WELCOME
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
DR - November 2010
Ministry and family pics...December pics will be posted around the first of the year!
WRESTLING MATCH
Friday, November 5, 2010
Dominican Republic - Alliance 29:11
This is a video from this summer, interns and teams that we hosted and the villages and programs you hear me mention in posts, newsletters & my blog. Brian Reed our teammate put this together to show where we are and were we are going...greater things are still to be done! To God be the Glory!
Saturday, October 30, 2010
DR - September 2010
Thursday, October 28, 2010
All about HIS Provisions
Our sweet child friend Jeffrey is still doing well aside from some of the boyish 11 yr old “fun”. We are thankful that Pastor Jacob is involved with him and his family. His step-mother is still not a believer and she doesn’t want to care for Jeffrey nor want him at home when his father is away at work. Unfortunately, his father is not home very often and this means that Jeffrey is on the streets most days. Please pray for their relationship and God’s protection over Jeffrey.
Pastor Blanco & Brad sort through
items donated from the states
William, Monique & baby Djoubelkiss (Joobellkees)
We also want to thank God for His provision for our family!! We enjoyed some much needed down time after the summer ended! We took a 2 day trip to the capital, Santo Domingo, & stayed in a house built in the historical district in 1550. We toured the Christopher Columbus house & the oldest church in the Americas! We also had GREAT fun at Ocean World thanks to Jake winning a free pass & the gifts of God’s children! It was truly a wonderful experience and we are grateful to those individuals!!
Kids in front of the Presidential Palace Our family with Skipper at Ocean World |
In September we returned to the states in for my brother’s wedding!! It was such a special time and we were so blessed that God provided a way for us to be back to celebrate with them!! Brad officiated the wedding and I was blessed to stand as a bridesmaid to my new baby sister!! What a blessing and honor!!
~Our family with Justin & Katie~ ~Katie, the Pastor (oh, I mean Brad) & Justin~
I will end my letter to you all by thanking you as always for your support of our family and by asking you to join us in prayer over the following requests…
Praise God, my Achilles tendon is much better, we had a wonderful family time and the start of our school year has been great!
Praise God for His graciousness in dealing with us and opening and closing doors in ministry opportunities. Please continue to pray for discernment in what we are to do and where we are to trust God to provide someone else to meet those needs.
Please Pray for God’s continued direction for the ministry and partnerships.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Friday, August 13, 2010
Changed Lives...ours and theirs
Let me begin this month’s post by saying how great it is to be able to write to you from the field. To tell you of the wonderful stories God has orchestrated and ordained instead of posts about the plans we have for the ministry here in the Puerto Plata.
First, let me introduce you to Pastor Jacob, pictured here on the far right, and one of the pastors I asked you to pray for in our last post. He is a pastor in Aguas Negras that we have worked with extensively this summer. He is committed to serving the Dominican/Haitian Village of Aguas Negras as well as 5 other church plants he has begun throughout Puerto Plata in the last three years. Jacob is a 50 year old Haitian widower and sweet man. We love him and he loves our family and has actually asked Brooke to be his “god-mother”, which is a quite an honor. He will soon be graduating from “Bible training” and wants her to award his diploma to him, an honor given to mothers in the DR. We will also host a small party for him afterward. Pastor Jacob, through his ministry, impacts about 170 families a week and hundreds of orphans. We thank God for our partnership with men like Jacob, he is truly a blessing!
Jeffrey with the ever popular “gang” sign pose. |
Two changed lives |
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Monday, June 28, 2010
BACK AND STARTING STRONG!
We are so excited about how things have started in the second season of our DR ministry. We have hosted 2 short-term mission teams, the first of which (Auburn Football/FCA) arrived on the same flight as we did. They had great trips and accomplished much in love and worked to further develop our relationships in Puerto Plata and our vision and philosophy.
Children programs have been done in various focus villages around town. A church building was built by, Northside Bible Church members in the Haitian Community of Lo Coco, where there was no gathering building prior to this. This will also function as a site for community meetings and Alliance 29:11 led English classes. All of these programs have been done in conjunction with pastors and their outreach ministries of their churches. This is to insure that we encourage local involvement and have relationship with the leadership of continuing ministry efforts in these villages.
