Summer Group #5 Colonial Baptist Church from North Carolina and Austin Ridge Church from Texas

This past week, we hosted a combined group from Colonial Baptist Church in Raleigh, NC and Austin Ridge from Texas. This group accomplished quite a bit for their size.  They were small in numbers, but not in their undertakings.  They organized countless shoes, supplies, constructed cabinets, helped put up a ceiling in our office, played with kids at recess, and helped with the week long soccer tournament.  What a tremendous help this team was to our staff and school.

The Soccer Team at the Beach!

Along with our time at the school, we also spent an afternoon in Chichigua, which is a Haitian batey where many of the Makarios students live. We sat with the men, women and children while making bracelets and sharing smiles and light hearted conversation.  One of the group members spoke Spanish, and used this gift to carry on meaningful conversations, which was a tremendous blessing to all.

The Children Making Bracelets and hearing about the Gospel

 On Wednesday, we invited the Makarios students as well as their friends in the neighborhood to come make a bracelet and hear more about Jesus.  In the afternoon, we walked through the village near the school and invited every kid we saw to join us in our activity.  Over sixty five energetic boys and girls filled the cafeteria after school.  We used different colored beads to explain the gospel and the plan of salvation while also teaching them a few basic English words.    It was the last day of summer school, so they were quite boisterous and FULL of energy.  It was a great time of organized chaos, especially knowing that God’s Word doesn’t return void.

On a personal note, we were thankful to have a veterinarian, Jackie, as one of the team members.  We have tried very hard not to acquire any “pets” while living in the DR.  In the short time we’ve been here, we have eagerly gotten rid of a rooster, 4 puppies and 2 rabbits (and one unwanted cow!)  However, after our best attempts at getting rid of a little kitten that showed up at the Mak House we were not successful- she just kept coming back.  So, we now have a new kitten called, “Kita.”  Previous to knowing Kita, we were not very fond of cats, however, Kita has a spunky little personality and has warmed her way into our hearts.  Jackie came at the perfect time because we had her less than a week when Jackie arrived, so she was a huge blessing in helping us learn how to care for a small kitten.   You just never know when, where or how your gifts will be used...Thank You, Jackie!  (Kita "thanks" you, too!)

Soccer Teams Praying before Championship Game

Loving on some kids!

The teams who have come throughout the summer not only bless the Makarios kids, but they are a blessing to us, too!  Thank You, Austin Ridge and Colonial Baptist!

Love from the DR,

The Becks

Summer Group #4- Miami Vineyard and Austin Stone Youth

What another amazing week! God continues to bless us beyond what we could ever ask or imagine!  We had the Austin Stone Youth and Miami Vineyard visit Makarios last week and it was a joy to see God at work among His people! ...And boy were they a fun group who knew how to work hard.

We welcomed this group with a great sense of relief because we had an eventful week leading up to their visit.  The week before they came, our power lines were cut so we didn’t have power for one whole week!  Take one minute and imagine what that might be like.  No fans to keep us cool, no light after 8pm except the lights from flashlights and lanterns (but we couldn’t recharge our lanterns, so once they went out they went out!), no food in the fridge, etc.  But we (Doug, the interns, and I) learned that we are pretty resilient because we really did get along just fine and made the most of what had been given to us.  Bible Study and eating dinner by candlelight was a daily routine.  We learned that electricity is a privilege.

Fortunately, power returned to the house on the day they arrived, so that was an added blessing.  These two groups followed the same routine as the previous groups and worked as unto the Lord.  Scott and Chelsea Frazier and Gwen Mercado led their groups with such servant leadership. It was a beautiful example of the body of Christ at work- two different churches, from two different denominations, from two different states coming together to worship, serve and glorify the Lord.  

Nothing like Dominican baseball in the summertime!

They worked hard helping Cakito and Kelvin at soccer camp, as well as helping us finish up the maintenance shed and completing the paint on the remainder of the wall.  It’s amazing what a difference it made!  From grey cinderblock walls to yellow and cream- it looks so fresh and clean.

One day during recreo (or recess) the students were transformed into princesses and superheros. 

SuperHero!
But, check out the Texas Longhorn Mascot
in the background intimidating the princesses!

It was such a hit that this became a part of recreo for the rest of the week. The kids loved putting on costumes and assuming the appropriate role.  It was a joy to watch them play around in the school yard with their newly acquired personality!

Once again, we were blessed beyond belief.  We made lifelong friends who we were sad to see go.  However, we are hopeful we will see them again in the DR.  This trip was life changing for so many…here’s a  post on Facebook from one of the girls who was on the trip.  

"I was so blessed to work with Makarios International this past week.  It was by far the best experience of my life, and being able to minister to the Dominican Republic changed my life forever..."

Thanks for joining us on the journey!

Love,

The Becks

Here's a few pics of Miami Vineyard.  

They let some of the best hairdressers on the Island do their hair!

They also gave great piggyback rides which the kids LOVE!

More pictures of the team hard at work...

Austin Stone Group Shot

Miami Vineyard at the Airport

Summer Team #3- Austin Stone Family Trip

 

 
The family group from Austin Stone arrived on the scene on June 28.  It was a totally different dynamic having kids in the home and as group members and we LOVED it!  Nine kids and eleven adults called the Mak House "home" for eight days.  It filled our hearts with joy to see all the kids pile into one guagua (aka: van) as we traveled from place to place.

