Moving Blog to Facebook

Greetings to all of our family, friends, and supporters. Heather and I would like to make you aware of a change that will better keep everyone abreast of what is happening in our missions journey to the nations... We can't wait to see what God will do!

We will be closing down this blog in the new year and moving our main update site to:
http://www.facebook.com/DeweerdsInTheDr

You can also find our PAOC page and latest newsletter on:
http://www.paoc.org/donate/RyanDeweerd

In this way we can better stay connected with you. Thank-you for your continued prayers and support! We could not do this without you!

God bless,

Ryan and Heather DeWeerd

Married and Get Ready for Return to the DR

Greetings all! It has been an awesome last month and a bit since the last post. Heather and I got married on the 6th of October. It was an amazing day! Perfect in every way! God was truly glorified that day! We are now preparing for our move to the DR at the end of December, connecting with family and friends, and raising awareness for our ministry among the pastors and churches of the Greater Toronto Area. If you would like to connect with us before we leave, send us a note! We would love to see you!

Phase 1 Development Promo

Just recording this the other day... please pray for this exciting project and for how you can get involved. Contact me for more details...

August 2012 Newsletter

August Newsletter sent out... click below for high resolution image:

Teams, Construction, Baseball, and Isaac

Well, folks... it has been awhile since my last update, but I am still here. It has been a phenomenal summer. Teams, construction, outreach events, a huge pastors conference on August 11, and we just finished a week of baseball camp in the local baseball field here in Nagua. It was well worth the investment. Not only were the two coaches from Canada able to invest their time and talents into these boys, but they shared Jesus with them. So many expressed interest in knowing Jesus more - it was awesome. God protected us from Isaac here in Nagua... the storm ducked south right as it was starting to turn up towards us. We are currently getting a lot of rain, but that it is. Pray for Haiti, though. They got hammered and are not prepared for any type of storm.

Talk to you all soon and God bless...

Ryan

Not To Worry

Don't be anxious for anything. Seriously, what value does worry have to us? Can it help us grow taller (Jesus' example) or put food on the table? Good words from the Bible. We have to ask, how deep does our trust go in Jesus? Is it enough to destroy all the last vestiges of worry, doubt or anxiety in our hearts? I find that when I ponder about the hypothetical "ifs" in life, they can quickly turn my heart into a knot of worry. Our mandate, though, if we really believe Jesus' words to seek the kingdom first (and then all we need will be added) is to mercilessly attack every bit of worry and anxiety in our lives. Instead of thinking of uncertainties, let us focus on what is certain, namely, the power and provision of our Lord.

What to do when we have a pressing issue or concern? As Paul said, we need to lift up our needs to Him with thanksgiving for His past, present, and future goodness and provision, and His peace will keep us together. Why worry about what we have no control over, when we can just rest in God's goodness? Do we think that worrying is a better idea to help us resolve our problems than Jesus' recommendation to seek the kingdom first and trust? If we are to act on something in our control, we should do that, and then let the Lord do what He will. And the peace of God that totally goes beyond human understanding (and oft flies in the face of circumstance, feeling, appearance) will keep our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Mental, emotion, spiritual calm and confidence in Jesus. No matter what happens, is happening, or may happen. Period.

Palm Sunday Reflections

It was a day that some hoped would initiate the end of Roman tyranny and oppression in Israel. Others feared the beginning of the end of their system of religious control and manipulation. Still others were expecting the long awaited Messiah to take His throne and bring everlasting peace to His people. Only one knew the real truth about that day, and He wept over the very city that was thrown into loud upheaval at His triumphal entrance. He saw its spiritual stubbornness and prophesied its terrible downfall. He did not come to save the physical Jerusalem or bring renewal to the socio-political condition in Israel.

With all the tumult, cheering, and palm waving on the road to Jerusalem, one would not doubt that something quite extraordinary was happening. No one seemed to voice their concerns over His entrance on a foal of a donkey instead of a horse, which indicated that He came humbly in peace and not as a conqueror. Jesus affirmed and encouraged the joyous shouts and declarations of His kingship. He did not deny that He was Israel's King, yet nowhere do we see that He reveled in these shouts or shared in their level of excitement and enthusiasm. Even inanimate objects like rocks would be forced to declare the obvious, He curtly responded to the Pharisees threatened egos, if they did not shout out these praises. Many of these same voices would be shouting a different tune in less than one week. In one week instead of throwing palm branches at His feet, they would be throwing insults at His face.

But what were the first acts of this King as he entered Jerusalem to the chants of Hosanna (root meaning: we entreat you to save us now)? After weeping over Jerusalem, we are told that He entered the temple and threw out the money changers, the sellers and buyers of sacrificial birds, overturning all their tables and chairs. His first act was one of spiritual zeal for His Father's house, for the place of prayer and worship. "MY house shall be called a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of thieves," He proclaimed (probably roared/shouted in anger, if His voice was to reflect His actions in that moment). This act is a true indication of His true mission. Restoration of pure, unadulterated worship. It was in this temple one week later than an earthquake would rend the veil from top to bottom, indicating that the new covenant way to worship God has been opened.

