We are so grateful for the group from Woodland Hills Christian Church in Abingdon, VA, who came down (the team included people from 3 different states!) to offer a Teaching Week at Amaury's dad's church in Palo Alto and helped to break up the old half-court size basketball court at the church and pour a new full-size court! The Teaching Week included:
First Aid Training! Each family received a first aid kit!
Art Camp! The group provided 3 full days of Art Camp for the children in the church!
A respect class for the youth, and a special "Preparing Yourself for the King" class based on the book of Esther for young ladies!
A crochet class for the ladies, and a Love and Respect class for couples that was followed up by a Couples' Dinner in which the men served the women!
Throughout the week some group and church members painted a beautiful mural that represents Christ's love for us! Amaury's father approved the design beforehand and loved the finished result that forms a perfect backdrop for him as he continues to share the truth of God's word in Palo Alto!
Construction of the expanded basketball court ran into some delays because of weather and difficulty in transporting materials, but the finished product was worth the wait and is now being enjoyed by members of the community - especially the youth!
We are also very grateful for the time we had in the US! God gave us safe travels throughout the more than 3500 miles we travelled in the 6 weeks we were there, and we were able to see many friends and family members! Some of the many highlights from our travels were:
Our first stop at the OK Cafe with some dear friends in Atlanta, GA, for some true southern cooking!
After celebrating a dear friend's wedding in Nashville, TN, and spending some time with family in Virginia, we went on to Louisville, KY, where we were thrilled to be able to spend some time with so many friends! We were also able to have some fun at the Louisville Zoo ...
and the Frazier International History Museum ...
and eat BW3s hot wings with the group that had come down in April from Fern Creek Christian Church!
By mid-July we were in Bloomington, IL, for meetings with Kingdom Seeker Ministries board and ministry partners that were a true time of spiritual refreshment and encouragement! This picture is of the missionaries who are a part of KSM. We are so blessed to be a part of this family!
After a short stop in Chicago for some sightseeing and dinner with Catherine's younger brother and his wife, we headed to Rochester, NY, where Amaury's best friend lives with his family. Nestar and Marisa have a 4-month-old named Blake Amaury, and while we were there, Blake was dedicated to God at the church with Amaury as his "padrino" (godfather)! Amaury also preached at the church and Catherine translated! Later, we took a trip to Niagara Falls! The power and beauty of God's creative handiwork was truly awe-inspiring!
From Rochester, we headed south through PA and MD to see some friends and family, and then on to Lebanon, VA! During our time in VA, we were able to take a trip over to Dollywood where Amaury rode his first ever roller-coaster!
We also took some time out for a car wash fundraiser for our ministry! We are so thankful for those who came out and helped - it was a great day!
We returned to the DR on August 9, and the last few weeks have been eventful! School started at SCS for Catherine, a new Protocol and Etiquette class began for Amaury at the men's prison, and our Drama Group began meeting again as well to prepare for our Christmas production! And in the midst of it all - Hurricane Irene! Schools across the country were closed for two days so that the public schools could be used as shelters, and there was significant flooding in some areas of the country. Here in Santiago, we had rain and some areas of the city had flooding, but overall we were not severely affected by the storm.
We want to thank all of you for your prayers and encouragement! God continues to amaze us as He works through you to help us in our ministry!
Dios les bendiga MUCHO! (May God bless you GREATLY!)
Con el amor de Cristo (with love in Christ),
Catherine and Amaury
