Starting at ground zero in a new country is not always glamorous. Yes, it’s exciting, it’s beautiful, the people are lovely, and we want to embrace and do EVERYTHING! But one of the most challenging tasks to do in life is to WAIT… LISTEN… and then wait some more. It’s tempting to “throw a whole pot of spaghetti on the wall and see what sticks.” But we know God has asked us to take time and test the spaghetti as it boils. During these first months here in the Dominican Republic, we are being very intentional to:
1. Seek God and spend time in Prayer.
2. Ask questions about the needs of the local church and give space/time for the pastors and leaders to answer.
3. Pay attention to the nudges of the Holy Spirit in developing relationships.
4. Learn Spanish to develop relationships and minister more efficiently.
Asking questions and listening:
In the first part of February, Charlie Finnochario and Daniel Brown visited the Dominican Republic to encourage the national Foursquare pastors, leaders, and us. Charlie was a Foursquare Missionary in the Dominican Republic till 2019. We discussed the spiritual needs of the country and church and cast a vision for our ministry here. Matt also traveled up north with them to visit a church plant in Santiago.
Haitian Church Building Project
This past year, Haitian Pastor Emmanuel has been working hard to construct a church building in the Haitian community in Santo Domingo. Grace Covenant Church from North Carolina has partnered with him financially to complete the lower level. Matt has become the liaison for communication with Grace Covenant Church and assisting Pastor Emmanuel in providing photos and receipts of each stage of the process. Last month, we also hosted a church from Indiana on a scouting trip to consider a construction project of the second level.