Nearly There!

Hi, everyone!  We wanted to let you know that we're getting closer and closer to completing the New Site!  It's so exciting to go back and look through the pictures, from a grassy field... until now.  God is faithful, and our Construction team has been just amazing.  Please check out the New Site tab to see some pictures of the work inside. 

We give God all the glory for His provision, and we want to be faithful to use this space in His name.  Please join us in praying, even now, for those who will come to the Site to learn more about Jesus.  What a privilege to serve Him!

Manualidades y Más



The angels climbing Jacob's ladder

Hola from El Callejon!  We pray each of you had a great Easter!  Here’s a bit of what’s been happening this week at the Site:


One of the things we’ve tried to do is have manualidades (crafts) which help our groups remember the lessons.  This week was no exception.  We read Jacob’s dream to our Little Girls (from a colorful Spanish Children’s Bible given by some of our wonderful outreach participants!) and to compliment the story they made ladders with angels.  



It’s amazing how creative one can get when there aren’t easily found supplies!  The angels were makeup applicators that have been in the Site for a few years, and foam circles cut in two.  The ladder, popsicle sticks.

Our Treces hard at work

With our Treces (thirteen year olds) we wanted them to have a place to post their memory verses, so after talking about Jacob and his perseverance in working for seven years (plus another seven!) for Rachel, the girls made cute holders out of foam pieces with foam letters and stickers (we’ve got lots of foam… and everyone loves it!)

The Pre-teens show off their manualidades

We talked with our Pre-teens (11-12 year olds) about Semana Santa (Holy Week), how we celebrate it, as well as what happened during the ‘first’ Semana Santa.  The girls decorated foam crosses (told you we love it!) with their names to help remember that Jesus died for them, as well as a sticker with Juan 3:16 on it.

Earlier in the week we tried to help the Women and also our Teens understand a little bit more about what happened on the cross.  We wanted them to realize that while the physical pain was terrible, it was the separation from His Father that made what Jesus suffered so horrible. 

“My God, My God, why have You forsaken me?”  Jesus was with the Father and the Spirit ‘por siempre’ (forever) and now, the Father turned from Him.  And why?  Because on Jesus was all of our sin.  God hates sin, and so, by becoming our sin, He took on all that our Holy God cannot abide. 

Jesus did this for His Father’s glory, and so that we will never, ever have to be separated from Him, if we only accept His gift.  It’s almost beyond our human comprehension!

With our Young Women we talked about Mary and Martha, and making time with Jesus each day a priority.  Several had excuses (not so unlike many of us!) for not reading their Bibles or praying.  There are many pulls on these women, but we truly believe that when we make our first priority spending time with God, the other things will fall in place (or stop seeming so urgent!). 

We’re continuing to pray about our schedule, and how we might make changes, especially with the new Site’s larger space (check out a few new photos under New Site!). 

While we want to have more activities to reach more of El Callejon, we also want to keep our primary focus on teaching the Word of God to those who come.  At times, it may seem naïve, but we truly believe that without the hope of Christ, nothing we do is going to truly make a difference. 

The Gospel can transform lives.  In the Holy Spirit’s power, people living in darkness can see the Light.  How to do this in practical and effective ways continues to keep us on our knees, seeking the wisdom of our all-powerful, all-loving God. 

We invite you to join us in prayer.  For the people of El Callejon, for those who have come down on outreaches, for us. 

Holy Father, may Your kingdom come, may Your will be done, in El Callejon, and throughout the earth, as it is in Heaven.

Feliz día de Pascua

¹ After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.

² There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. ³ His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. ⁴ The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.

⁵ The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. ⁶ He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. ⁷ Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.”

⁸ So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. ⁹ Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. ¹⁰ Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”

(Matthew 28:1-10, NIV)

We have heard the good news, Jesus, our crucified Savior, has arisen!  He has conquered death.  He is alive, and in Him, we, too, have life. 

Come and see the place where He lay.  We have seen, oh, we have seen!  It happened, just as He said.  He was dead, now He is alive.  We, too, were dead, but in His resurrection, we also live.

Then go quickly and tell…  The command rings out yet today.  We have seen, and our hearts fill with joy, our mouths with praise.  We worship, clasping grateful arms around the One who saved us, Jesus, who alone is worthy of our worship, of our lives. 

Go and tell… We have seen, and in that sight, everything must change.  We cannot stay put, keeping this news to ourselves.  We must go out, quickly, and tell. 

We must tell, in our homes, in our countries, in places beyond our borders – borders of language and culture, borders of comfort and earthy prosperity.  Go and tell so others may see.

