points for prayer.

• Jennie's Dominican residency finalized
• Praise for continued good health and good pregnancy for Jennie
• Blady is doing well in school and is receiving good marks..pray for his salvation and continued change of heart.
• That the rain would be tempered and allow for the ground breaking to take place on the property where the Makarios team house will be built...this will also make for a contented Miguel with physical work to do!
• Continued prayer for salvation and change of heart in Blady's mom, Susa. She professed to be a Christian a few months back, but it has obviously not taken root in her life and she continues with her old vices and has been found stealing from 2 other family members as well as from our house.
• We are encouraged with the hope that Miguel's residency papers will come through by late spring or summer. However, with those papers, we'll need to make some pretty huge decisions in the coming months. We might have to return to the States for a specific time period which may be as little as 6 months but as long as 2 years. If that comes to pass, we'll be needing to think about jobs, a place to live, etc. We originally decided to apply for Miguel's residency for a few reasons. One was so that if we ever had to return to the States for any extended period of time, he would be able to work legally. The other reason was so that he would be able to travel freely back and forth. However, our hearts remain in the DR. Our dream is to be able to build or buy a place of our own down here and continue to serve here, yet admist these dreams we know we need to get our feet on the ground a little bit better. On another note, in the event that we need to go back to the States for a time period by this summer, we would be leaving behind a big Makarios project in which a key player like Miguel is needed. So we ask that you pray with us for God's perfect timing and direction in all of this as papers are pursued, interviews are done, and decisions need to be made.

it pays to be pregnant in this country.

For years, I've noticed that in bank and super market parking lots there are special parking spaces marked off specifically for pregnant women. In fact, there doesn't even seem to exist parking spots marked off for the handicapped. Perhaps its because there are few handicaps in this country that drive, or own cars, or that get out and about. But one thing is for sure, I've been taking advantage of those special parking spots these days and its been great!

I had another funny experience the other day when I was in migracion in Santo Domingo trying to get my residency papers finalized. It was turning out to be another futile morning down there, until I mentioned that I was pregnant and making the 4.5 hour trip back down to the capital the next day was out of the question. As soon as I mentioned the word pregnant, you should have seen the people jump to their feet. I was ushered to a private office to get free fotocopies of my paperwork. I was allowed to pay the fees without having an authorized signature. (Which by the way, has always been the hang up as the one man who can authorize with his signature never shows up for work)! And in another 20 working days, I should have my residency ID card in hand....Si Dios quiere.

calendars still available.

June's calendar picture

Just a reminder before the new year gets rolling along....there are still calendars left for sale to support Jennie and Miguel's ministry in the Dominican Republic. They are 15 US and you can mail a check to Jennie's parents and they'll get them right out to you!

Their address is:

Jay and Pat Fisher
504 Dairy Way
Buellton, CA 93427

the baby. making a presence known.

Just thought I would throw at you a recent picture of my growing belly! I'm still about 1 week or so shy of having 5 months. All of a sudden, and it literally seemed overnight, that belly of mine just decided to pop out!

Thank you everyone for all your many prayers on our behalf. I feel great these days and am so thankful for good health.

rain.wind.and more rain.

Well, we're keeping a little out of touch it seems. Part of the reason is that its been rain, rain, and more rain. Rain confines you to the house and sometimes puts work at a standstill. Sometimes you get to feeling like there is not much to report. Although last week we had a bit of a variation in the rain and got lots of nasty wind as tropical storm, Olga, came whipping through. Two days plus without electricity put our poor frozen turkey, waiting for Christmas, in peril. Always fun times in the DR!

Admist the rain this fall, there have been three teams that we hosted. One team came from Ohio, another from Austin, Texas, and the other was a YWAM, DTS team from St. Criox. Little by little the school looks better and better each day as more shelves are added, murals are painted on the walls, and some finishing touches are completed. Classes are going well and I think everyone was anxious and excited for their Christmas visit home and a break before January rolls around. Starting Jan. 1st, we have two back to back teams coming as well.

