Category: Missionary life

Updates from the Dominican Republic

Posted by Shawn on November 13, 2011

This weekend we sent Heather, Samuel and Josiah back down to the capital to be part of King’s Kids again. We are seeing growth in their lives as they seek God and worship Him. They also practice the dances and dramas and are being taught by our brothers and sisters in Christ the things of the Lord.

Silas, however, is stuck with mom and dad at home. He doesn’t know what to do when the others are not around, but we hope to change this shortly when we move.

The boys at Niños de la Luz are enjoying the new home, just a few more things to finish, such as shelves for the kitchen. The house really changes the way they live together. The other building was more of separate dorms with a shared living area, this house is set up more like a normal house. We sent Jesse, who has been there for a few months helping, on his way to Buenos Aires. Watching the boys say goodbye made me not want to leave, but I believe God is calling us to move.

We were blessed this last week as Heather was baptized. Even though she was a few years ago, she felt that this was her walk and her faith and that she felt God tugging her heart to do so. This is a joyous time in a parents life whenever their children take ownership of their faith.

Please pray with us in these areas:

Adjusting to the culture, the language, different foods, new customs, and difficult climate.
Protection in travel, health, accidents, and dangerous situations.
Our concern for their children’s health,home-schooling, friendships. Housing accommodations, differences in living standards, and lack of accustomed conveniences.
Loneliness, homesickness, lack of accustomed fellowship with others
Interpersonal relationships, dealing with one’s (and others’) prejudice, selfishness, depending on the faithfulness of others to meet one’s financial needs.
Effectiveness in ministry, whatever the assignment.
Functioning of the tools of ministry. (computers, cars, cell-phones everything seems to break too often here.)
Lack of visible results; the “plowing, planting and watering” stages can go on for years! (Jeremiah preached for 23 years and no one listened. Jer 25:3)
The people being ministered to, the national Christians, other missionaries.
Need for encouragement, stability, wisdom, compassion, self-discipline, boldness, power, love, to be filled with the Spirit of God.
The vehicle fundraiser – that we meet the goal for a reliable vehicle.

We miss all of our friends and family and hope to visit soon. This has been one of the biggest challenges of being here, not having brought our friends with us! We miss so much the times spent fellowshipping at church or in your homes or ours. Feel free to write us or call us anytime!

Project Guagua

Posted by Shawn on November 3, 2011

Project Guagua

The Goal: Replace our vehicle in 2 weeks!!

The death of our guagua (van) is imminent! It has gone beyond small repairs and is becoming a hindrance to our ministry here on a weekly basis. We need your help!!! We are asking for 1000 people to give $10 or for 100 people to spread the word by getting 10 friends to donate $10 each. This vehicle will give us the ability to reach more people with the gospel, as well as offer practical help to missionaries all over the island. Unfortunately, cars are not cheap here. They run 2 to 3 times what they are in the States. We desire to have something that is reliable and economical. We have consulted with a local mechanic who has worked on the island for years. He has given us a list of what he thinks are the most reliable, economical (gas is over $5 a gallon), and inexpensive vehicles to repair in the DR. When we think of the cost as a whole and all the logistics it is overwhelming, but we are trusting God and His plan for us in all things.

$10 x 1000 = 100 people asking 10 of their friends to donate $10 = Reliable vehicle used to bring glory to God wherever it goes!!!! (Click here to print the flyer out – PDF of Vehicle Fundraiser)

The Dying Guagua

Possible Replacement Van

To Give: Tax Deductible donations can be made to Alliance Bible Chapel with a note in the memo “Oliveria Vehicle Fund”

Mail to: Oliveria Family
c/o Tiffani Ghiglieri
1462 Beekman Ave.
Medford Or 97501

Donations can also be received through PayPal (donations through PayPal are not tax-deductible) on the Support page

PDF of vehicle fundraiser

House is Near Completion

Posted by Shawn on October 14, 2011

The New House is Almost Ready

Finally coming to the end, yet there seems like there is so much to do! The new boys house has all the downstairs doors in place and this week I put in the latches for the doors. Jon has been painting, putting a handrail up, installing the upstairs windows, installing toilets and sinks, and much more. Jesse has been tiling bathrooms and Nick has been doing some other odds and ends.

New French Doors

Jon working on Sink

The Inauguration is in November!

Niños de la Luz Woodshop

Posted by Shawn on September 28, 2011

For a while now I have been teaching the boys a woodshop class. We have made napkin holders, small boxes that look like a treasure chest, shelves for their beds and now they are making shelves for there closets.

Here are some photos from yesterday’s class. They are building the shelves for the closets in the new house.

Anyel using the router

These two enjoying the work

Johan Learning to use a stapler

Jesse who has been a great help!

Sanding - They didn't like the idea of doing that all day long.

Tio Marcos and Elias

Anyelo using a router

More things happening

Posted by Shawn on July 8, 2011

During the last few months we have been helping with Niños de la Luz. This has been a great opportunity for all of us. Our boys get to practice and learn more Spanish as they talk and play with the boys who live there and Heather spends time with Summer who lives there. Jessica has been helping with the schooling of the lower grades which has also stretched her in learning more Spanish. I have been fixing things, helping with things of the new house and working with the short term teams.

We have been stretched in so many ways over the last 10 months. The challenges of finding a place to live to the challenge of cars that are old and abused. The strains it puts on the family relations and testing of our faith that has grown and strengthened us. God has been good!

During the first part of July some of our friends from Medford have been in Santo Dominigo with YWAM (JUCUM) and we have gone to visit and work with them. Watching our kids join in the work, learning dances, dramas and even speaking to people has been a huge blessing to me as a father.