We have plans to build shower facilities in some Haitian refugee villages that do not have bathrooms readily available. At this time, the people bathe in washbasins at their front door or in nearby polluted rivers. They stand in their clothes and try to get as clean as possible, but community leaders desire more. Please pray for Alliance 29:11 and Reel Life Adventures teams as they will build these and facilitate the supply of water for these shower facilities. We hope to develop a low cost solution that can be reproduced easily.
Shortly after our arrival, we were joined by 3 interns – Kaylyn Moran and Cadence Snyder recent graduates of Asbury University in Kentucky, and Maddie Russo a student at Union University in Tennessee.
The interns are doing an awesome job working with children and adults in our focus villages and with our partnering pastors. They are leading and co-leading English classes, music classes, discipleship, and activity programs in Javillar, Aguas Negras, Lo Coco, San Marcos and Munoz. The Adults are so excited to have the opportunity to learn English, and all the while being exposed to the truths of God’s Word, through songs, stories, and new relationships. They also led a week long VBS with an amazing turn out of over 175 children and hosted a parent’s night at the conclusion of the week. We are seeing a great response on all efforts. I am so proud of the girls and the job they are doing.
Jaden, Jake and I will be working through the international language of sports to share Christ and disciple guys in Puerto Plata. We will join in pick-up basketball games at a local court and invest into the young men who play there. We will also travel into villages to create sporting opportunities, whether baseball/whiffle ball, basketball, or soccer for the kids there; All the while, seeking to engage them in spiritual conversations and the work on Christ.
Please join us in thanking God for His provision with our support needs that allowed us to be back on the ground in Puerto Plata. However, since arriving we have lost several donors due to the economy and a few that have not yet sent in their pledges. As of today, we are in need of $500+/mo. This is AWESOME considering the last newsletter we sent out we had a need of $1250!
Please pray as we continue to settle in as a family. Brooke cut her leg right at the Achilles tendon and bruised it when a cabinet fell over on her. We had our ER experience just a week into our time here. She was given 12 stitches and is still sore after 3 weeks. She no longer needs crutches, but we continue to pray for healing and thank God that the tendon itself seems to be healing. We will be going to get her an MRI in the next week so she can make sure all is well and can begin therapy. This injury has hindered Brooke’s ability to set-up house, but we have managed.
We continue to wait on the provision of resources to complete the first phase of the orphan care facility (Rescue Village of Dominikids Hope House). We trust that the Lord will provide in His time and ask you to pray for our contentment and ability to minister in ways that He allows in the meantime.
We rejoice in the purchase of our family vehicle here. We thank God for the purchase of a sound vehicle at a good price and the donors that made that possible.
Please pray for our partnering pastors here – Pedro, Mateo, Dib, Evelyn, Jacob, Blanco, Ricardo, and Daniel. Also, please pray for our local, U.S. and Summer staff.
As always THANK YOU, without your prayers and financial support NONE of this would be possible!!
Watch for links to ministry pictures and videos...
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
GIFTS
written by Brad Jenkins
We are so close to returning! And today, I am reminded of Isaiah 40:31, “They that wait on the Lord will renew their strength; they will mount up with wings of eagles, they will run and not be weary, they will walk and not faint”. We have waited and continue, our strength is renewed, we are ready to soar with new perspective and opportunity, and we are ready to tirelessly run or even walk when necessary, because we know the Lord is with us.
Our wait today is to finish up our monthly support need. We thank God and our partners that our “special gift” goals have been reached and that our monthly needs are within reach. We hope to have the remaining funds ($1250/mo.) by the end of this month. This newsletter is mailed to 330 people and viewed by many others through our blog and website. If 60 people responded at $20/month we would be ready to go. We trust that God will continue to provide for His ministry to Puerto Plata. Any amount of monthly contribution makes a big difference, both to us, and those who partner with God’s ministry to “the least of these” by financial support of this ministry.
- All that God has in store for Alliance 29:11 and our family in the DR
- All of our monthly support to be committed
- All the land and building financial resources to be given
- We have to be out of the missionary house in April, because of a prior commitment to another missionary family, so pray for provision for housing OR for our return to the DR! (we hope the latter)
- Safety during travel to upcoming appointments as we seek to close out those support needs
- And join us in thanking God for all He has done to reshape this vision, develop our ministry partners, for the recent Birmingham area media coverage of our ministry, and for the renewing of our family’s strength during our time in the states. And thank Him that our after the March 27th Alliance 29:11 board meeting, our due diligence will be complete allowing us to return to the DR if our support is in.
