Put Your Shirt Down Young Lady. Just a quick view of some play time with daddy and Lia. Every time I would go to get Lia’s belly she would put her shirt down then pull it back up. Oh yes, she is a little stinker already. We are glad than mommy could catch it on video for you all to see.
She is a blessing and although more work for us, we love being parents. Enjoy the show.
Good news, Megan, Lia and I will be returning to the DR on February 10. God has been so good to us during our time in the US. We are sure there will be new challenges, but we know that the Lord will see us through them all.
Thanks for your prayers and support!
We thank the Lord that even though we are very busy, He has allowed us to spend some quality time with Family while we are back in the US. Megan’s sister (Daria) and her husband (Jud) and son (Ezekiel) came from Vermont. Megan’s parents (David and Cinda) came from Ohio. Ryan’s brother (Rob) and his wife (Brenda) and 3 kids (Kirsten, Annika and Lukas) came from South Carolina. Also Ryan’s other Brother (Ray) his wife (Nicole) and son (Oliver) came from 2.5 hours away in IN. Even Ryan’s Grandma in MI made it down for Christmas this year. Plus we have been able to see a lot of other extended family, on both sides, to show off our little Lia.
Prayer Requests:
Ryan’s Mom (Sue Hansen)- recovery from open heart surgery
Strength as we take care of Lia and help care for Sue
Lia’s Passport to come quickly
Profitable time our last few weeks in the US (We return early Feb.)
Our DR staff that begin to host groups this month in our absence
We returned to the US a little earlier than originally planned in order to travel before Megan was too great with child to do so anymore. We visited some friends in Miami, then went to Ohio, Chicago then West Lafayette, IN before returning to Elkhart.
In November we stayed put in IN awaiting our daughter’s arrival. Three of Megan’s best friends threw her a baby shower. The Lord blessed us with many clothes, diapers other baby items!
On December 2, Lia Grace Hansen arrived at 1:30pm. She weighed 6 lbs. 13 ozs. and was 19.5 ins. long. Even though we are tired we are really enjoying parenthood.
On December 15, Ryan’s mom had open heart surgery to repair a bad aortic valve. Praise the Lord the operation was a success. Sue is making progress in recovering each day.
The end to a busy summer came to an end in August. In September we held our very first SCORE Staff Conference in the DR. We had staff join us from Costa Rica and the US to talk about the year and plan for 2011.
In the fall the SCORE ministry looks a little different than the rest of the year. We have much less groups so it allows us to get involved in some other areas and activities. We hosted a Women’s Conference for the women in all the church plants and partnering churches. Megan was able to teach a main and break out session.
Ryan played on the softball team that was put together to reach some communities through sports. Most of our male missionaries played on the church plant team. Our GAP Program, which has been running for 5 years in CR, also opened in the DR this fall starting with 3 students. Ryan taught the Bible Study Methods and Interpretation class.
Nearly 380 high school and college students joined us for our conference Kosmos 2010 in the DR. Kosmos is a semi-annual teen missions conference on the mission field. Attendees participate in not only excellent Bible teaching sessions, but also in hands on mission work. Students divided up into ministry teams getting involved in everything from college campus work to sugarcane village ministry to medical evangelism.
God made it evident that He was to be in control as about 8 weeks prior to the event we had a venue change that was out of our control. During that time our leadership team began to pray even more for God to have His way and to work things out for His glory.
God brought us many amazing speakers such as Gerry Gillis, Jonathan Falwell, Dr. Johnny Hunt, Scott Yirka and others. Several committed to rededicate their lives while others committed to pursuing full time mission and yet still other accepted Christ as their Savior! The week ended with a Friday night rally at the San Pedro Gym. Many made professions of Faith in Christ that evening. Pray now for the follow up of all those who came forward.
Taking advantage of the all the speakers we brought in for Kosmos, we also hosted a Timothy Barnabas School for Pastor and Church Leaders. We had 25 Pastors from the US, 100 from the DR and 120 from Haiti. The idea behind Timothy Barnabas is to provide a conference where experienced pastors can train and encourage younger and/or less experienced pastors and church leaders in ministry.
We wanted to be as special blessing to Haitian Pastor in particular due to the recent devastation in their country. We asked churches in the US and DR to support a Haitian pastor to provide them with a visa, transportation, conference costs, a new suite, shoes and salary for 1 year. This trilingual conference provided some challenges at times, but God worked it all out for His good with a Spanish translator on stage and a team of Creole translators in a side room using simultaneous radio equipment.
The pastors and leaders were taught on Doctrine/Theology, Finances in the Church, Counseling, Children’s Ministry and Tragedy Response. To finish off the conference the American and Dominican Pastors wanted to encourage the Haitian Pastors by washing their feet. Through the Haitian tragedy God has been mending the wounds between two countries with bitter hatred towards each other. It was an amazing time to see men of God humble themselves with this simple but meaningful act.
The first and last day of the conference was held at the Highlands Complex in Boca Chica. It was the first event ever held on the camp section.
What a blessing to host the Dominican, Haitian and American pastors and see God’s Word work in and challenge these men of God.
Using the Highlands Complex: Recently we had a senior class trip with several soccer players. This gave us a great opportunity to use the soccer field at the Highlands Complex in Boca Chica. We had 5 Dominican teams plus the American group. We allowed the group to share their ministry and then preached the Gospel. We saw 9 people accept Christ as their Savior! A few of which we have been praying for for some time now.