Thanksgiving was spent enjoying an American feast at the Makarios house with all the Makarios staff. And then that weekend we all enjoyed a couple of days away in the mountains of Jarabacoa. Jarabacoa is quite a different place than the sultry beach areas. The small town is nestled between large mountains. In fact, the largest of these mountains is Pico Duarte and We were able to pull our long sleeves out of the bottom of the dressers and enjoyed lots of hot chocolate. We were blessed to stay with and be hosted by a dear family that lives up there and runs a Christian school. They have a coffee farm that helps support their school and is the same coffee that Makarios buys to supply their coffee shop in Austin, Texas. It was a time to be thankful for eachother, the time away, the change of scenery in which God provided for us, and so much more.

Some people have been wondering what things look like down here, especially after last week's tropical storm, Olga. Everything in our area mostly stayed in tact. Last Tuesday night was an exciting night with a lot of heavy wind, yet although there was a lot of wind, there wasn't a ton of rain that could have come with the storm. In some ways, the wind is good as it keeps things moving right along. There were some fallen trees and debris littering the streets afterwards. Power lines went down, but other than that there was no treacherous damage done. There was a tragedy that did occur in and around the Yaque river that runs through Santiago. In anticipation for the storm, someone from high up decided to order to have the damn release 100's of gallons of water to minimize pressure put on the damn from the storm. What they failed to do though was warn all the people living along the river that a flood was about to take place, and as a result there are now an estimated 2,000 families that are reported missing. That news report is quite different than what you hear in the States saying that around 25 people were reported killed. Perhaps only 25 bodies were recovered and the rest were washed away or buried by the mud. Any way you look at it, it is a tragedy and in my mind quite criminal. Be praying for those individuals that are now displaced without anything or anywhere to go and also for those families who are missing loved ones.

Every day that passes brings along so many other things to be thankful for. We are so blessed and continued to be blessed in grand ways and proportions.

Thanksgiving family picture

Overlooking the Jarabacoa Valley

At the Jarabacoa coffee farm

Makarios girls: left to right
Camille, Robin, Cara, Sharla, Jennie, and Kate

one way to get what you need.

So, you might remember Miguel applying for an Italian visitor's visa about a month ago. It was denied on the spot, but his passport was detained at the embassy for 3 weeks after. I'm not sure how they can get away with doing that in the first place, but as you are at their mercy...there's nothing you can do.

Miguel's appointment date to retrieve his passport landed on Oct. 31st right in the middle of tropical storm Noel where all of Santo Domingo was flooded. Needless to say he couldn't go that day but went on the following day only to find out that was a day where they don't give back passports. He would have to return on a Monday or Wednesday. Since the following Monday was a holiday it had to be the following Wednesday.

The time allotted for picking up passports is between 3 and 5. Miguel arrived and found a line of waiting people leading down the street and around the corner. As they organize people, they put the people who were there but not on their appointment date at the back of the line and say that if they don't have time to attend them before 5, they have to come back another day. You have to understand, for us to take a trip down to the capital takes all day and money to get down there and back. Its not that fun of a deal travelling down there.

So at 4:30, Miguel starts pounding on the window of the embassy and asks for his passport back. After a few reprimands to sit down and him refusing they say they are going to kick him out. Fine, he says," just give me back my passport first!" In the end, he left being escorted out by the security guard, but with his passport in hand.

Its not an approach I would recommend, but sometimes it just is what you have to do to get what you need. If only other countries used the mail system like the States....how lovely life would be.

wind.wind.wind.

So the wind has come out and dried up all the rain...at least we hope so. The skies still are grey and there is no sun in sight yet, but we are hopeful that it feels a little bit drier today. The condensation dripping off the fridge is less today, although the mountain of 2 weeks worth of dirty clothes that Miguel has affectionately named, Mt. Ruso, has had an avalanche and has birthed another hill. I guess we'll name it Mr. Ruso Jr.

Today is Halloween or better known in our family as my brother Cody's birthday! Happy Birthday Cody! We are so proud of you and think of you so often. We look forward to seeing you when God so chooses, and pray that will be soon.

You wouldn't know it was Halloween today unless you were in the big city like Santiago or Santo Domingo. The Dominican Yorks brought the holiday down from New York, but its not typically recognized here in this country.

I am glad the wind is blowing today. It does make it feel more like fall around here. I was reminded of the fall looking at all the pictures of pumpkins and pumpkin patches that my siblings have posted up for all to see and enjoy. Thank you all! And thank you dad for sending down a miniature pumpkin. I look forward to getting it every year, and it reminds me of home! I love you, my dear family!