The Latest News!!

Hello friends and Family

Update:

Things are happening.

It's a lot to read so skim if you must..

We leave for Puerto Plata in 3 weeks...

Our plan?

• To solidify a lease property for 2 to 3 years. It must have a house and some acreage near Puerto Plata
• To solidify the vision with our Dominican friends and lay out strategies for hosting work teams and staffing options for the children's home.

Here is a translated email from William Gomez our Mercy League Dom. Rep. director regarding the search for the lease property.
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5/24/07

"Hello Shane,

the weekend we worked looking for a house with the characteristic ones that we needed; we have an opportunity now, of a house near you take care of it. This property this behind TORES mountain ISABEL. It has his its own water and the house is of wood, this house has perhaps 100 years, and we have repárala.

The owner said to me that he is going to call to give me the security to me of which he is going to us to rent this house, the price of the house will say to whichever hill the rent soon to me. This house this near the school. Here photos of the house, we have some friends who are helping me to grant a scholarship but houses. God blesses brother to you In Christ William and Jaquelin Gomez
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5/26/07

Hello Shane my Brother,

Today I was in puerto Plata and met with the owners of the house. They have offered the house for 4000 pesos monthly, they want a year in advance, Also is our responsibility to take care of the house and to help with the repairs, we must pay 200 pesos for Electricity so far if we want to take over for June, and we do not have to pay to the water, because the property has its own water, Also they have a property to bandage.

God blessing to you in Christ,

William and Jaquelin Gomez

http://www.xe.com/ucc/full.php - currency converter...

Live rates at 2007.05.27 05:40:35 UTC
4,000.00 DOP	=	124.543 USD
Dominican Republic Pesos		United States Dollars
1 DOP = 0.0311357 USD		1 USD = 32.1175 DOP

Here is some communication that I have recently received about the children's home...

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"Hi Shane:

I thought of you today, and thought you'd be interested in this: After church today, had a very interesting discussion with missionaries, Donna Williams, Sue Coates, and Pauline Wren. Donna first talked about this baby in Redemption Village that is just tearing her apart with the neglect it is getting. It is Haitian. The mother is no longer around. The father leaves the baby to go to work. A dominican friend in the village looks after the child, but has 5 children of her own. The father is planning soon to leave for a job a ways away, and won't be around to look after the baby. He has already found a home for an older boy. Most times, when the Dominican woman is not looking after the baby, the father leaves the baby alone in the house! The baby is over a year old, and has no leg functions, because of the neglect. She will either sit where left to sit, or lay, where left to lay! It is so heart-breaking to Donna. If she could, she would take the baby home in a heart-beat. But she knows that's not practical. Her friend doesn't mind looking after the baby during the day, but doesn't have room for one more child to sleep at night! Donna is wishing there was a home/orphanage in the area to take in children like this.

Then Sue pipes in with their dream. There's an abandoned hotel on the way to the airport. Her husband, Jim, can't get it out of his mind about this place! He's going to make phone calls tomorrow, and start the inquiry process. They envision an orphanage. They envision taking care of babies. They also envision a "retreat center" of sorts for mothers and their babies to come there for instruction on baby care, and being ministered to by the word of God. Then they can return to their villages better equipped to look after their children, plus be encouraged, and refreshed. Donna said she could help with organizing groups to come down, to not only help with these children in the long run, but also initially to help get this building up and running! It will need quite a lot of work! Then Pauline pipes in that she has had a vision for street children. She envisions helping children to give them a meal, train them in skills, give them the love of Jesus and the gospel. These are children that are working the streets as shoe shine boys, etc. She also envisions a "retreat" center in the farm country where there would be animals and a place to plant gardens. So, it was kind of exciting to hear all this talk. We are hoping and praying that God will be in the center of it all, and see how things will pan out. Of course, Jim and Sue are not made out of money, and they feel like a small cog in the wheel. But they feel that if this is God's doing, it will somehow work out!

If you want to talk further with Jim and Sue, you can find them through their web-site at:

http://www.dominicanministry.com/

We are praying for you and God's plan for your future!

Lynn"

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Please be encouraged about these things,

Shane