GO Kids !!

Following Black Friday and Cyber Monday is #GIVINGTUESDAY! Join us on this day dedicated to giving! We have 150 children who still need sponsors in our GO Kids sponsorship program! You can be the difference in their tomorrow! For less than a dollar a day ($30/month), you will provide a child in the Dominican Republic with an education, books, school supplies, and a birthday and Christmas gift! We will send you their photo and information you can post on your refrigerator and teach your own children the importance of loving our neighbors. Connect with your child here: http://www.go-ministries.org/go-kids/sponsorship

Check out the video about GO Kids at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_f0qwSfozU&feature=youtu.be

Cristo Urbano !!

Ever wonder what a youth camp looks like in the Dominican? Check out Cristo Urbano's 5th Annual Youth Camp where over 300 kids from across the country came to worship for the weekend!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-ZBJaiPZC4

God's Power !!

I have felt weak as I have tried to communicate in a different language and in a different cultural context. It is through times like these that I understand and see God’s power at work, despite my mistakes and weaknesses.

I have seen children who smelled horrible, begging for stuff so they could live. It is definitely humbling. The Dominicans have touched me in a way I didn’t think was possible. God sent me to serve others and to change myself.

New Hope For Girls !!

Pray for these little girls at the New Hope for Girls home. One of them her grandfather tried to rape her, another one's mother died of AIDS, another one's mom is a prostitute and was taking her to be involved in prostitution as well and one young daughter was starved and had to do sexual favors to her step-father for food. They live such sad stories that I can't even imagine but I know that God can redeem, renew and restore them!

Experience & Growth !!

The following is a compilation of excerpts from my journal over the time that I have been living in the Dominican Republic. I have chosen sections that reflect my experience and growth while here.  The experience has been invaluable to me and this is just a glimpse of what I have experienced and what God has taught me through this time.

Dominicans are so generous; I told this little fifteen year old girl that I liked her earrings and she took them out and gave them to me and I told this lady at church that I liked her eye make-up and she walked me across the street to her house and gave me one of her eyeliners. It amazes me how they can have so little, but can be content and willing to give. The people here are so sweet and caring and always share everything that they have even if it is just a little bit.

During my time in the Dominican I have been challenged to serve: whatever God wanted, whomever He prepared for me to reach, whenever He asked, and wherever He sent me.

God is working in ways I don’t understand right now in my life. God is so much bigger than my little world. He is calling me to step outside myself and trust in His power and goodness.

 

I love hearing God being worshiped in another language. It totally makes you realize how big God is. He understands and loves us all.

 

 

 

Captivating Book !!

I have been taught to find something that you can’t NOT do and do it as your career. Well, I truly cannot imagine NOT working with the people I have come to know and love in the Dominican Republic. I have had the opportunity to work with kids through VBS, teens through sports camps and youth studies, adults through revivals, engineers through installing solar panels, and all ages through teaching English classes. One of the passions I have felt stirring in me is the passion to work with the teenage girls and young adult women. There is such a need for these women to find their self worth in Christ. I was asked if I could teach cooking or sewing classes and those of you who know me are already laughing because you know that is not my area of giftedness! I am way more comfortable with a basketball or shovel in my hand. So originally, although I knew it was a need, I was afraid that I couldn’t really do a women’s ministry here. But, the Lord has laid it on my heart to teach the teenage girls sexual purity classes so they can realize that their beauty comes from Christ and they can be pure for their future husbands. I want to teach the young adult women that they have self worth and can use their talents and abilities for the kingdom in the home as mothers or wives or in the workplaces. I’m not the one to teach cooking and sewing, but I do believe God can use me to help them see their inner beauty.

Work Projects !!

I have gotten to experience several work projects throughout my time in the Dominican. We have worked on building houses, pouring concrete, running pipes, and stacking cinder block. We have also spent time in several of the area churches painting and doing miscellaneous repair jobs for the buildings.

