DR - November 2010

SEE DECEMBER MINISTRY POST BELOW...
Ministry and family pics...December pics will be posted around the first of the year!

WRESTLING MATCH



trust me and just keep reading...

Post by Brad...

Have you ever shared what you thought about something with a friend or family member expecting to find support and been shot down by an opposing viewpoint? Or shared a frustration with people only to have them tell you to get over it? Have you ever been hunting without bullets? Or planned an event only to have the A/V systems crash? Did you ever pay to get into a dance to find out the reason you were there came with a date – what now? Or what about anticipating a car wreck and watching it occur, helpless to prevent it? How about printed out directions from MapQuest and driven in circles ½ a mile from your destination? Well, then welcome to our world of the last couple of months. Or more specifically let me not throw Brooke completely under the bus and say, “welcome to my world”.

Proverbs 16:1-9 is a summary of the lesson God has been teaching me through the past couple of months. It is hard to believe, but it was 2 ½ years ago that we had good plans and ideas coming here to the DR as missionaries with GlobeWorks International. We left the comfort of the states to implement plans to serve the Lord faithfully in caring for orphans and presenting the Gospel of Jesus Christ. As a partner with us here in the DR or follower online, you know that things went a little crazy. Then, we again returned to Puerto Plata as Alliance 29:11 missionaries with a renewed energy, refined vision, and reorganized ministry this past May. For the last year we have been awaiting the arrival of funds to purchase land and put up the new orphan care facility that currently sits in Mat Whatley’s warehouse in Birmingham. To this day, the funds have not come! But, nonetheless we have been involved in ministry in Puerto Plata, pursuing community transformation through a ministry of reconciliation that we as believers are called to in 2 Cor. 5. God has used us, but our eyes and efforts have always been looking toward the future facility for orphans.

If you answered, “yes” to any or all of the opening questions above, then you know the feelings we have dealt with recently. I say we, because our entire family has felt the impact of our last couple of months. At times, we have all felt helpless, disappointed, misguided, irritated, powerless, alone, confused, and perhaps most importantly humbled. I don’t know if you just heard that – “Ding, ding, ding”, but that was the final bell of my wrestling match with God and it was declaring that I just tapped out by crying, “UNCLE, UNCLE!” It was an ugly battle and very lopsided in the Holy One’s favor, of course. But for both of us it is a glorious victory. Jeremiah 29:11-14 has been a favorite verse of mine since a college days wrestling match with God, that left me desiring His plans for best in my life, for a hope and a future; now it is the namesake and tagline of our ministry here in the DR. Today it points me to Prov. 16 and leads me to repentance and begs me to trust the God of promise and to once again let go of my own desires; to let go of the pride that keeps me drudging along clutching onto my plans, when freedom and fulfillment is in letting go of my own and chasing God’s. The passage in Proverbs begs me/us to ask further, do I/we fear God? Do I/we desire to serve God? Is His proven love and faithfulness enough for me/us to trust Him with this ministry’s future? Is my/our love and faithfulness big enough?

All of this is to say: THANK YOU for the covering of prayers for our family and for the ministry here in Puerto Plata. Additionally, THANK YOU to all of you who make it possible financially for us to STILL be here serving within the call God has given us. Please, do not stop! :o) We have only just begun.

The closure of this pathetic wrestling match also brings the closure of our pursuit of the orphan project. God has made it clear to us that the orphan care facility and project will not be run by us or Alliance 29:11. The battle for release of that desire and clarification of our call has been the thrust of our wrestling over the last couple of months. I would not be able to write this newsletter and have in fact delayed it’s writing for a month, because I could not say whole-heartedly that I am excited about where we now stand.

So, what has been going on and what is coming for the Jenkins family and Alliance 29:11? While we have waited for the funding for the facility, the Lord has opened doors for us in the area of community transformation. We have served orphans through programs in local churches. I have opportunity upon opportunity to encourage local pastors and I have had the chance to preach in many different churches. We have had interns working with us to further Alliance 29:11 efforts here in Puerto Plata through children’s programs and English classes. In addition, we have hosted nine teams for short-term trips to partner with our family in serving the people here. One of those teams has turned into a major partner, I’ll tell you about that shortly. There are five English classes that Alliance staff members as well as our family are teaching. We have launched filter projects in 2 villages bringing nearly 200 filters to families that had previously been forced to cook in and drink dirty water – now they are able to produce 5 gallons of pure water each day. Showers, a home, and a church/community center have all been built; and school supplies, clothes, shoes, and medicines have been distributed through local leaders. None of these things would be possible without you, your prayers and financial support. Nothing in our future will be possible without each of you playing the part God has positioned you to play in this ministry.