Phase I – is the small yellow square on the right. This is the dominikids Hope House rescue village, to meet the immediate need of the orphans. Asking price for the land is $180K.
FEBUARY 2010 - DR assists HAITI
Monday, February 1, 2010
A FRESH START...
Greetings to you and yours in this blessed season when we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! And thank you for your partnership with Brad and Brooke Jenkins as they are willing to leave the comfort and safety of their home to serve the least of these in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, especially the widows, orphans and aliens. I am Don Ankenbrandt, director of Alliance Ministries, Inc. and its subsidiary Alliance 29:11-US. Alliance is a 501(c)(3) and will be receiving all donations made to support the Jenkins beginning December 1, 2009. Globeworks has officially turned its orphan ministry in Puerto Plata over to us so that we can proceed with the building of a new orphanage at which the Jenkins will serve as house parents. In addition to running the orphanage, the Jenkins will supervise and assist in several ministry outreaches in which Alliance is engaging either by employment of local Dominicans, partnership with the local church in Puerto Plata, or partnership with well-established US-based ministries. Our vision is to transform entire communities by coordinating and creating synergy among ministries which have been called to serve the least of these in specific areas of need such as family building, economic stability, sports, medical, church planting, education and, primarily, orphan care.
The Jenkins’ are still in need of more monthly support and one time giving in order to move them to Puerto Plata. We are proceeding with the building of the orphanage on faith that God will provide their support. You may see the progress we have made by going to the website www.orphanagebuilders.org. In the meantime, Brad and Brooke are very busy working on the ministry here as we set up the systems, build the relationships, prepare the legal documents, purchase the land and organize the processes needed to build and operate the orphanages. They long to be with the children and leaders in Puerto Plata, but their time and energies are well-spent here as they raise the remaining support and prepare to GO!
Please call me if you have any questions at 205.229.2491 or email me at dank@alliancemin.com.
Thank you and God Bless You!
Don Ankenbrandt
OUR FAMILY NEWSLETTER - DECEMBER 09
“Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when His glory is revealed.” – 1 Peter 4:12-13
It is with overwhelming joy and excitement that I write to you today. God has been faithful as He promised. The last I shared with you, Brooke and I along with GlobeWorks and the DR sub-committee were praying about how to move forward with ministry and orphan care in the Dominican Republic. As Don laid out in his portion of this newsletter, God led and Alliance 29:11 was born.
“Great is the Lord, and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom.” (Ps. 145:3) - This verse is most called into mind, when I look back on all of this. He is so worthy! All who are involved in this partnership of ministries are really excited about what God has called us to and the momentum that has been gained since the events of last summer in the DR. That’s right, I said “momentum”. We will return as soon as possible with great support from local churches in Puerto Plata, tremendous support from CONANI – government agency in the DR that certifies orphanages. We will have a new beginning with a new site, new facilities to be constructed, and other experienced ministries from the states that bring years of excellence to the table, as well as, additional families who will be joining us in full-time service to the people of the DR.
For our family, orphan care will be our number one priority. But, we will also be involved in the multi-faceted approach to community transformation. The orphanage center will be a hub for community impact and programs from micro-finance to English classes to medical clinics to discipleship programs to sports ministry.
With all of this in the plans, I am sure it is easy to understand that we are ready to be back on the ground in Puerto Plata. I spent the week before Thanksgiving there with our Alliance leadership team, and really just wanted to send for my family and not return. However, there is work to be done here. With this new beginning and new partners in ministry there are details to take care of, meetings to have, and of course, funds to be raised. Please continue to pray for all of these things.
We have, as was shared before, some additional needs in our monthly support, some one-time needs to get us back to the DR and buy a vehicle for our family, to shore up before we are able to return. It is our hope that we will be on the ground in January.
Thank you so much for your faithfulness to pray for our family during the trials of the past summer and in our pursuit of God’s plans this fall. We have been encouraged by you and know that God has answered in a big way. D.L. Moody said, “A holy life will produce the deepest impression. Lighthouses blow no horns; only shine lights.” It is our prayer that in righteousness we continue to shine brightly both here and there as we represent the Lord, Alliance 29:11, and your obedient sacrifice in support.