What did He do next? After clearing the temple, the people flocked to Him, he healed the sick, and He taught, doing what He had been doing for the past three years. The children cried out praises to Him, the Messiah, as He was in the temple, and those stuffy, proud, irate, murderous Pharisees continued to criticize Jesus. Jesus simply looked at them and said "They have got it all right, guys." (my translation).

All of Jerusalem was taken by this Persona on that day. The Humble King, the Messiah, had come to them, but He had come to a spiritually blind city that did not recognize Him. They were really looking for another, one that would ease their physical pain and needs and solve their social and political woes. They were not looking for one that would painfully uproot the terrible murky blackness of their sin. Jerusalem welcomed Him, and soon would kill Him. Some cheered Him, and soon would mourn Him. Some expected the kingdom now to burst forth, but really the kingdom was already starting to burst in the hearts of men ... and the crowning of Majesty would happen in heaven not in Jerusalem. One day He, the Righteous and True, would return again with the fullness of His kingdom, and it will be VERY different indeed. It will be with a white horse not with a colt. Those that truly understand His first triumphal entrance and His mission to die and rescue us from sin, will rejoice in His second coming. Those who ignored, despised, or missed His first coming, will tremble in terror at His second.

Happy Palm Sunday to all... may His second triumphal return come soon!

Be Like a Bamboo

I learned not too long ago about the incredible growth cycle of the Bamboo tree. For the first 4 years of the life of the Bamboo plant, there is virtually no visible growth. For one who does not understand what is happening, you would tend to think, "This is indeed the most pathetic little plant ever!" Small shoots will be visible, but they will meagre at best. However, if one sticks with the plant until its fifth year, they will be surprised. At this point, the bamboo enters a rapid growth phase where it reaches its full height in just a couple months! Some bamboo grows up to a foot per day in its peak growth phase. These plants reach a height of over 30 feet in some areas.

So what happened those first four years where nothing was happening? The bamboo tree was developing a very strong root system called the rhizome. For four years, the plant was putting down strong roots into the soil so that when time came to grow, it could burst upwards at a phenomenal rate. Four years of root growth and just a few months to develop the full height of the tree.

There are so many spiritual applications that one could draw from such an interesting growth cycle. Certainly, our spiritual roots are so important and foundational to our growth. We may not experience explosive growth in our lives and ministries right away, but must focus on strengthening our relationship with Jesus Christ and in His Word. When the time comes, God will provide the miraculous increase that we desire. Lack of visible spiritual growth does not mean that nothing is happening. If they are being fed the Word of God and are faithfully following Him, in time God will provide the increase. We must not give up on the bamboo too soon. The growth will come when it is time.

Let's pay attention to building a good root system of Christ and His Word in our lives and the lives of others so that when the time comes, according to God's good purpose and will, we may rejoice in bamboo-style growth.

Is Life Meaningless?

In the book of Ecclesiastes, Solomon answers his own question: Yes, from a secular perspective. Absolutely not, if God is in the picture. Through the secular eye, he writes... all men die, rich or poor, wise or foolish, diligent or lazy - our end is the same. The greatest pleasures of this world are fleeting. The thrills of youth are fleeting. The just and the wise sometimes seem to get the short end of the stick while the wicked and foolish prosper. This brief life, in spite of the joys that it can bring, appears to be contradictory and futile in the grand scheme of things. We live, sometimes experience joy, often experience pain, and then we die. How dismal is that? But the golden foundation to this book becomes evident as we read on.

Thankfully, Solomon, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, does not leave us hanging in this confusing darkness of meaninglessness. He gives us the answer to the question on the meaning of everything. I just want to summarize these observations in Ecclesiastes Chapter 12:

1) Remember (serve and love) your Creator while you are still young.
2) Evil days, difficult days, old age and death will come and will be overwhelming and void of meaning to the godless.
3) The peak of all wisdom and the meaning of life is found in knowing God, fearing Him, and obeying His commands.
4) Everything is under God's scrutiny. A judgment is coming, and only those who fear and obey God will be counted as worthy. That is, only those who have been saved through faith in Christ, those who have been born again and walk in newness, will proceed victorious beyond the time of the final judgement.

So the good news: life is meaningful, but only with God. Life for Him fully, serve Him faithfully, cling to Him diligently, and it will go well for you. Not easy, but well. Christ is our solid rock. If we stay firm believing on Him, we will hear those words one day "Well done, my good and faithful servant. Enter in to the joy of your Lord." At that moment all the pain and difficulties of the previous world will become as nothing. We will fully understand life's meaning. Knowing Him and being with Him forever.

Photo Overview 2011

Overview 2012, a set on Flickr.

Greetings and Happy New Year everyone! I trust and pray you all had a wonderful Christmastime and New Year with family and friends. Well, here we are in 2012 already! Time is racing towards the future and this is exciting because we know that God has inexplicably good things in store for His children. Before racing ahead, though, let me give you a photo slide-show from 2011. Enjoy!