We had a team of engineering students from Lipscomb University come and install solar panels and lights and analyze the septic system at Camp Canaan. It was great to see so much accomplished at the camp in such a short time. As we were there, I began to realize the significance of the work that we did at the camp. It will not only allow more people to use the Christian camp and experience God’s kingdom on earth, but it will also increase the income for the local churches. The offerings at the churches just aren’t enough to pay the preachers, so renting out the camp to various groups brings income that helps in so many ways for Christ’s church to have a presence in the Dominican.

 

Working With Teens !!

Rap music is a very effective outreach to the teens in the Dominican. There are many Christian rappers who often hold street concerts or local gatherings. I have certainly stretched myself and learned to experience a new style of music. Another effective outreach for teens is retreats at the church camp. It is amazing to be a part of the teen camps. Generally 500 or more campers pile into the dorms that only hold 350. Great team bonding takes effect and teens are presented the gospel without the distractions of every day use of technology, etc. Sports camps are very effective for the teens as well as the children. We conduct several sports clinics with teens and then expose them to the gospel. 

I also had the opportunity to minister to teenage girls at a sister mission, New Hope for Girls. These girls are unrecognized by the country because they don’t have birth certificates. Most are illegitimate children who have been victims of rape, prostitution, and AIDS. It is so sad, but there are people trying to work with them and give them hope in Christ.

The teenage population is ripe and ready for the gospel. It has been encouraging to witness nearly 50 baptisms in the year and a half that I have lived here and most of them were teenagers. I pray that God will equip this Dominican teen generation for Him!

Baby Girl !!

I was sitting on the bus one day and a dad tried to hand me his baby girl because he thought that I could take better care of her than he could. It about broke my heart, but I realized that it was his love that caused him to offer her to someone he thought could give her a better life. Wow!

Working With Children !!

I have had multiple opportunities to work with young children. One very effective outreach to children in the Dominican is to go into the local communities and conduct Vacation Bible Schools. Usually upwards of 100 children come out to learn Bible stories, do crafts, and fellowship together. This is a good way to show God's love to the community and expose them to the church.

Another outreach to children is through sports camps. I help conduct several basketball, volleyball and baseball camps. The children come out to learn the skills of the game and we do devotions, concerts or movies so they can hear the gospel.
 
I also had the experience of teaching English in a local Christian school. It is amazing how much they value speaking in English.

One of my biggest accomplishments while living in Navarette was to establish a children's class during church at my home church there. This was such a need as the kids would just run wild during the church service. It was a challenge for me because I did not have any other adult help, so I had to totally rely on my own Spanish. The kids were wonderful though and helped me when I faltered. I pray someone will keep this going because not only do the children benefit, but the adults are able to worship and be taught without interruption.

 

Blessed !!

Wow! What a whirlwind 18 months it has been for me working with with G.O. Ministries and Centro Cristiano Mission in the Dominican Republic! I have totally learned that I have to rely on Him and not on my own power. I have never felt weaker than when I was trying to learn another language and build relationships in a country that was completely new to me. I also have never seen God’s power at work more than in those times of my weakness; He has shown Himself faithful!

As a part of my Intercultural Studies degree from Hope International University, I was required to spend 8 months in a different culture to culminate the experience of all I learned in my classes. I am so thankful for this opportunity. It has changed my life forever. God has shaped me and grown me in so many ways. I, like most Americans, have grown up with all the luxuries of life. I have been so humbled to see how content the Dominican people are with so little. I have come to realize that perhaps the less we have around us, the easier it is to be close to God himself. I have felt unworthy to have been loved so much by the Dominicans. They are such a caring, giving, expressive people. One of my fervent prayers has been, “Father, as I serve you in the Dominican Republic, help me to love people the way that you want them to be loved; help me to show them your love through my actions. Help me not to seek the notice of other people in the things that I do. Help me be willing to do the tasks that seem small and unimportant. I want to serve the Dominicans not in my name, but in your name. Give me a deeper love and compassion for those who do not know you.”