Alliance 29:11 Team



Lifeline/(un)adopted Team

Jaden helping teach at ESL class in Lo Coco

Now to discuss that future – we first want to communicate that we are excited about what God is doing here in the Dominican Republic. He has shown us other ways to impact orphans through the local church and using native families. He has begun to bring partner ministries to Puerto Plata and connect us to ministries currently operating here that will be partners as well. Jason and Michelle Little who have been raising their funds as Alliance 29:11 missionaries are now under the umbrella of (un) adopted a ministry of LifeLine Adoption Services. This partnership came after an (un)adopted vision trip in October. They will serve alongside us here in Puerto Plata. There continues to be great interest in short-term trips to serve with us in Puerto Plata. We will make locally beneficial short-term trips an even more focused part of our approach to the mission. Our goal for next year will be 15-20 trips (If you are interested in participating or leading a ST Missions trip please email me – brad.jenkins35@yahoo.com or call 205.588.1198). We have been blessed to be able to build relationships over the last couple of years, and get a feel for the needs of the people of Puerto Plata. The Lord has shown us specific ways to impact the extremely poor and help to bring sustainability to the native ministries through small businesses. We have been asked to help local schools for undocumented Haitian refugees become self-sufficient and better organized. This is another mentoring and discipleship opportunity for me. Calling other ministries to serve alongside of us and introducing them to the need will be a major part of our future here in the DR. LifeLine and Jason and Michelle Little joining us here in the DR would be an example of that call at work.

We are also excited that Joel and Sarah Griffith will join us in the next few months. They will be splitting some of our responsibilities with Alliance 29:11. Joel has just completed his Master’s in Cross-cultural Ministry and has considerable missions experience. Community and fellowship is definitely a need that has become very apparent and these two couples along with the discovery of a church full of other missionaries about 30 minutes away will be God’s provision for those needs.

Obviously, there are so many things to be excited about, but most importantly we are thrilled that God has given answers and made His direction for our ministry clearer. We are definitely not in the position we thought we would be in two and a half years after beginning our ministry as orphanage directors in the Dominican Republic. We did not plan on things to go the way they have, but we want to chase God wherever He leads, whether it is what we had in mind or not. And we can say with confidence that He is leading and we are doing all we can to keep up.

Please continue to pray for the following:

* Discernment – we are sought out often for money from locals (many of whom we love), but we know that our acting like a bank does not benefit either party. We want to say like Peter and John in Acts 2 – “We have not silver or gold, but look at us and follow”. We do have what they need in reconciliation to Christ, and our own lives as an open book.

* Housing/Food – Due to the fact that we will not have an orphanage with housing provided for our family, we must continue to rent. We did not plan on that or raise funds for that beyond January. Thus, we must have rent and utility funds totaling $800/month beginning in February. For the same reason, we need an add’l $500/mo for our grocery budget. Our organization provided us with a food stipend b/c we would be eating at the orphanage. A2911 is still covering this expense, but we need to raise this once we have our housing needs met. $1300 is a big number to raise from the DR, but we trust if God leads, you will answer!! We thank you all for your part in our ministry!

* Home School – we have settled into a groove for school, but in January we will start the kids in a local Christian school a couple of days a week for socialization and help in learning Spanish. Dib Rivera, one of our local board members and the pastor whose church has the school has offered this for free!! Praise God for that!

* More thanks – that God is continuing to reveal His plan for us in the DR and connecting us to other missionaries in the area, and that He has given us a foundation of people praying in the States. They have been felt during this time, and they are what has held us up!

Praying you all have a very blessed and meaningful Christmas!! From His fields…

If you would like to contribute to our family and ministry in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic you can mail a check directly to Alliance 29:11, 400 Office Park Drive Suite 301, Birmingham, AL 35223. All contributions must be designated “Jenkins Family”. OR you may also go online to make a contribution or set up a reoccurring contribution by visiting http://www.alliance2911.com/. Click on the donate button and follow instructions. Make sure to select the drop down menu to choose “Jenkins Family”. All donations are tax deductible.

DR - October 2010

Photos from 1 family & 2 teams that visited us in October!