Please be praying for our next soccer outreach where we will be bringing down a couple of teams from Santiago (3 hours north) for a two day event along with 2 soccer teams from the US. The dates are July 16 and 17.
Megan and I had the privilege of attend the anniversary celebration of a partnering church in Bani, Dominican Republic. The Iglesia Bautista de Cristo Jesus (Jesus Christ Baptist Church) is celebrating it’s 40th year in ministry to the Catalina community! The Church was planted by Vernon Weber, an American missionary, along side a young national, Felipe Figueroa. Vernon discipled Felipe and taught him all that he knew about the Bible and ministry. In honor Felipe named his son after his father in the faith. Now, 40 years later, pastor Weber is in the presence of the Lord, but the work that he started is still growing under the leadership of Pastor Vernon Figueroa.
Among the invited guests were pastors from all over the DR, the Weber family, representatives from SCORE and 8 representatives from Stonecrest Community Church in NJ. Stonecrest, under the leadership of Don Coords, has adopted the church in Catalina and poured many resources into the church and community. They have not only built a medical clinic, library and home for Pastor Vernon, but also built into the lives of so many people in the community. God’s hand is clearly upon the Figueroa family and the church in Catalina. It was a God honoring evening at the celebration.
More basket option for the “Basket of Hope” ministry. You have to come on a trip to get some so get signed up for a trip today!
Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just are you are doing.”
-1 Thessalonians 5:11
Where did February go? Maybe some of you are saying, “It is mid March, where have you been?” The answer…here, there and it seems everywhere.
Refreshment
We are more than thankful fo the Lord for His timing of bringing refreshment through other Believers in Christ. During an emotionally and physically difficult week in February, God brought us another one of SCORE’s missionary families from the States. Jeff and his wife, Cindy along with their daughter Bethany had dinner with us several times and served our staff in several ways in everything from organizing donations to bringing us words of wisdom. It truly is amazing how the body of Christ can encourage and motivate one another when we speak God’s Word to one another in grace and truth. We challenge you to look for someone you can encourage today.
Special Visitor
Megan’s mom, Cinda, came for a visit for 9 days during the first part of March. God’s timing was perfect as He led mom to come down when another missionary desired to start basket making classes to help women of the church in the village, Los Fundos, to bring in some additional income. Cinda is a basket weaver not only in her own home, but for a local historical village near Fayette, OH. Three mornings we went out to Los Fundos ans Cinda gave the woman instruction on ho to weave using vine and other natural materials that they have growing around their homes. Cinda enjoyed seeing how Dominican families live in the villages ad to be able to help them help their families. Megan was thrilled to partner with her mom in a very practical way and also to translate for her as Cinda shared the gospel with a new mother an a maternity ward in a local hospital. We also participated in a women’s conference for the SCORE missionary ladies led by a group of women from Alabama. It was sad to see Mom leave, but we look forward to when we can see her again. Praise the Lord for moms!
Praises!
-God granted wisdom and capability to Ryan while Tim Craiger was gone in the Philippines for 2 weeks.
-Tim Craiger and 4 other missionaries had a profitable time of training in the Philippines for the camps that will prayerfully start this summer at the Rawlings Complex.
-Work continues on the boys’ orphanage in San Pedro.
-Megan has begun discipleship with the 2 young ladies from church. So far, God has gone before us to work our the meeting schedules.
-Next week is the last week to send Disaster Relief groups to Haiti through SCORE. Pray for wisdom in our leadership as they determine what God would have next for our involvement in Haiti.
-That more men would come to know the Lord and be active in the local churches of Los Fundos, Monte Largo and Juan Dolio.
-Continued wisdom and discernment as Ryan helps groups plan ministry activities.
We don’t ever want to take for granted your prayers and support. Thank you so much! As always, we would love to hear from you.
Ryan and Megan
Hugo and Sarah, began raising support in 2007. After completing that they joined us on the field in the Dominican in November of 2008. The Lord saw fit to take Hugo home on December 22, 2009. Most would say that he died at a young age, but Hugo’s 29 years of life were lived to the fullest. Hugo was a man full of God’s love and joy. He touched people lives where ever he was. He loved people, he loved his wife and family, but most of all he passionately loved and walked with Jesus.
Hugo will be missed tremendously in SCORE’s ministry, but we praise the Lord that Sarah and the kids continue on in the Dominican Republic. Pray for strength and direction each day, as God helps her, the kids and the SCORE family heal from this difficult, but God-ordanied situation.
Great things are happening in the DR and Haiti as we speak. We have construction team of 83 here in the Dominican. They are helping us build a boys home and the girls transitional home. At the same time we have a girls HS soccer team here from Chattanooga Christian School.
In Haiti we have 80 people who are divided into a medical team, and two work teams. The Medical team is providing continued care to crush and laceration victims as well as fighting disease outbreak. The two work teams are working with local churches to help clear rubble as to eventually begin rebuilding.
We are getting great reports back from our missionaries in the Philippines. You can follow Brandon Craiger’s blog update by clicking on this link-http://bit.ly/9r9NA8 .
Also, join us on Facebook. We have a page for SCORE International, SCORE International DR and also SCORE International Child Sponsorship.