Without a doubt I feel I have been blessed way more than I have blessed others, but if I have made an impact in some small way,  I am forever grateful to have been used by God to bless these wonderful people.
 

Me Encanta La República Dominicana !!

Have you ever been frustrated because your computer froze, power is out, or you don’t have any good snacks in the cupboard?

Did you know that….

~1.6 billion people live without electricity,
~640 million children don’t have roofs over their heads,
~about 3 billion people live on less than $2 per day,
~ up to a billion people worldwide live in slums,
~approximately 30,000 children die every day from hunger;
~ and sadly, Americans spend over a hundred billion dollars annually on fast food.

Two thirds of the island of Hispaniola in the Caribbean is comprised by the Dominican Republic; the other third is the country of Haiti. This third world country is home to almost 10 million wonderful Spanish speaking Latin American people who need to know the truth about Jesus Christ. I have fallen in love with the culture and the people and feel called to live here and minister to them.

Children Of The King !!

Wow, it’s hard to believe that I've been in the Dominican Republic for a year and a half now. And I am still confident that it is where God wants me to be! I love seeing the faces of the children during the feeding projects and knowing that I have helped them. I love sharing the gospel in the streets to kids after I have played basketball with them. I love having teenage girls in my home and talking with them about purity in their lives. But I need to be completely honest with you. Although God has provided for me, I still have critical financial needs that must be met in order for me to continue to serve in this field to which I believe I am called. I went straight from my internship into full time mission work and it is very difficult to raise support while I am on the field. I am asking you to prayerfully consider joining me by supporting this mission.

I've seen firsthand the poverty that is in the world. Traditionally missions has been thought of as solely evangelism,  but we are realizing that when we meet physical needs of people by serving, caring, and giving, they are more receptive to evangelism. At G.O. Ministries our mission is to redeem, renew, and restore. And that encompasses meeting physical needs so we can redeem by meeting spiritual needs.

More than five hundred million people in the world are starving to death; they lack food, water, and basic medical care. Children are dying of diseases like diarrhea; many who live will suffer lifelong brain damage from early protein deficiency. Others will be sold into forced labor or trafficked for sexual exploitation. Nearly one hundred and fifty million children are orphans. More than a billion have never even heard of Jesus.

These are pressing issues that the people in the Dominican Republic and Haiti are faced with everyday. When you partner with G.O. Ministries to support this mission work, you are helping to make a difference in the lives of hurting people. Statistics show that on the average for every one hundred dollars an American Christian earns, he will give five cents through the church to a world with urgent spiritual and physical needs. Even in harder economic times, we are so blessed in America.  Any donation you can give will be appreciated and will go directly to affecting the lives of the people in the Dominican and Haiti, but I desperately need churches or individuals who will commit to a monthly pledge. Will you partner with me in this missionary journey to change lives?  You can send donations to G.O. Ministries - 11501 Plantside Dr. Suite 14 Louisville, KY 40299 (Please be sure to make your check out to G.O. Ministries and write “Lenae Hardman” in the memo line) or you can make donations online by going to the partner with Lenae page, then click here to partner. Under program choose missionary support and put my name as the recipient. 

In addition, there are other ways you can support the ministry. Please let me know if you are interested in a Kroger/Ralph’s card. (Kroger will donate 4% of each dollar you put on the gift card to G.O. Ministries in my name, helping support our work. This adds a small step to your grocery run, but helps the cash you’re spending go further to help our ministry expand and change lives in the Dominican Republic and Haiti.) Another way is by joining my running team, Racing for the Righteous One. (If you would like to run a race to help me raise funds for my mission work in the Dominican and Haiti, all you would do is ask for pledges from your family, friends, or co-workers to go towards your run, which in turn, will support our work.)

Again, I thank you so much for your love, encouragement, support, and prayers. It is an honor to share this ministry with you all. I can be reached at lenae.hardman@go-ministries.org or (540) 313-7774. 

An Experience I'll Never Forget !!

