Tim & Ginny Craiger
CENTRAL AMERICA / CARIBBEAN
- back -
October 2009
It has been over a month since the last report but I wanted to say that although there are not any groups in the DR, the ministry is still going strong. After spending the weekend in Chicago with our daughter and her family, Ginny and I separated on Monday AM as she went back home to be with my mother and I went to the DR. This was a short trip with specific things that I needed to accomplish. Praise God everything worked out, the weather cooperated, people actually showed up for meetings, almost on time, and I enjoyed getting to spend time with some of the Staff who are still there. I arrived at the Santo Domingo airport and was warmly greeted by Aby Prado and his daughter Soffie. Upon my arrival at the SCORE hotel I was able to see many of the SCORE missionaries as they were attending English classes at the hotel.
There was only one small group at the hotel. It was a group from MMI (Medical Missions International). MMI was instrumental in helping us to get our medical clinic and ministry certified in the DR. They were a group of 14 people made up of all the Director’s in the Latin countries. We had directors from Honduras, Panama, Nicaragua, Mexico, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico and some staff from the United States. They used our facility to have their Annual Directors Meeting to plan and strategize for the future.
As I meet with our missionaries and had my meetings I was again blessed at all that the Lord is doing in the DR. The churches are growing, the Rawlings Complex is continuing to progress and people are coming to know the Lord even without any groups there. The 5 church plants from last year are growing and the excitement is still in the air. I was also able to meet a group of businessmen from the US who came to do a Vision Trip to see the ministry of SCORE International, and our partners, to see how they might get involved.
As I mentioned earlier the church plants are going well. Los Fundos, where Nate and Erica Jude are, is averaging 65-70 people each week. The church in Monte Largo, where Manny and Olga Tucen are, is averaging 60-70 people each week. The church in Los Montones is averaging 220 people each week. The church in Juan Dolio, that is held in our hotel, is averaging 70-75 people each week and the new church in San Pedro is averaging 70-75 each week. Keep in mind that the new church in San Pedro is a church that is a split off from the church in Juan Dolio. About 20 people left the ministry in Juan Dolio to support the new church in San Pedro. The Jude’s, and other staff members, began a youth ministry in the Juan Dolio area on Friday afternoons. They have only had a couple meetings and they are already averaging 70 teenagers each week. Many of these teenagers will not come to the church but they will come to the meetings on Friday. They are also continuing the children’s program, on Saturdays. They are averaging about 75 children each afternoon. Last week we had a baptism service at the Juan Dolio church (SCORE Complex) for more new believers from Los Fundos and Juan Dolio. This was another wonderful day of praise and rejoicing. We need a church building in Juan Dolio!! On Saturday night the staff held a reward festival at one of partner churches in Los Colicos. We collect all the left over donated items that the groups bring and sort them out into different piles. During the course of several months each member of the church earns “talents” which are used as money. These talents are earned by attending church, memorizing scripture, bringing a friend to church, perform a “kind deed” to someone else, helping in the church, etc. At the festival the people can exchange the talents to purchase clothes, shoes, toys, hygiene items, sports equipment and anything else that the groups might bring as donations. This is a great way to help the people of the church and at the same time teach them to work hard to receive something and not expect a handout all the time.
I had the opportunity to meet with Jackie and her husband Hernando. You will remember that I reported that Israel and Clara were on the waiting list for some medical procedures that will allow them to possibly be operated on to straighten their legs and possibly walk. They told me that CURE International called them a couple weeks ago and told them to have the children at the clinic the next day. This was great news but they were not prepared for it financially. Jackie said they had to do it so they took money out of their monthly budget because there was no telling when they might have this opportunity again. They had the treatments and they were in extreme pain over their entire bodies with high fevers for about 2 days. Jackie was told that if the fevers did not break, they would have to stop the treatments. After continual prayers their fevers broke, they finished the treatments and they were allowed to go home. Both children have had approximately 35-40 broken bones or fractures while growing up because of neglect and abuse. They have lived their entire lives in pain. Today they are pain free and the bones are healing. They will be able to receive another treatment in about 3 months and there are a total of 4 treatments. After the treatments they should be strong enough to have surgeries to allow them to walk for the first time in their lives. Israel will probably require leg braces for a while. Clara is 17 years old and Israel is 15 years old. Jackie said she went into Israel’s room and he was sitting on the bed with a big smile on his face. He said, “Mommy do you know how I got from the wheelchair to the bed? I did it by myself.” Then he showed her how he did it. This is the first time he has ever done this. Praise God!! This is an answer to many years of prayer. The cost for the treatments of both of them was approximately $1,000US. Many of you have expressed an interest in helping with this procedure when the time came. If you are still interested, please let us know. Also, they will have the same expense in 2 1/2 months when they go for the 2nd treatment. Then there is a 3rd and 4th treatment to complete the procedure. It is also very important for them to eat correctly, gain strength and get their vitamins and nutrients. They both have to take Vitamins A, B, C, E, antioxidants, calcium and drink Ensure daily. If you can help, or have access to these items, that would be awesome as well. We can ship those items if you have access to them. They will need to take these for the next year.
So, as you can see, there is a lot going on even without groups there. In October, we begin getting a few groups. On October 5 we have a group of baseball players from New Vision Baptist Church in NC coming. On October 10 we will welcome a medical team from South Tampa Fellowship in FL and on Oct 24 we have a ministry team from Prince Ave. Baptist Church in FL. On Monday, September 28, we will be having a support & fundraising banquet in Elkhart, IN for our son, Brandon and his family. They have recently accepted the call to be full time missionaries in the DR with SCORE International. Brandon will be helping us at the Rawlings Complex to help at the camp but he will also be coordinating and organizing all the recreation and sports events for the Rawlings Complex and SCORE International. We are scheduled to leave to go back to the DR on October 13 for 6 weeks. We will be doing some renovation to the hotel, hosting some groups, leading some Vision Trips, getting our house ready to move into and preparing for the November Baseball Outreach.
PRAYER REQUESTS ANSWERS TO PRAYER:
- For Gus and Illiana Hernandez as they raise support and prepare to move to the DR after the 1st of the year.
- For the banquet in Elkhart on the 28th for our son, Brandon, and his family as they continue raising their support to join us in the DR as soon as possible.
- For the continued work in the SCORE church plants in the DR. Pray for the raising up of young men to fill the pulpits of these churches.
- For the English classes on Monday and Tuesday nights and for Julio and Mercy as we continue to talk to them about the future.
- For Jackie’s House and Casa de Luz and their ongoing construction projects as their ministries grow.
- For Manny and Olga as they are expecting a baby girl in October and for Hugo and Sarah LiBario as they are also expecting a baby girl in November.
- For the situation at Jackie’s House. Pray for Israel and Clara as they continue to heal, get ready for the next treatment and for help financially to cover the expenses. Pray that the Estephanie’s mother will bring her back to Jackie.
- For the continued construction of the Rawlings Complex in Boca Chica.
- For the health of my mother, as she continues to gain her strength back. Tomorrow her Medicare ends and we have decided to keep her in the Nursing Home for a few more months. Our prayers are to get her well enough to go back to the DR with us in January.
- For many of our missionaries as they are home trying to raise additional support to cover what they have lost over the last year because of the economy. The Nilsen’s, Hansen’s and Libario’s are all in the States.
- For the health and safety of Ron Bishop and John Zeller as they travel to share the ministry of SCORE International.
- back -
