Every Day Ministries

Although the earthquake was barely felt here in the Dominican Republic, most of you know that Port a Prince, in Haiti, has been devastated with many thousands wounded and dead.  Our friends and pastors that call Haiti home have been prayerfully trying to contact family and friends with no success as most forms of communication are non-existent.  It is hard to imagine the destruction we are seeing and hearing about, but every wounded or dead person is a brother, a sister, a son, a daughter, a husband, a wife, a mother, or a father.  Please pray for Haiti, and especially the people of Haiti, all across the world, who are being impacted by this.  EDM, along with the pastors in this area, do plan to respond in some way to this disaster.  We will post further information in the next few days.

EDM had the privilege of being a part of the annual “Bless the Pastors” day here in Nagua.  Close to 200 pastors gathered together to worship the Lord, be encouraged by the Word of God, and fellowship with one another.  As well, each pastor received a wonderful gift of clothing, food, toiletries, as well as a brand new 2010 daytimer.  It was an afternoon of joy and celebration as the pastors, who throughout the year give and give, were blessed as they recieved these gifts given with love and appreciation, and bathed in prayer.  Thank you to all who gave towards the purchase of the Day Timers.   

On Sunday afternoon, EDM presented over 30 certificates to the graduates that had completed the EDM Worship Course. After receiving their certificates, they were anointed with oil and prayed over.  It was an afternoon of celebration for us, as well as their family and friends that were invited to the Graduation. We look forward to hearing of how God uses them as they begin to walk in their musical giftings in their local churches.    

Women leaders of numerous churches gathered as we shared the message of “The Perfect Gift.” These pastors’ wives had come together to celebrate the perfect gift that God gave us through His one and only Son. And also to encourage one another to press on into the next year for what God has for them. God has a perfect gift, a promise for each one of us. He desires to use us significantly. We must persevere and continue seeking His perfect gift. We must not grow weary. Even in our worst situation, God can demonstrate His very best to us. We must be ready, because we don’t know the moment of our breakthrough. When the Lord moves, He moves suddenly. He is faithful. These women shared testimonies of some of their greatest moments in ministry. They all shared the common thread of God’s faithfulness. Press on and do not miss out on what the Lord has in store.

This past week brought about the first well project of Every Day Hope, a ministry branch of Every Day Ministries, in the community of Molinillo. This is an area in which the people of the community get their water from the ground water they collect.  It is an area in the middle of rice fields; and the ground water is highly contaminated with pesticides and fertilizers. This is a major improvement in the quality of life for the people of Molnillo. We thank God for His provision for this project through the partnership of a ministry in Sosua, DR.  The new well is 100′ in depth and we are praying that the water will also be drinkable.  Please join us in prayer that the love of Jesus Christ will change this community forever. 

Monday and Tuesday were days spent in the areas of Pajita and El Factor.  We registered existing students and brand new students to our scholarship program.  It was two days filled with excitement, and joy covered the faces of the children.  The students were given uniforms, shoes, school supplies, and backpacks.  But, the greatest gift they received was the opportunity to go to school.  We know that in many places in the world children think its a chore to have to go to school.  Here they consider it a privilege.  Thank you to all who have given to the scholarship program, you have blessed the life of a child.

This past week Pastor Bill Gravell from Texas, a good friend of all of us, visited us.  He shared at the Bible Institute and taught at a pastor’s seminar, as well as at a number of our local churches.  One of his themes for the week was TRUST IN GOD, taken from Proverbs 3:5-6.  It was a powerful reminder to all of us to trust in God with all of our hearts every day. It also contains a wonderful promise that God will make our paths straight as we trust in Him.  It was encouraging to see so many respond to this message. Please continue to pray for the pastors and the churches they represent as they daily live out this simple, but powerful truth.  

Have you ever looked forward to going somewhere or meeting someone with high expectations? But after going or meeting that person you were more impressed than you expected? Now, I know this doesn’t happen that often in life, usually it is the opposite. Well, that is what happened to us here at EDM. We had been praying and planning for ELITE 2009 for over a year with high expectations.  When we got to work with the young people that were a part of ELITE 09, we were so impressed. We were blessed to have this group of young people here this summer. We can honestly say they were the Cream of the Crop, and they are ELITE in every way! Not only did they do everything required of them, but they exceeded our expectations. They went above and beyond in every task and challenge.  What impacted our lives the most, though, as we watched these teens, was their heart for Christ. It showed in everything they did! We know God has BIG things in store for each of them as they chase after HIM!!

It was a joy for EDM to be a part of the dedication service for the new church in San Raphael this past Saturday, June 27th.  Pastor Marianna invited us to share in song, as well as lead the congregation in the prayer of dedication.  The church was packed with over 100 people, and many pastors from the surrounding area came to join in the celebration.  On behalf of the community Pastora Marianna presented EDM with a certificate thanking us for all the help and support in bringing the building to completetion.  And on behalf of Pastor Marianna, EDM would like to thank the churches, teams, and individuals who funded the project, worked on the project, and prayed for the project.  God bless you. 

This past weekend we held a pastoral seminar in the city of Pimentel in one of the local churches.  Pastors and leaders came from five neighbouring communities for the 12 hour seminar held Friday night and all day Saturday.  Over 130 pre-registered for the event, and more showed up at the door.  It was a joy to be able to invest in the lives of so many, and to pray over them.  We are looking forward to seeing the impact this training has on the local churches as well as the communities they minister to.