I am so thankful to God that I have had the opportunity on multiple occasions to experience foreign missions trips. During the summer of 2010 I had the privilege of spending 5 weeks in the Dominican Republic. This was probably my 10^th time there but my 1^st time without my family and for longer than a week. I have gone every Easter with Mountain View Christian Academy and while I was there in April 2010 I really felt God calling me to be a missionary so I changed my major at Hope International University to Inter-Cultural Studies.

I have been able to teach English at a Christian school, play basketball with Dominicans on the street for witnessing opportunities, work to prepare the local Christian camp for mission teams and events, build churches and houses, conduct vacation Bible schools and women’s Bible studies, help feed the kids at nutritional centers, work with the peace corp to help a village get clean and fresh water, teach the plan of salvation to the children through witness bracelets, and work with the local churches. It has definitely been a life-changing experience.

There is this one man that really touched my life. He lives in a shack. He doesn’t even have a bathroom or a kitchen all he has is a bed, his Bible, and like 3 changes of clothes. Every time it rains his roof leaks and when the wind blows hard the walls of his house shake and yet he is the sweetest, nicest man that I have ever met in my whole entire life and he has absolutely nothing. Every time he sees me he says God bless you. So we bought beams and fixed his shack to make it sturdier, we repaired his roof so he wouldn’t get wet and fixed his walls to make them stronger. 

I have gained so much appreciation for the little things in life. There are so many things that we take for granted. The Dominicans are so happy to get a piece of candy or a happy meal toy from McDonald’s or just to color a picture. Small things that don’t mean anything to us mean the world to them. 

They are also so hungry for the Gospel and appreciative of anything done for them. It makes me want to share the love of Jesus with them. In Revelation 7:9 it talks about how in heaven there will be people from every nation, every tribe, and every language. I want to be a part of helping people from other nations that don’t have the same opportunities that we have in America to hear the gospel. 

Please pray for me as I seek God’s will and direction for my life. Regardless if you feel that the Lord is calling you to full-time missions. Every Christian can be a part by being a prayer warrior for missionaries, financially supporting a work, or by participating in a short term mission’s trip. Luke 10:2 says, “He told them, ‘the harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest therefore to send out workers into his harvest field.” Thank you. I greatly appreciate all your prayers, encouragement, love, and support. 

Extreme Happiness !!

Te amo
I love you

The sounds are all as different
As the lands from which they came
And though the words are all unique
Our hearts are still the same

Love in any language
Straight from the heart
Pulls us all together
Never apart
And once we learn to speak it
All the world will hear
Love in any language
Fluently spoken here

We teach the young our differences
Yet look how we're the same
We love to laugh, to dream our dreams
We know the sting of pain

From Leningrad to Lexington
The farmer loves his land
And daddies all get misty-eyed
To give their daughter's hand

Oh maybe when we realize
How much there is to share
We'll find too much in common
To pretend it isn't there

Tho' the rehtoric of government
May keep us worlds apart
There's no misinterpreting
The language of the heart

Pure Joy !!

Here I am standing on a new chapter of my life. When I left for college 5 years ago, I had no idea that I would be here today. I was planning on studying business, but then I changed my major to “inter-cultural studies.” I never dreamed that I would be going to the Dominican Republic to serve as a full-time missionary.

I have had the privilege of teaching English classes, building houses and church buildings, teaching Vacation Bible Schools, participating in sports’ and church camps, leading women’s Bible studies, assisting with medical clinics, and much more. I love strengthening relationships with the Dominican people I work with and building new friendships. This is also a great help for me to develop my communication skills in Spanish.

The words to this song express my feelings – although at first I was hesitant and scared, now, through Christ I am confident and excited to be His hands and feet. I know that He will empower and enable me.

