Celebration of Partnerships May 2009

You know when a special time really is special. It sticks with you. Like one year my sis and her family got a run down cabin in the snowy cascades for Christmas. We had to keep the whole drafty place warm with this humongous fireplace. So many interesting little things happened that bonded us together that week in a way that had never happened in our usual surrounding. A log fell out of the fireplace in the middle of the night that we had to get back in. A bat needed to be rescued from the chimney. We went for long walks in the snow looking for beaver wood. It turned out to be one of the best Christmas' that we've ever had.

It has always stuck with me, that Christmas.

That's kind of like what the Celebration of Partnerships was for me this year. The kind of time that inspires you in those subtle ways that last.

All of the American GO staff were down for the event. We had a couple pre-conference meetings and it was really great to be together.

For the conference our entire purpose was to encourage the National and American partnerships and I think we accomplished what we set out to do.

The celebration was held at a resort in Puerto Plata. When the nationals arrived they brought a great energy of anticipation with them and it was contagious.

Pastor Gabriel has been the national president of GO ministries since its conception thirteen years ago. At the conference he announced his role change to "international representative". He passed the torch to his eldest son Pastor Eduard Gabriel who is now the National president of GO ministries. It was a very emotional time for everyone.

Above: Pastor Gabriel gives blessings to his daughter in law Kendy

for there new adventures as the National President of GO

Gabriel is still very much in action and an essential part of the ministry. The transition was so emotional because we all reflected on how much Pastor Gabriel and his wife Tata have impacted our lives.

Several people stood up to say how God used Gabriel to save them. Yeni, who pastors with her husband in the Hole talked of how Gabriel helped her mother with all their family needed as she was growing up and she met her husband Felix at Gabriel's church and now they Pastor in one of the most difficult areas in Santiago. Gabriel was an essential part of Yeni meeting Jesus and now Yeni is essential to so many people meeting Jesus.

Fran, who works construction with the work crew talked of how Gabriel helped get Fran's wife and children to the DR so that they could be together and now Fran has steady work and his children are getting an education at the GO sponsored school that Gabriel began. Fran was a Haitian immigrant worker that most people thought of as nothing, but Gabriel saw someone worth investing in.

That sticks with me. All the people that Gabriel invested in so long ago and for many years he didn't see immediate fruit. But he remained faithful and steady and now the fruit is evident.

Yeah.... that's inspiring to me.

A wonderful partnership exists between Discovery church in California and The Cuerpo de Cristo church in Hato del Yaque. I met Pastor Todd Clark from Discovery Church for the first time during the celebration.

My favorite times were meal times. At our table always sat Pastor Todd, Pastor Aristides and his wife Arelis, Adams, Montan and his wife Tina, Pastor Eladio and his wife who also have a church in HdY, and me. We all talked about ministry and family and laughed and broke bread together. There is so much that I enjoyed about that time. I learned more in those few days of eating together about each person there than I had in the last year of ministry.

Below: Aristides, Arelis and Adams sang in the

Dining room and the lobby

Now we are back in Ministry and in our usual schedules and going forward with plans and service.

But this special event that really did turn out to be special will stick with me.

Aristides has been quoting Psalm 133:1 a lot lately.

"How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity!"

It is easy to forget that even when we are doing life together as we do in ministry here in the DR and with you in the US.

together we are building churches and homes, feeding children, encouraging the body of believers, bringing medicine to the sick, sharing the love of Jesus... and the list goes on.

The last verse in psalm 133 says "...For there the Lord bestows his blessing, even life forevermore."

There is a blessing in unity that makes an eternal impact.

Thank you for your partnership.