right after 1p.m. As we approached customs, one of the airport directors came to us and led us throughout the entire process. We did not pay anything for our luggage and none of our bags were checked! Praise God!

As we walked outside, there were lots of family members cheering. I forgot that this was a dream come true for them. Now they would have the chance to love on Ruben's children. Many cried, for God had answered their prayers. Many laughed as they realized that they could now visit with Ruben face to face after 18 years of separation!

Starr and Soli were afraid since they had recently left an airport of friends and family crying. They didn't understand why so many people cry at airports! Ruben held them both tight to help them feel secure, but Starr said that she misses her grandma and she won't love this place because then she might stop loving her grandma in the U.S. She said it so many times that day that we had to sit her down to help her understand that her heart was big enough to love her grandma in the U.S. and her grandma in the D.R. We told her that Jesus lives in her heart so He makes her heart big like His and He loves everyone in the whole world. After that conversation, she's embraced everyone.

Later that evening, Ruben called a meeting for the family members that live around us. They all filled into our small living/dining area. He told them that he was very happy to be back home again and that he loves them very much, but he was here on a mission. He told them that God sent him here to work with hurting children and to plant churches. He didn't want any of them to distract him from his purpose. They all wonderfully agreed to participate in whatever way they could.

As I showered that evening, I shivered in the cold water (we don't have hot water)! I almost complained until I remebered the little boy trying to sell me something on the street that day. Then I thought about the other little boy who really wanted to wash our car windows. Were they the only breadwinners for their families? Did their parents force them to sell on the street? Were they street children? Were they part of the child slave trade? More so, do they know our Savior? How could I complain about a cold shower when they probably have none at all?

The toilets in our house don't have seats. Imagine the shock to our backsides when nature called! We knew all of this before we came, but the daily encounter with the toilet seat takes some getting used to when you know that you're staying here forever! Yet, we endure with joy. We've decided to follow Jesus wherever He leads, with or without toilet seats!

Now that Ruben's surgery is behind us, we are working on making our little house a home and taking advantage of every opportunity that God gives us to share His love with others. Our boys went to the village in Moca Sunday afternoon to give gifts to the children and moms there. Jose participated in a drama while Josue and Jonathan prayed for and shared God's love with the people there. We are excited about the chance to work with the orphans there.

PRAYER POINTS:
1. Ruben's achilles tendon: a. Complete healing. b. Continued provision for physical therapy. c. No more swelling. d. No more pain.

2. 38 acres of land: Provision and favor as we have not yet met our goal.

3. Continued family untiy: We are all doing great. Let's pray that it stays this way!

4. Provision: a. Bedroom furniture b. A vehicle c. Living and dining room furniture

5. Peace

6. Favor with customs as will pick up our shipment of some household items on Friday the 12th. Pray that they won't overcharge us for anything.

7. Wisdom for the Internet Cafe.

WE STILL NEED MONTHY SUPPORTERS. PLEASE CONSIDER BECOMING A PART OF OUR TEAM BY GIVING TOWARDS H.O.P.E'S INITIATIVES!

Blessings to you all,

Vicki

We're here

We are finally in the Dominican Republic. Check back soon for updates.

Burn it all?

I woke up yesterday morning eager to share with my children the word that God put on my heart. I leaped out of bed and woke them all up. I sat them all down, oblivious to the fact that Ruben was on a very intense telephone call. I felt they really needed to hear this and they needed to hear it now! Once they all cleared the sleep out of their eyes and sat on the sofa I began to read, I Kings 19:19-21 NLT "So Elijah went and found Elisha son of Shaphat plowing a field. There were twelve teams of oxen in the field, and Elisha was plowing with the twelfth team. Elijah went over to him and threw his cloak across his shoulders and then walked away. Elisha left the oxen standing there, ran after Elijah, and said to him, 'First let me go and kiss my father and mother good-bye, and then I will go with you!' Elijah replied, 'Go on back, but think about what I have done to you.' So Elisha returned to his oxen and slaughtered them. He used the wood from the plow to build a fire to roast their flesh. He passed around the meat to the townspeople, and they all ate. Then he went with Elijah as his assistant."

I then went on to explain to them that God was calling us to do the same. We can’t hold on to our lives here in the U.S if He is calling us to the D.R. We must burn it all. In our hearts and in our minds, we’ve got to give it all up. I felt the power of the Lord rising in me as I spoke. It was a special moment-for me anyway! The children have all crossed that road. Why then was the Lord speaking so strong?

Ruben later called me into the room to let me know that after much prayer, thought and counsel, he’d decided that we would only take the items we need for now with us and the rest would have to stay here. His words were like a shock to my system. I felt like a big fist had pounded me in the chest!

“You mean I have to leave the leather sofas?” I asked as I held back the tears.

“Yes sweetie, the sofas stay here.”

“And the dining room table that seats all of us and our friends so wonderfully?”

“Yes babe, the table too.”

“My computer cabinet?”

“That too.”

Perhaps you can see where this was going.