An image flashed across my TV screen
Another broken heart comes into view
I saw the pain, and I turned my back
Why can't I do the things I want to?
I am willing yet I'm so afraid
You give me strength
When I say
I wanna be Your hands
I wanna be Your feet
I'll go where You send me
And I try, yeah I try
To touch the world like You touched my life
An I'll find my way
To be Your hands
I've abandoned every selfish thought
I've surrender everything I've got
You can have everything I am
And perfect everything I'm not
I am willing, I'm not afraid
You give me strength
This is the last time
I turn my back on You
From now on I'll go out
Send me where You want me to
I finally have a mission
I promise I'll complete
I don't need excuses
When I am Your hands and feet

I truly believe that God has a plan for me and has called me to do mission work. Scripture teaches that when we support missionaries, we become partners with them in the gospel (3 John 1:8). I am asking my friends and family first of all if they will commit to pray for me. And secondly, would you prayerfully consider supporting me financially either with a one-time gift or monthly donation? Many of you have generously supported me in the past and I am very grateful. Any help you can give me in this will be appreciated as well.

Again, I thank you for your love and support. I know your prayers will help to make this ministry a significant one for the kingdom of God. I’ll keep you posted on what takes place while I am here. 

My Favorite Place On Earth !!

I have been extremely blessed to have been raised in a Christian family and have wonderful examples of people who love the Lord with all their heart but somehow something was missing from my life and I couldn't figure out what it was. I have been a Christian since I was 7 years old, but through my pursuit of business and success, I somehow had replaced seeking the Lord with pursuing stuff and success.

Then something happened last year that changed my life, I stood in a city dump in Santiago, Dominican Republic. I saw men, women, and children who were living in a dump where they scoured for food and shelter, humbled by the reality of parents raising their kids in a dump, I reached my breaking point when I saw a woman 8 months pregnant walk by me looking for food. I couldn't decide which was worse, the fact that the baby was conceived in the dump or that it was going to be born there. In the middle of this scene God asked me, “What are you going to do with what I have given you? How are you going to use your influence, your leadership and your resources in the world around you?” For the first time I realized that God had a purpose for my life that was greater than the pursuit of the next and bigger thing, so I decided to walk away from the American dream.

G.O. Ministries provides clean water in communities where thousands are dying every day of preventable water born diseases. God is committed to provide abundant resources in support of those who are living according to His purpose. I just want to tell as many people about the Gospel as I can.

After spending a week around precious children who eat a small cup of rice a day, the question I have come back home asking God is “Why He has blessed me, when others have so little?” And this is what God has shown me, “I have blessed you for my glory, not so you will have a comfortable life with a big house and a nice car, not so you can spend lots of money on vacations, education, or clothing. But I have blessed you so that the nations will know me and see my glory.

All my life I have completely disconnected God’s blessings from God’s purpose and now I realize what I had never seen, God has blessed me to show his love to the Dominicans. God has blessed me to show his mercy and grace to children in the Dominican Republic. That is why God has given me income and education and resources. God saves me so that the nations will know Him. He blesses me so that all the earth will see His glory.

My Heart Is Here !!

To those who haven’t heard, there are some amazing changes taking place in my life! I will be joining G.O. Ministries as a full time missionary in the Dominican Republic.  

One of the communities where G.O. serves is called “The Hole.” There is a nutrition center there that serves about 100 kids a hot meal every day and most importantly they are being fed spiritually. I have never felt heartbreak like I did the day I fed a little girl that couldn’t feed herself because she was too weak from her lack of nutrition. The kids in this place live in an environment where many of their parents are in bondage to a life of drugs and/or prostitution. Many do not receive the love of a parent, or the nourishment that every child should receive. I was overwhelmed by the lack of basic necessities including clean water, food, shoes, and the proper clothes for the children to attend school.  When we go to “The Hole”, the kids start running up to us and want to be carried, hugged, loved and appreciated. I was touched because I realized how something as simple as showing God’s love can make such a difference to an entire group of people / as well as one child. I was also able to see myself serving the Lord in a place just like this; preaching His word and sharing the hope of Christ to individuals that see no way out. The pain and heartache I felt for those children that day was so intense! I began to sense a calling from God to work with the people of the Dominican Republic.  I want to equip them with the tools they need to obtain the basic necessities of life. I knew God wanted me to arrange my life to be able to accomplish his calling. God is changing my heart, my yearnings, and He is breaking all the barriers and excuses that I put in place. God is opening doors that I never thought would be possible!