The Church of the City

A message that greatly impacted me from the visiting founder of an international healing ministry, was his biblical message on unity. The churches in an area ought to see themselves no longer as distinct, independent entities from the other local churches, but instead ought to view themselves as interdependent, and a small part of the Church of their city. Indeed, there is only one church, one God, one Father, one Spirit, one baptism, one Body, one Head of the church (Christ). It is mind boggling what the people of God can accomplish when we unite in one common purpose, heart and mind: to reach the lost for Christ. This is what we have been diligently working on over the last few months, having the opportunity to travel to different areas to hold unity meetings with the Christians of the different towns and cities. We have seen incredible results. With this message: pastors repenting and being reconciled to their fellow pastors, the churches strengthened, and regions being reclaimed for the kingdom of God. Tonight we head out to do yet another unity service in the town of Castillo. Pray for us as we take this message to the believers in that area.

Victorious 10 Days

It was an awesome 10 days with the team from the States... lots of healings, powerful teachings, awesome worship times, and many encouraged pastors. I was privileged to be able to translate for some excellent and anointed pastors and leaders, and lead worship for several municipal and regional events. We prayed that God would do amazing things and He did indeed!

Summary of our work:
-Town of Cotui: door to door evangelism, pastor/leader teaching, healing services
-Town of Pimentel: door to door evangelism, pastor/leader teaching, healing services
-Town of Arenoso: door to door evangelism, pastor/leader teaching, healing services
-Town of Villa Riva: door to door evangelism, pastor/leader teaching, healing services
-Town of El Factor: special services at two churches in this town
-Town of Nagua: Northeast Regional women's conference, special services at two churches

Now that the team has left (left Monday morning), we are continuing our work of preaching in Unity Services and doing teaching seminars. This Saturday I also have the [new] privilege of being the Master of Ceremonies for a wedding of a friend that is involved in worship ministry.

Thank-you all for your continued prayers! Thanks to your prayers and support, this year has been a phenomenal year of progress in the Dominican church!

Raining Down

It has been raining on and off over the island, but that is not the rain I am referring to. God's spiritual rain is indeed falling over this area. We are working with a group called RAIN ministries from the States, doing pastoral seminars and healing conferences! We are seeing the lost saved, the sick healed, and the pastors and churches encouraged greatly by the demonstrated presence of God. And there is much more to come. Stay tuned for more updates...

Kilometer 5

Last night we all went out to Kilometer 5, a neighbourhood on the outskirts of Nagua, to lead an open-air service for the community and several churches. I led worship with part of our Nagua worship team, and then translated for the main message, which was on Unity. It was a powerful message that touched the hearts of all in attendance. Two young men came forward to accept the Lord at the end of the service. Please pray for them, that they would remain firm in their decision and their new walk with Christ. What was also very exciting was the fact that the pastor who invited us to do the service is one of our Bible Institute graduates. This is a relatively new church plant that has been growing thanks to the Lord's work and vision implanted within this servant of God. Little by little we are seeing how the Bible Institute is affecting this region. Praise God that we can be a part in equipping His saints to advance the kingdom of God here in the Dominican Republic!

Powerful Praise in Copeyito

The small town of Copeyito was rocked this past weekend as we ran a worship retreat for several local churches. Myself and a group of worship leaders trained in our worship leadership course headed out early Friday morning. From 8:30AM through 2PM both Friday and Saturday we worshiped in song and with the teaching of the Word of God. It was so awesome to see tears flowing as we spoke about true worship and the glorious majesty of our magnificent King of Kings. The Holy Spirit was moving so powerfully that many times the teaching materials were put aside as He spoke to different issues in the Body of Christ. We left on Saturday afternoon rejoicing for the fellowship with our family from Copeyito, but most of all  for the amazing sense of God's presence with us.

A Peek Into the Lives of Two

To give you a little glimpse of the lives of some of the precious and beloved pastors we work with...

Yesterday morning very early I received a call from a pastor we know very well. He called from a hospital in the capital city of the DR, Santo Domingo. His wayward son was in a terrible accident and he is not expected to survive. He didn't have enough money to get another phone card, so I started to spread the news around to several individuals close to him so they could pray for the life of this young man, hanging in between life and death, heaven and hell. This particular pastor is one of the poorest we know, and if any operation was required, they would not be able to pay for it. Please pray for a miracle in this young man's body and that he would accept the Lord before it is too late.

In the afternoon, another pastor friend of ours showed up at the front gate. Still recovering from a severe motorcycle accident that left his body bruised and battered, he could not stay in his home while his family had very little to eat, and so he came in to Nagua to get some food for his family. God provided some rice for him and he was happily carrying a small sack of rice on his bike when he pulled up at the house. Not lamenting over his personal situation, he spoke for some time about the pastors in his area and his deep concern for the unity of the brothers in the Body of Christ. He has about 8 people living with him (wife, children, grandchildren) and makes about 100 dollars a month. God always provides the rest. Please pray for him, his health, his protection, his church, and the unity of the churches in his area.

The pastors in this nation are in a spiritually ordained position to transform the spiritual landscape of their communities, country, and region. If they are equipped, empowered, and encouraged, then their families and congregations will be as well. If the congregations are flourishing in the Spirit of God, the communities will be transformed. Transformed communities then transform a nation. Help us carry the burden of the pastors and leaders of the Dominican church to the Lord in prayer.