Do not be afraid… the God who was, and is, and is to come, is with us.  What have we to fear, when the One who broke death’s chains holds us?  What can separate us from His love, from His grasp?

Just as He said.  Just as He said, Jesus arose.  Just as He said, the Holy Spirit came with power.  Just as He said, He is at work in us.  Just as He said, He will return. 

Today, as we celebrate this day of days, we pray that our hearts will once again be turned to completing the work our risen Savior has given all believers.  In our lives, in our world, that all may know, that all may see. 

Just as He said, He will come back in glory.  Oh, what a day that will be!  Until then, the task is before us.  We have seen, now, let us go!

Please check out the latest pictures under "New Site".  We're getting close!!

Jengibre y Cafecito

This week we’ve welcomed our fourth team to the El Callejon Social Work site.  Each team has been different, bringing a variety of life experiences, gifts and strengths.  But we firmly believe that God has placed not just the ‘right’ people, but the right people at just the ‘right’ time.  It's so amazing to see Him at work, week after week.

And this week is no exception.  Our team this week has four young ladies, ages 16 and 17.  They are part of a church youth group from California.  All have recently rededicated their lives to Jesus.  All four of them are eager to share that passion. 

Every time we turn around, they’re gone.  On the grass giving piggy back rides, coloring with the little ones on the back patio, joining in volleyball with the teens, asking names, giving theirs…

As we walk through the community, they try out their Spanish with those we meet.  Old, young, women, men, little kids, grownups, they’ve got an “Hola, como esta?” for everyone. 

Yep, they’re hard to keep track of… and we love it!  These four teens (ages 16 & 17) want nothing more than to connect and live out their love for Jesus in El Callejon. 

This afternoon we spent time doing just that. 

During lunch some of the kids came in to color.  Our students colored along with them, encouraged them, told them how pretty their coloring was.  They listened as the girls counted to 10 in English, took their pictures, shared smiles and laughter.  

We headed out and walked to one of the women who had invited us over for coffee.  On the way, another of the women, Angela, invited us in for jengibre (a yummy tea made with lots of fresh ginger root). 

Her young children (ages 5 and 3) showed us lots of their toys, telling us all about their Little Mermaid (La Sirenita) DVD.  The girls loved the tea, and spending time with the family.

After that we headed over to Marcia’s house for our planned coffee.  Marcia and her daughter-in-law pulled out chairs for us on her porch and made us the strong, sweet Dominican coffee known as cafecito. 

She added nutmeg, which added even more deliciousness.  She told us a little about her family and her health problems. 

At the end of our visit, we asked her if we could pray for her.  She invited us into her home, and we joined hands as we lifted up this family.  Each of the girls prayed, and even though the words were in English, we know God is the God of all languages, and heard. 

As we ended, Marcia wiped away tears.  Despite the language barrier, through the Holy Spirit’s power we were able to make a connection that impacted her, and us.

It was a reminder, once again, of Whose work we are doing.  The same God in whose perfect timing each person has come to El Callejon, is able to work in us and through us, in spite of our own weakness and inabilities.

He has created us for community, and even though it is fractured here on this broken earth, when we get to sit in a small home, savoring delicious jengibre and cafecito, with sisters in Christ who are nothing like us, and yet, still so similar, Wow! it truly is a taste of Heaven. 

We look forward to that day, when we will all sit together feasting at the banquet of our Bridegroom, with every tear wiped away.  Until then, we will drink in these moments, enjoying our connections in Christ.

"Chance" Encounter

“Let’s just go down this road a little bit to look at the poinsettia bush, and then we’ll head back to El Callejon.” 

I was talking with Duranda and Anna, two of our outreach participants.  We had taken a walk during lunch, heading to Los Catorces, a community close by.  The rain had stopped for a while, and it was good to get out, walk, talk, and enjoy a bit of sunshine. 

It was nearly time to head back to the Site, but the bright red plant was too pretty to pass up.  As we neared it, Duranda looked at one of the homes.  “I remember this house”, she said excitedly.  “When I was here last year, I visited it.  Can we stop in?”

Even though we hadn’t made plans ahead of time, in typical Dominican fashion we were warmly greeted and invited in.  We sat down with the woman of the home, who lives there with her husband, a couple of her adult children, and eight grandkids.  It was almost time for afternoon school, and as she talked she brushed the hair of one, then another, of her granddaughters. 

She called to one of the little ones, who came out carrying a picture of some of the family.  It was one that Duranda had taken, framed and sent from the year before!  As we sat, several more kids and grandkids wandered in an out, each stopping to greet us. 

In some ways, it was a small thing, sitting and chatting for a few moments.  But, oh, what a gift! 