My job at G.O. Ministries will be (Coordinator of Sports and Children’s Ministry Teams). It is my prayer that you will be led to join me in this adventure in service of our Lord!  To bring a team, support the partners and to fall in love with the people on the island of Hispaniola! 

G.O. Ministries is involved in the following:

* Continues to help the thousands still recovering from the earthquake in Haiti

* Provides one hot meal per day to over 1,000 impoverished children in 11 nutritional centers

* Provides Christian education to more than 600 students through a child sponsorship program

* Mentors over 1,750 at-risk, inner-city youth through sports outreach
* Provides Medical and Dental services to over 10,000 rural and urban poor individuals 

* Provides job training and addiction counseling in Mongolia and Colombia

* Provides purified drinking water to over 9,000 people who would have no access to it otherwise

* Supports 24 preachers in the Dominican Republic and 6 in Haiti
* Provides Church Development by providing training to 30 preachers 

For this next chapter in my life, I will need your prayers and financial support. G.O. Ministries is a 501(c) (3) organization and your donations are tax deductible. I've seen firsthand that G.O. is operated with financial integrity and God’s money goes directly to people in great need. Your financial support will go toward my living expenses in the Dominican Republic, as well as being used to directly fund G.O. Ministries' programs that immediately impact the need on the island. I want the passion that God has laid on my heart to multiply through you. Please prayerfully consider joining me in this adventure to bring the love of God to a very desperate place! 

Matthew 25:40 says, "The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'

If you decide God has called you to join me in my ministry, you can do so by one of the following ways: You can send a check payable to G.O. Ministries using and enclosed envelope (Please be sure to write my name on the memo line) and the mailing address is: 11501 Plantside Drive, Suite 14 Louisville, KY 40299 OR you can donate online using the following link: http://www.go-ministries.org/give/donate. Under program choose missionary support and put my name as the recipient. 

Thank you for all of your help, love, support, prayers, and encouragement. I will follow up soon to share more with you about my heart for the Dominican Republic and the amazing things God is doing through the work of G.O. Ministries! 

The Country That I Love !!

Can you imagine...

• 3 year olds walking far distances to school and carrying buckets of water on their heads?
• Using that water from ponds or rivers to bathe, wash clothes, and cook?
• Drying your clothes on bushes, cactus trees, and piles of cement?
• Cooking and doing dishes in bowls outside?
• Always having to cover your food with little bird cages to protect it from flies?
• No electricity, no water, no sewage, going to sleep at 7:30 because there's nothing to do?
• Taking bucket baths with rain water?
• Playing basketball on a hoop made out of a bicycle wheel, a fence, and a cardboard box?
• Using buckets to empty out the water from your house after storms and flooding?
• Eating a lot of carbs daily such as spaghetti and rice because it is filling?
• Using notebook paper as toilet paper because it is cheaper?
• Walking 4 hours to go to church because you are so hungry to hear the Gospel?!

This is the world I have the privilege of living in and the people that I get to minister to daily! Almost 10 million people live in the Dominican Republic in conditions like I described above. The apartment that I share with a roommate is bigger, better, and nicer than most of the Dominican houses that a whole family lives in and we think that the rent is really cheap! Wow, do we take so much for granted, including the blessing of hearing the gospel preached in comfortable facilities!

I am working with G.O. Ministries as the Coordinator of Sports and Children's Ministry. I will facilitate children's ministry events for short term mission teams by organizing and executing a plan with team leaders as to how to best meet the needs of people described above. We will impact Dominican culture through vacation Bible schools, feeding projects, building projects, medical clinics, and sports camps. G.O. Ministries partners with local Christian nationals and churches to help with the physical and spiritual needs of the people in the Dominican Republic and Haiti. I covet your prayers as I follow God's call and charge to make disciples of all nations. 

James 1:27 reminds us that "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."