I had spent weeks talking to shipping companies and packing to move our household. My mind was in going in circles. Why was he changing his mind?

“Vicki, God wants us to trust Him. I don’t have peace from Him about moving everything.”

I couldn’t respond. I trust Ruben, I trust God. Yet my heart began to ache.

My day was spent packing our necessary items, then trying to figure out what to do with the rest! I don’t think that I’ve ever been stressed at that level before. I was cranky, I was mean, I was having an emotional breakdown. I pushed away loved ones and even grieved the Spirit that abides within me. My response was horrible.

Later that evening, Ruben saw my need to get away. He piled us all into the truck and took us to get ice cream. On the way home, the Holy Spirit reminded me of the scripture that I was so eager to read this morning. It was for me, not the children. They’ve burned their bridges. I was still holding on to mine.

After some prayer time with a wonderful friend, Pastor Dwight Linyear, Ruben and I were reminded that we can’t love both God and money. We can’t love both God and things.

How could I be so insensitive to what He was trying to tell me that morning? Following Him means to burn everything that will keep you from pursuing Him with your all. The sofas, the table, the cabinet, even my tea set hindered me from going after Christ’s will with all of my heart. All of the time spent on the phone, computer and faxes with shipping companies could have been better spent in the Word.

So now, I have no problem releasing the items. I don’t want anything to keep me from serving my Master with everything in me!

Vicki

Letting Go

Packing sure brings back memories. Whether it was a good one or a bad one-it is still etched in our hearts. Today during our family devotion time, we reminisced on our life here in the U.S. God has been good to us. He healed us when were sick. He provided our needs when we lacked. He comforted us in sadness. He befriended us when we were lonely.

Leaving is sad, so sad that our hearts may ache. Departing can be so gut wrenching that our stomachs may twist. Goodbyes are often so dreary that our eyes burn with tears. Yet, we must go on. Not half heartedly, but with all of who we are. We must go. There are lives waiting for us on an island in the midst of the Caribbean Sea. Lives that await the same assurance of a Savior that we have. Lives that need to be lifted from the pit and safely bought to the arms of our loving Lord.

If it were not for Him, we would stay. Comfort beckons us. The familiar summons us. Our own flesh tempts us to remain. Yet, we must let go. We choose to go. Obeying and following our Father is the only way we know.

When our sacrifice is compared to that of our Savior's, it seems so miniscule. The amazing fact is that our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will accompany us. The same healer, provider and friend that He's been to us here in the states will be with us in the Dominican Republic.

Thank you for your support. Your investment will help us to bring H.O.P.E to those in need in the Dominican Republic.

Vicki

Going Away Party

We will have a going away party at Lindsley Park in Dallas on May 24 at 1pm. Please come with a memory of our time together to share and a picnic lunch for your family. We'll play lots of games and hear an encouraging word from our pastor Brad Weir.

We hope to see you there!

Time is Winding Down

The reality of our move is beginning to hit home. I (Vicki) am teary eyed this morning as I've remembered special times here in the US. God has truly blessed our family with great friends and family. He has surrounded us with many God fearing folks who have encouraged us to pursue Christ at a deeper level.

I must admit that I'm afraid. Afraid of the unkown. Afraid of possibly not acquiring Godly relationships there as I have here. Afraid...of so many things. Yet, He says that He has given me a spirit of fear; but of love, power and a sound mind! So I lay my fears at His feet this morning and I totally trust and surrender all of who I am to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He has never failed.

Please keep praying for us. We have lots of catching up to do. Pray that our family will remain committed to God's purposes and that we won't get off track.

If we feel fear or not, we are leaving. We are determined to follow Jesus, no turning back, no turning back!

Blessings to you all!

To Our Supporters

Our hearts are filled with a tremendous gratitude for all that God is doing in our lives and for the support that you have committed to us. Because of you and the grace of God, a dream that God has so profoundly placed upon our hearts is finally coming true and many lives worldwide will be touched. The comfort of knowing that we have friends who are willing to support us in prayer and finances has been an enormous part of enabling us to reach our goal.

Everyday we are struck with the reality that our time here in the U.S. is running short. As we are gradually approaching May 25th (our day of departure), we are still in the process of preparation for this journey. We are aware that many of you have pledged to support us financially while we are in the Dominican Republic; therefore, one of our greatest needs right now is to clarify with you the amount of support you are committing to us on a monthly basis. Will you prayerfully consider a gift of $100 or more per month? We understand that some cannot give that much. Please know that any amount will be greatly appreciated.

Although our appreciation for you cannot be described through mere words, we desire to let you know that you are a major investments in our lives, the Kingdom of God, in the lives of many others and in the lives of many generations to come. Be aware of the fact that because of this decision that you have made, other lives will be transformed. Know that God is pleased as you work to enhance His kingdom in any way possible.

There are so many words to describe our emotions of appreciation towards you, yet after putting it all together, it all sums up to… Thank You!

In Christ,

The Dominguez Family

We Need Your Support!