One thing you can be praying is for us to know our next big step. We have been talking about going to Mexico to a Spanish school for a few months so that we would be more effective in ministering the gospel and really being able to deepen our relationships here.

Fun day at Niños de la Luz

Posted by Shawn on April 23, 2011

This week is Semana Santa (Holy Week) celebrating the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. However, much of this country does not celebrate it in a “Holy” fashion. Please keep us in prayers, the roads here are considered deadly and many are driving intoxicated. Loud music and big parties are the norm around the touristy areas (bars and beaches.) We are limiting our travel some, but we are also not living in fear.

Since this week is a national holiday, the boys at Niños de la Luz have the week off from school. We joined them Friday for a play day and had a great time with the boys and the other families working at NDLL.

Josiah in the Sack Race

Eating stuff during game

Today we went up to visit some families in Villa Paraiso. Little nervous about the roads, but we did fine and made it back alive. Don’t think I will be heading out anywhere tonight!

One man in the village, Jose, has been bleeding for 12 days and has to go to Santiago Monday to be checked out why. Please lift him up in prayer. This may be something related to his past, since before he came to Christ he struggled in drugs. Also, hold his family up as they are all deeply concerned for him. Pray for God’s peace.

Seasons of Change

Posted by Shawn on March 26, 2011

Everyone knows those times when things just change. Everything seems to be out of your hands and there are a lot of unknowns. Well, we are in that season now, but we have some things we can share with you about those changes.

Niños de la Luz boys (with Summer and Hannah)

Currently we are volunteering with Niños de la Luz up in the hills. It is a ministry here in Sosua that has a heart for street children. The family-like structure there combined with God’s amazing love has drawn us all to want to serve there. There are two areas of ministry, first is to younger street kids whom they take in as family and the other is to older boys who are at the age of graduation and need to be taught life skills. Currently they are building a new home to house the younger boys and until that is finished the life skills portion is on hold.

This ministry started in Venezuela and now is also in the Dominican Republic. The focus there are the boys, bringing them up in the love of Christ, and the hope of someday these boys having families of their own in which they will be equipped to lead spiritually and physically able to provide.

Pray with us as we ask the Lord for continued guidance as we desire to follow Him.

Just our little time spent so far visiting the Ranch has grown our love for these children. We have seen the love between those there to work with the kids and the kids. It really feels like a large loving family up there.

Besides helping some with staining boards for the ceiling in the new house and helping build some bunk beds, I was able to put to use skills from the past in wood working by replicating a table and a couple of benches to match.

Blessings of a Team

Posted by Shawn on February 10, 2011

We have been very busy, everything from moving twice, running with a team and finishing up a website for a client. Not much sleep, but oh so blessed. We had such a great time working with the MBC medical team! The kids got to help out and had a blast doing so.

Heather checking vision

Samuel and Josiah helped 2 days with filling prescriptions of reading and sun glasses.

Jeremy was able to help raise funds for the Christian Surfers Surf Competition by “worshiping” in a bar! They actually paid him to worship! See his music at www.JeremyOliveria.com

Worship in a bar?

We also sent Josh away. Back to Oregon to work with Michael Robert Smith to earn money to return to the country to attend a DTS with YWAM in Jarabacoa. We sure miss him and we know God will guide him.

Keep praying for us, we know the enemy wants to keep us from reaching God’s children.

Oliveria Family Update

Posted by Shawn on January 15, 2011

Well, it is a new year and many things are in the works. At the end of the month we will be working with our first team that is headed by Island Light Ministries. This team consists of an optometrist, dentists, RN’s and a few others to work in two different locations for 4 days with those specialties. Our family is excited to work with this group.

Also, coming soon to our house is our son Jeremy Oliveria and Sam Smith, they will be here in the country for about 6 weeks! This also coincides with us moving to a 2-bedroom house for about 9 days (Thanks to New Missions.) We should be moving into a house on the 1st at a lower rent rate – PRAISE GOD!

Last night we had the Cooper family over for dinner, Josh and Heather can actually speak Spanish better than I thought, I wish they would help me more than just laugh at my obvious error?!?!? I am constantly using the wrong verb form, usually I catch myself, but it makes for messy sentences.

Continue to pray for us as we learn more Spanish, we are going to try a friend in the village tonight to help Jessica and I with the language, he is fluent in English and has been helping Jim by interpreting the services.

An update about Josh – Later. Ha!

God Bless!

P.S. I need to repair my blog, it isn’t posting the photos I tried.

Christmas in Paradise

Posted by Shawn on December 24, 2010

We just returned home from an evening with the Cooper family. In the Dominican Republic Christmas eve dinner is like an American Christmas meal and we were invited by the Cooper’s to have this meal with them. It was such a nice and peaceful (with exception of Silas) evening in Paraiso. It seemed many were just having a nice calm evening.

Our family has somewhat connected with theirs and I say “somewhat” due to the language barrier as we are still learning the language and we don’t always understand all that is said. One of the interesting things is for our family to fit into the dinning area of one of the houses with another large family.

Jessica and Samuel

Joshua, Samuel and some of the Coopers

Josiah and Mr. Cooper

We also had some of the typical Dominican food:

Christmas Dinner Dominican style

And Desserts made by Jessica and the kids

The kids said they had a great time and I heard them all (sans Silas) speaking in Spanish. We hope that the Cooper’s enjoyed our family as we did theirs. We also want to say to all our family and friends back in the USA – Merry Christmas! And we love and miss you all!