Summer Team #3- Austin Stone

Jenny at VBS with some Mak Students

We were blessed by our 3rd team of the summer! Austin Stone brought a group of young adults who were passionate about serving! They blessed us tremendously and their desire to serve was CONTAGIOUS! They worked mightily around the Mak House, school, church, and soccer field! They never stopped! We were so encouraged by how they blessed this community and the US missionaries who are on staff with Makarios. This week, we asked Jenny Hinojosa to write about her week with us. May you be blessed as you read!


Austin Stone Team #3, Thank You for your love, encouragement, and friendship. We will see you soon!

Love,
The Becks

  Austin Stone's visit to the DR was a life changing one, to say the least.  From the moment we arrived at the airport, we were cared for, loved on, and watched over. Our host family, Margaret and Doug, showered us with kindness and love during our entire stay in the Mak house. Jesus' love shines so brightly through their loving actions, warm conversations, and daily smiles and laughs that they so freely give.

Our team participated in VBS with the Makarios students and taught them about Jesus through lessons, songs and crafts. First of all, these children are oh-so-stinkin'-cute. It brought my heart so much joy to see how God has blessed these children with a rich knowledge, love, and desire to know more about Him at such a young age. One of my favorite moments from VBS was watching a sweet 3rd grader boldly lead his class in prayer. I thank Jesus for the work He has done in the hearts of these children, and I pray that he continues to draw them closer to Him everyday.

Our team also visited three communities where many of the Mak students live- Pancho Mateo, Chichigua, and Tamarindo. We quickly realized that the children LOVE "caballito" rides! The strong sense of community as well as the love and joy the people have towards one another was such an encouragement to see. The way they share, love, and care for one another with abandon is a beautiful representation of Christ's sacrificial love towards His children. Jesus teaches us to love others above all else. It was evident that the people living in these communities love, and they do it VERY well.

The Makarios organization is bringing such glory to God through their service in the DR. Their devotion to bringing God's kingdom to this earth has served as a catalyst for change in my heart. They have learned the secret that joy is not found in the things of this world, joy is found in our one and only true savior-Jesus Christ. Apart from Him, we can do nothing. Lord, may you continue to use Makarios to glorify your son Jesus Christ. To you be all glory.   - Jenny

  

If you'd like to be a part of what God is doing in the DR, we are always looking for others who want to partner with us.  If interested,  you can donate here.  THANKS!

Summer Team #2- The Fellowship, Round Rock

We were blessed once again by The Fellowship in Round Rock, Texas!  This is their 4th trip and it's fun to welcome back friends who feel like family.  They brought down a team of 25 high school students and leaders who came ready and prepared to serve in our communities.  They were hard at work hosting a Vacation Bible School, participating in soccer camp, completing several much needed projects at the school, and loving on kids in our communities.  This was the 3rd trip for Spencer Engelke, and for

this week's blog, he's sharing his story. One of the things we often share with groups is that while they are here, we want them to focus more on the relationships instead of the projects...and especially their relationship with Christ.  It's our desire that we create an environment where group members can encounter Christ in new and fresh ways!  I have a feeling that you will be encouraged, challenged and blessed as you read about Spencer's experience last week.

 Love,
The Becks

A great big "Thank You" to Spencer for sharing what God's been doing...Enjoy!

Spencer and one of his buddies!

Hello my name is Spencer Engelke and really want to share my experience of Christ in the DR! I am a member of The Fellowship Round Rock and have been blessed to go to the DR three times. The Dominican Republic is an amazing country, the people in it are such an encouragement to me personally, and God has his hands on and in the midst of the Makarios ministry. The Lord has used their loving with reckless abandonment to further my relationship with Christ and the church. What I mean, in saying loving with reckless abandonment, is loving expecting nothing in return, without the fear of rejection, and just loving because they were first loved by Christ. This is so evident when you go to the DR, every single person on staff at Makarios is excited to meet you and invest in you. Even if you will only be there for a week the staff pours into you, whether that be with words or just a smile and a hug. As well as the children there, the kids just want to play and love you because you’re you, not because you earned there love or even built a relationship. They just love and it was so amazing to witness love like that. After seeing and experiencing that love three times The Lord has really changed my heart on the way I see people in the states. He has touched me deeply to love with reckless abandonment and understanding that amazing love can’t come from me, but only through Christ’s love. This experience of Christ has affected many aspects of my life such as, the way I view a bus ride with a random stranger, investing in people that most likely will reject me, and how I

Vacation Bible School!

long for acceptance. Especially with the view of acceptance, The Lord revealed to me that if you’re loving people for acceptance than heartbreak and envy will come sooner or later. Understanding that The Lord sent his perfect son to die for our sins and give us Christ’s righteous as an acceptance that exceeds everything else on this earth. Knowing that

the Creator of the universe loves and accepts me because what Christ did is so freeing. I am free to love because when judgment comes on this earth I know that I have a Father in Heaven that sees me as one of his children.(John 1:12) All this was revealed to me because God used other broken people to show his love. “ By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:35) The Lord changed my heart in a big way in the Dominican Republic and all I can do in response is praise His Name and make it famous.

  

Volleyball Game in Pancho Mateo!

If you are interested in helping out financially with our ministry with Makarios, you can give here!  THANK YOU! 

***THANK YOU to Will Nickle who took most of these pics!

Summer Team #1- Grace Bible Student Ministry, Dallas

Our summer is off to a great start! The student ministry from Grace Bible Church of Dallas was our first team of the summer and they came ready to serve! They kicked off our VBS, soccer camp, and summer construction projects- and even managed to get in a soccer game at Chichigua which ended in a tie! (For those of you who know anything about Chichigua and soccer…the locals ALWAYS win, but not this week!) Grace Bible Student Ministry- the students and their leaders- were a blessing to host! Here’s what they had to say about the week in their own words…

Benjamin in his element at VBS

“Benjamin, a staff member at Makarios has a special way of connecting with the children (at VBS.) Throughout the last few days he has shown us through his dramatic gestures and grand stories how much he cares for the kids and their spirituality. We were informed by our host couple that Benjamin was telling them that after VBS, 3 of the Makarios children came to know Christ.”

“Thank you for your incredible hospitality…Extraordinary things are going on at Makarios in the DR and it would be foolish to look at your ministry and see anything less than the supernatural. Above all, let all the glory and honor be given to our one Lord, our Heavenly Father.”

”Honestly, it feels impossible to capture in words what this week has meant to me…I cannot say enough about

Makarios as an organization. The work they are doing for the kingdom of Christ is inspiring. They are feeding, educating, mentoring, and discipling some of the poorest children in the area. Taking kids who have very little chance for a positive future and changing their lives. They partner closely with the local churches, invest in training Dominican leaders, and have a remarkable staff from the States. We have been blessed to partner alongside them this week for the sake of Jesus Christ.”

Soccer Game in Chichigua!

“Thank you so much for giving us such a great opportunity to serve and learn more about our God.”

As always, it’s our desire that group members encounter God in fresh and new ways and it was encouraging to host this team for a 2nd year in a row and see such growth. We are looking forward to next year…

If you are interested in helping out financially with our ministry with Makarios, you can give a special or monthly donation by clicking here.

Thanks for joining us on the journey…we are so blessed by many.

Love, 

The Becks

Hard at Work Staining New Benches for the Scho