God promises us in Isaiah 56:5 that "Even unto them will I give in mine house and within my walls a place and a name better than of sons and of daughters: I will give them an everlasting name, that shall not be cut off."

This is one of the main goals of the H.O.P.E. Dominican Republic ministry -- to build up God's Kingdom by spreading the gospel to those hungering for His Word! We are eager to fulfill the calling that God has placed on our lives and bring the message of salvation to those waiting to receive Christ and His eternal gift. The sooner you send in your financial support, the sooner we can begin meeting the needs of those hungering for the Word! If God has laid it on your heart to pledge a regular monthly donation to H.O.P.E. Dominican Republic, we encourage you to send it in today! And if you have been considering donating to our ministry, ask God for guidance as to what amount he wants you to contribute. All gifts are tax deductible and H.O.P.E. Dominican Republic receives 100% of every donation!

May God bountifully bless you for your love and financial support of our ministry! We look forward to hearing from you!

--The Dominguez Family

Countdown to the Dominican Republic - UPDATE

Our family would like to thank you for your continued prayers, love and support! We are so blessed to have supporters whose consistent spiritual and financial generosity nurtures our family and our ministry!

God continues to bless our ministry despite some new challenges. We've changed our departure date to June 4th because we recently found out that we have to increase our travel budget. We originally planned to buy one-way airline tickets to the Dominican Republic at a cost of about $2,000. However, we've been informed that because we are citizens of the United States (except Ruben), we must purchase round-trip tickets -- which is considerably more expensive. We now need about $6,000 to buy tickets to our new home! Despite this challenge, we know that God is faithful and our needs will be met. In the meantime, we continue to work at a feverish pace to complete all the tasks that need to be done in order for a smooth transition.

During the next few weeks, we will continue spreading the word about our growing ministry, and visiting family in New York to say "good-bye." Pray that God will give us courage to speak boldly about the needs of the disadvantaged children in the Dominican Republic and that those who hear us will be inspired to participate in H.O.P.E.'s ministry. Also, pray that He will give our family strength, endurance and wisdom in the decisions that we make. We look forward to keeping you updated with praise reports about how God is answering prayers!

Have a Blessed Day!

Keep Praying

In the midst of packing, shopping, sorting out items to take or to leave, running errands, filling out tons of paperwork, homeschooling, cooking meals, maintaining relationships, keeping up with family's needs, cleaning, driving the kiddos from here to there, showing our presentation, and everything else we're doing-God has been good!
Please keep praying for us. Pray that the stress won't stress us out, instead grow us. Pray for peace in the midst of chaos. Pray that mom and dad will be sensitive to our children's needs as they transition from the only place they've ever known into the unknown. Pray that our family will stay united and walk in love throughout this process.

Pray that Starr's blood pressure will stay normal and that Jonathan's heart will heal. Pray for Vicki's healing too.

Just pray, pray, pray when you think of us.

We love you!

Please Pray

These are our prayer requests for now:

1. A buyer for our home.

2. 100% of monthy support.

3. 38 acres of land in the mountains.

4. Grace to complete all paperwork.

5. Grace to get everything packed.

6. Traveling mercies.

7. Peace throughout the process.

We're Moving

Thank you so much for your support. We'll be leaving the DFW area on May 18, then traveling to Virginia to share our vision with friends and churches there. We will then travel to New Jersey to say goodbye to family and to share our vision with some. Then we'll cross the Hudson into New York City to do some last minute shopping and to ship some items to the Dominican Republic. We'll fly out of New York on May 29!What a journey this has been for our bustling family of 10! Each day something is packed. Each week something we've grown to love is removed from our home and placed with another family to love. We have truly learned that life is not about us, nor is it our own. We are all ready to give ourselves for a greater cause...one that denies self.

As we continue, we are still in need of those who would invest in our land project. Each acre costs $670. Would you consider purchasing an acre to help keep children off the streets? We also need monthly support as we plan to reach at least 50 children during 2009-2010.

If you want specific details about this mission, please let us know. We would love to come to your home or workplace to share our presentation with you. If we won't be in your neck of the woods, we can email you our presentation and/or ministry plan and go through it with you via telephone, skype or windows live messenger.

Financial gifts can be sent to: City Church International (our sending church)P.O. Box 721191 Dallas, TX 75372-1191Please attach a note stating "HOPE Dominican Republic" , but write the check to CCI.

Blessings to you,

The Dominguez Family

We've Changed Our Name

Although we loved our ministry's name, we had to change it. Let the Children Come Ministries did not give a clear enough picture of what we plan to accomplish in the Dominican Republic. Our dream is to house orphans, provide schooling for the poor, plant churches, disciple Christians and to offer equipping seminars for church leaders and pastors.

Our new name will better express our dream for the Dominican Republic. So, here it is.....H.O.P.E. Dominican Republic. Our new mission statement is Helping Others Pursue Eternity.

Let the Children Come will still be the name of our ministry to orphans and children. Don't be surprised if you see that name again.

Thanks for your support!