Month: June 2008

We are BAAACK! What a great trip that was.

Posted by Shawn on June 30, 2008

We returned home on Saturday after driving about 6-1/2 hours from the San Francisco Airport. It is Monday and I am still in the fog. Between the jet lag and a little uneasy stomach, I am not really here. Besides leaving even larger pieces of my heart back in the Dominican Republic.

We had a great 2 weeks with a group of 19. I believe it was 13 teens from 13 to 19 years old. What a great group of kids and young adults, they all behaved maturely, worked hard and had fun despite some long days.

We had opportunities almost every evening to minister throughout the city, from rough areas on the streets to a church service out in a park. We were blessed to be a part of the ministry that the staff at JUCUM (YWAM) has there. This is one awesome group of people who love the Lord and serve Him with all their strength.

Street ministry in the D.R.

Trip is funded for my wife and I!

Posted by Shawn on June 10, 2008

Praise God!

He did it. He provided all the funding. Some of it came on the day we were to turn it all in – and it was quite a bit. Thank you to all of those who helped financial and through prayers.

Just a few days left before we leave. So many things to take care of and we are quite excited about the trip. We did get one thing done (mostly…) we sprayed the house this last weekend.

Just to let you know, heavy boom lifts on hard tires can get stuck to easily off of pavement. So, I rented a boom to get to the peaks and dormer windows on our house. I drove it onto the front lawn, leaving a 1/2″ indention everywhere I drove it. Then I tried to drive it back onto the driveway, but it would just spin the tires. Tried with plywood and 2X4’s as instructed by the rental company, but no go.

I then turned and went the other direction and figured I would try to drive around and into the backyard to access 2 of the dormer windows as planned. I got over some bark area and was going onto the sidewalk. The lift is wider than the sidewalk and as 2 wheels went over the side where more bark is, they sank. It so happens that under that area the clay ground was still really wet and clay leaves no traction. Well, we tried to help it out with a pickup and cable but that didn’t work. $95 and 5 minutes with a tow truck, it was back onto pavement.

So, the lift didn’t quite get used as planned and I still have the facia of one dormer window to get to probably by a 30′ to 40′ ladder. But the house is sprayed and looks really good.

Pictures to come shortly….. maybe.

Fundraising efforts for 2 week trip

Posted by Shawn on June 2, 2008

I think we are coming to the end of the fundraising…. It is always hard to ask people for money and this time, like times before we did as much “working” for the money as possible. Jessica did 3 different yard sales, two of which was with donated items, the last one being at our house for 2 days. (Now, for the trips to Good Will and maybe the dumps.)

Thank you to everyone who donated or supported our efforts!

Now with less than two weeks remaining before we leave, we are preparing for our trip by packing items and getting things ready and planned for the kids who will be staying with grandparents. As any mother reading this would know, this is a hard thing for Jessica, to leave all her kids for 2 weeks, but the Lord is good and they will have fun.