You see, I don’t know Los Catorces very well, having visited the area just a couple of times with Daisy.  I had never been down that particular side road.  I didn’t know the woman as she doesn’t come to the Social Work site.  Duranda had been there only once, a year early.  She’d snapped that photo and sent it back, not knowing if she’d even get to see the family again.

God, in His love, took all of this, and turned it into a tangible reminder that He sees and knows and is involved in our lives. 

The past weeks in El Callejon have been challenging and at times downright discouraging.  Our focus this year is on discipleship, on growing a faith which isn’t just about saying the “right” words, but living out what we believe. 

And… it’s not going all that well.  It seems every time we advance a little, something happens to knock us back. 

A woman who wants to trust God falters, choosing to believe another woman has cursed her;

instead of being a testament to the changes that can come from conforming to God’s will, a newly, legally married couple refuses to soften their hearts toward their daughter;

teens who have been coming to the Site for years are pregnant;

several women are complicit in their ‘husbands’ stealing the Site’s electricity,

and on and on.

It’s so easy to get exhausted and disheartened.  Satan is continuing his fight for (and against!) the hearts and souls of El Callejon.  The temptation to give up, to concede defeat, can be strong.

And so, we praise God for this “chance” encounter, because it wasn’t chance at all.  We praise Him for reminding us that He is with us.  He sees and knows. 

We cling to the assurance that just as all the seemingly random bits of that walk came together, so He can move in and through all the stuff we’re battling right now.  That doesn’t make it less of a war, but it gives us glimpses of the victory Jesus has already won. 

We pray that as we go into a new week, we will keep our eyes and hearts open to the Holy Spirit’s guidance.  We invite you to pray with us and for us as well!  And, we pray that in your lives, too, you see God’s hand at work in your “chance” encounters.

Sharing Gifts

This week is zipping on by!  We have four wonderful outreach participants serving with us this week.  It’s wonderful to see how the Holy Spirit continues to provide the exact people for the exact time.  What a blessing to know that our great God is in control of all the details of our lives and ministry!

We’ve had lots of fun – and some tears.  Each student is invited to share her testimony with each other, and us.  While every story is different, in each one the faithfulness of God through sometimes difficult circumstances, is evident.  What an encouragement!

Along with sharing their stories, our team has been sharing the gifts/passions/talents each one has been given by God.  It’s so wonderful to see Him at work in this, too! 

Lorianny decorating with glitter glue.

We asked Anna to bring a craft for our Little Girls to go along with the story of Isaac.  We didn’t know that she loves crafts – but God did!  Back in the US she took the time to read the story, and then went to the store, not sure of what she’d buy.  As she looked, the Spirit was with her, and helped her pull together an awesome craft. 

Because God promised Isaac his descendants would be as many as the grains of sand and stars in the sky, she brought flower pots (sand, or earth) for the girls to decorate with stars, glitter glue (a favorite!) and letters to make their names.  It was a hit!

At 18, Kierra is only a couple of years older than our teens.  She shared with them her struggles with self-esteem, and how through Christ, she began to see herself as having value.  She wanted to help younger girls learn this same truth, and started a Big Sister program at her church.  She used verses in I Timothy 2 which talk about clothing ourselves not with fancy outward things, but with good deeds (vs. 9-10).

Gabrielle has also had struggles in her life, but from an early age has known God has been with her.  One of her passions is singing.  Daisy asked her to sing for our teens.  Without any preparation, with music or accompaniment, her voice soared in our little Site. 

Duranda shared that before deciding on further education, she prayed to ask for God’s guidance in her career.  When she felt Him calling her to teaching, she did some volunteering with students and God confirmed it.  As a teacher, she’s been impacting students for 20 years.  What an important lesson for all of us in getting the order of events correct.  Prayer first, not as an afterthought.

With Alicia (and one of her sweet little ones)

Last night we had dinner in the home of one of the young women of El Callejon.  Alicia made ‘la bandera’ (the flag) of the Dominican Republic, which is Rice, Beans and Chicken.  She also made delicious Tostones, which are fried plantains. 

It was an opportunity to learn a little more about the lives of the people in El Callejon, and also to share in one of their gifts, the gift of cooking. 

We believe that just as God has blessed each student and outreach participant with gifts, He has also given them to the women, teens and girls of El Callejon.  Sometimes they don’t see it, many times the world tells them they have nothing, but we refuse to accept this as truth.  I

nstead, we want to help them understand that they, too, are beloved and blessed.  That they, too, have something to share, that they, too, are a part of the Body of Christ.

What an honor to serve Him together!