Thank you and God bless,
Brad, Brooke, Jaden, Jake & Abie Lynn
REUNITED AND IT FEELS SO GOOD
Tuesday September 8th I was reunited with my family – a glorious reunion and just in time to celebrate Abie Lynn’s 6th birthday on the 9th. We enjoyed the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta as a birthday celebration/field trip for home school. We are living in Birmingham where Shades Mountain Independent Church has graciously provided a missions home for us during our time back in the states. It is a very comfortable home and schoolhouse for us, however, we pray and hope our time here will be brief.
The situation I left behind is much better than when Brooke wrote to you as she and the kids were leaving. It has been resolved outside of a courtroom and a settlement has been signed. This is a good thing and will allow us to move forward much sooner than waiting a year or two for a court case to complete (not to mention
the money that would be spent in legal fees). This is a huge answer to prayer for our family. This settlement will bring peace, resolution, and protection for our family, ministry, and staff, both now and in the future.
As far as our facility in Javillar, we occupy it and are utilizing the building to reach into the community just this week hosting a team of military medics spending some off-time to serve the LORD. We are not sure of the future of this facility, but know that having an orphanage in that building is not a possibility, according to CONANI , the government institution over orphanages. Therefore, we are praying through the possible ministry uses in the future and weighing those against the opportunity to maybe sell the facility and using the proceeds to advance a new site and our “new beginning” in the DR. Please pray with us over this decision as well.
How are we doing? I would say well. We know that nothing that has taken place in the last few months took God by surprise. Although it was difficult, at times frightening, and we would not have knowingly signed up for this, we would not hesitate to do it all over again. Why? Because the Lord has shown himself faithful. He has challenged our faith and drawn us closer to Himself. He has met with our children and they have seen a big and mighty God at work. We know there is a “best for us” at the end of this story as God has promised and we wait for the unfolding of the script. God has used His body to lift us up in prayer, love on us, encourage us in His Word, and be examples of Christ to us. For these things we praise God, and thank you – our partners in ministry. Without all of these things being true I would not be able to say that I feel pity and forgiveness toward Joel. God in this time has brought me from a place of responding in my sin nature to a place of wanting restoration or salvation for him. The difficulties, hurt, rejection, betrayal, and malicious words cast in my and my family’s direction (as well as others involved with the orphanage) are a grain of sand compared to what Christ endured for us! All for what – For grace, the loving forgiveness of a perfect sacrifice that spoke not a word in defense, but only continued in righteousness for the glory of the Father! Who am I to condemn man?
So, where are we now and what are we doing? We will be spending the
next period of time in laying the foundation for moving forward. This means we need a unified plan and the resources to accomplish the plan. We have rented a home $800/month in a secure neighborhood of Puerto Plata – an added expense plus $300 utilities/month.
We still need a vehicle upon our return to the DR, which will be $12K-$15K US..
We will need to purchase a new piece of property to build the girl’s building on in a CONANI in an approved location in Puerto Plata.
We need prayer for everything mentioned in this letter, for a productive time at home, for continued favor in the DR and new ministry partners there, for continued ministry opportunities to surface in the area (I had the opportunity to preach many times in the last few weeks I was there, to lead a Bible study and saw people come to know the Lord as a result – In the midst of the storm God is still using us to serve Him.) Please also pray for a continued strong start to homeschooling for Brooke and the kids. All are enjoying it. Please pray that we stay close to the Lord and enjoy the fellowship of God, family, and friends while we are in the states. I ask that you also remember our staff in the DR that is holding down the fort while we are back here: Diana, Henrietta, Phyllis, Soto, Harry, Antonio and Ramona. And the family of Pastor Johnny Coma – Evelyn his wife and Sammy son 11 years old. They have become dear friends of ours and Johnny died unexpectedly last week at the age of 40. He will be greatly missed as a ministry partner working with visiting short-term teams and a friend. Lastly, I ask you to pray for Joel and his family. His teenage sons and younger 3 children and his wife.
Thanking God for you and your partnership in His ministry to the people of Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic.
In His firm and gracious grip,
Brad, Brooke and the kids