Fw: Walker Family Update

We arrived in the Dominican Republic.

 

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We officially arrived in Santiago, DR on January 12, 2010.  We left Vero Beach, FL on the 11th but due to flying late at night we arrived here safely around 3:00 am!  What a long night. 

 

 Our hosts, Glenn and Rhoda Martin (pictured with the kids), met us at the airport to take us to our home base for the next 8 weeks.  We will be traveling around the DR visiting and helping at different ministries that are already serving the Dominican people.

This weekend we will go to Sosua and visit a ministry who helps get kids off the streets and into a home and school.  We will be sharing at their home church on Sunday morning and assisting in taking care of the boys in the group home.  We will also get to help at the school there.

We will be visiting many different areas in the coming weeks, including  Santo Domingo, Elias Pina and Dajabon.  We will also be serving in Haiti at an orphanage that has taken in many new children from the Earthquake in Port au Prince.

 

Earthquake 2010   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ We arrived the morning of the earthquake.  The girls were all grocery shopping at La Sirena, a two-story grocery, here in Santiago, when the juice behind Hannah started to fall.  Rhoda told us it was an Earthquake and we needed to get outside, esp. since we were on the bottom floor of the building.  The guys were at the mechanics and saw the van, street lights, etc.. swaying.    The devastation in Haiti has shifted the focus of a lot of the local churches and minstries from their "normal" ministry to sending supplies into Haiti.  We have been privileged to serve many ministries that have sent funds and we have shopped for, packaged, labeled and loaded literally thousands of pounds of food from Santiago to Port au Prince, Haiti.  It has been incredible to be a part of and see so many different ministries pull together as the "body" of Christ and serve others in need.

SUYO Camp   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ We were privileged this weekend to get to help with YWAM Santiago's SUYO camp.  SUYO in Spanish means HIS.  We had an additional 18 children and youth move into the YWAM house with us for a long weekend.  This program is designed to raise up youth that feel called to missions.  The weekend camp taught on knowing God to make Him known which is YWAM's motto.  There were teachings on having a personal relationship with Jesus and many aspects of a daily Christian walk.  Along with these teachings, the children learned dances and dramas.  The camp closed with an Outreach to a local downtown park where about 125 or more gathered to hear the children give their testimonies, dance and perform dramas.  Then the children took tracts to the people and offered to pray for them.  Each month this group will get together to do a community service project or another outreach.  What a great way for children to see that God will use them to change their own neighborhoods!  Samantha, Hannah and Jesse were a part of the camp as campers and helpers.  It was an amazing weekend!  Jesse loved getting to pray for a lady through an interpreter!

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Thanks for your prayers.

 

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God is using us to serve so many others here in the DR and in neighboring Haiti.  We covet your prayers.  We just wanted to say thank you.  We are so privileged to get to serve an amazing God!  You are also serving Him by praying and supporting us.  Thank you!

 

Many Blessings~

the Walker Family 

 

Here is a picture of the SUYO group from this weekend

Request for Help for Haiti

Special Request for Help for Haiti
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Hello All~

Tomorrow, January 15, 2010, we have an opportunity to help purchase and load supplies to be sent directly from here in Santiago, DR to Port Au Prince (PAP), Haiti. We are currently being hosted by Glenn and Rhoda Martin who have been here in Santiago for 11 years and have many great ministry contacts. Ned was able to sit in on a planning meeting on Wednesday afternoon to see how YWAM DR and the other ministries here could best help. AGAPE Flights has been cleared to fly relief supplies into Haiti starting tomorrow. In the morning, Ned will accompany Glenn to the hardware store to purchase supplies to send.

How can you help?
Donating is the best way you can help at this time. Each flight that AGAPE makes costs between $350 and $400 in fuel. Most supplies here such as tarps, ropes, face masks, sawblades, medical supplies, etc... cost a bit more but not too much more than in the US. The more money raised the more supplies that can be purchased and sent. We know that this money is going directly to Haiti Relief.

How can you donate directly to this effort?
You may send checks to the address below. US checks are easily cashed here in the DR. This is probably the easiest way to donate directly to our effort here.
Make checks out to YWAM and attach a note saying Haiti Relief. Please email us with the amount you are sending so that we can put this money into effect immediately.

Weekly Courier Address (into Santiago, DR)
Glenn & Rhoda Martin
Agape Flights SGO 12342, 100 Airport Ave
Venice, FL 34285

Thank you in advance for your help. We do not usually send out a blanket request for money to you our newsletter readers but this is not a "usual" situation.

Please forward this to anyone or churches etc... who may be willing to help but do not know how to assure that their financial gift is really going to Haitians in need.

Blessings to all~
The Walker Family

Update from the Walkers

Thanks for your prayers!
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Hello All~
Thank you for your prayers! We are all safe and secure! We each have our own story to share about our first earthquake experience. Quite the welcome to the Dominican Republic to say the least.
We have many ministry opportunities here and are looking forward to adjusting, learning the language and working alongside many others who are working to share God's love with those around them.
This is just a quick update to let you all know that we are well. Will get some pictures and stories up soon! Please feel free to forward this to anyone who might be interested.
Many Blessings~
The Walker Familly
Debbie's Brother Thom and Family
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For those of you who know Thom (Debbie's brother) who is serving in Port de Paix, Haiti: He and his family are fine. They felt more stronger tremors than us but are doing fine.


Contact Information
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email: Walker5forGod@yahoo.com
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To join our ministry with a financial gift, please go to: YWAMOrlando.com\give
scroll down to our name and follow the simple steps.