It was such a blessing having kids in the house- the neighborhood kids loved having playmates their own age, and the American staff kids (all 7 of them) came over every day to play, too.  Each day when the team would arrive home, there would be kids waiting for them at the gate of the Mak house to play.  Some days, the kids would wait as long as an hour for the team to get home. 

It was also nice to have our own personal handyman on the trip.  He fixed the handle on the oven and the oven door, repaired our trash bin outside, made a cage for the rabbits, etc.  We also had our pile of wood organized by some group members as well as getting other things done around the house.  Actually, it was a huge help to have some mom and dads around.  Mom and Dads make everything better and know how to do everything.

This group worked around the clock- they didn't stop.  They made the most of rain delays and in fact, I think that they welcomed the rain because it brought cooler weather AND gave them a chance to swing a sledge hammer and knock out some countertops in the old kitchen.  Men and women alike tackled the renovation of demolishing the concrete countertops.  They also sanded and painted the wall around the school, played at recess, participated in a soccer camp, and they ministered to the neighborhood kids by doing something we call "Mak.Com" which stands for Makarios Community.  The neighborhood kids came over for a Bible Lesson, English Class, and a craft.  I was so impressed by all of the children who were on this team.  They worked so hard and played non-stop with the kids at the school and in our neighborhood.  It was refreshing to see the language "barrier" not be a barrier at all.  They jumped right in and played and loved without any hesitation.  It was awesome! 

After serving, praying, worshipping, and playing alongside each other for 8 days, they left the DR with lifelong friendships.  Thank you Austin Stone Family Group for blessing us and Makarios.

Love,
The Becks

 

 

Summer Team #2- Fellowship Church Round Rock



The Team!




After a very efficient grocery shopping trip!

We had another amazing week with our summer group #2, Fellowship Round Rock.  They arrived on the scene on June 14 and were with us until June 22.  We had a quick turnaround between Group #1 and Group #2.  In fact, we had about 3 hours to turn over the house which involved cleaning bathrooms, making 26 beds, washing the towels and sheets from the previous week, and grocery shopping for 30 people.  Thankfully, we have 4 amazing interns who helped me do my grocery shopping  (We looked like we were in the game show, Supermarket Sweep with our 5 shopping carts!) and I have a wonderful friend and housekeeper, Lucia, who lovingly helps me with the bathrooms, beds, etc.  She and her son, Abrahan, do a fabulous job every week cleaning and making the Makarios House a place where people can encounter the Lord.  God has provided an amazing team of people to serve alongside us this summer.  It's awesome to see the body of Christ at work!


Brandon and Jules- The Group Leaders

Fellowship Round Rock didn't waste any time and they jumped right in and started off their week visiting Chichigua, which is one of the villages that Makarios serves.  They played with the kids and spent time visiting with some of the adults in this community.  It was a great way to begin their week
 

This group was a blessing to have in our home.  The theme they chose for the week was "Grace" and it was evident that they were applying this concept to areas of their life as well as to different aspects of the

Building the Shed

trip.  Living (or visiting) a country different than your own can have some challenges.  This group made the most of having to adjust to having no A/C, constant power outages, and schedule changes because of the rain.  It was a joy to witness God at work in their lives.  They built a maintenance shed which will be a huge help to the school, they took the 2nd and 3rd grade kids to the beach, played with the students during recess, and enjoyed entertaining the neighborhood kids.


Progress is Being Made...

Working and Playing at Makarios

Soccer...Soccer...Soccer

 


Soccer Camp!

On the last day, we took the team to the beach to process what God had taught them and prepare them for their re-entry into the States.  It was also a nice chance to get some R&R after a week of blood, sweat, and tears. (Literally!)  God had been at work among us-

At the end of the day, there were 2 people who asked to be baptized.  So, we gathered as a team- worshipped and prayed- and then witnessed God's Grace as one student and one adult were baptized in the ocean.

 

As I stood on the beach watching God at work, I was reminded of the conversation Doug and I had at the end of our 1st trip to the DR in 2011.  I was standing almost in the exact spot where we first began talking about feeling called to work with Makarios in the DR.  As I watched and heard the roar of the ocean waves, I couldn't help but think about God's creation, His power, and His glory.  It was a perfect ending to a perfect week.  Thank You, Fellowship Round Rock for being the hands and feet of Christ...

Love from the DR,
The Becks
 

Summer Team #1- Westminster Presbyterian and University Presbyterian Church, Austin

On June 14, we welcomed 26 students and adults from Westminster Presbyterian and University Presbyterian in Austin to the Dominican Republic.  We had no idea what a blessing that was in store for us.  This team came prepared to serve and they worked wholeheartedly throughout the entire week. We were blessed by the students and their leaders and we were so encouraged by their generosity and positive attitudes!  Unfortunately, we were without power for much of the time they were here, but not once did we hear any complaining.  In fact, many of them commented that it was good for them to not have some of the “comforts” from home.

 

Makarios Students at the Beach...with NEW Swimsuits!

Our New PK3 Students Learning How to Brush Their Teeth

Walking Through A Village Visiting with Friends

Working hard at the school

Soccer Game!  One of our teachers, Cakito, has a soccer camp 
for kids in the neighborhood.
Check out their new uniforms  that were donated.
They are SO proud of their new uniforms and cleats!

During the week, the team worked hard painting, landscaping, playing with the Makarios students at Recess, taking Makarios students to the beach, and helping with a soccer camp.  They even had time to minister to the kids in our neighborhood (who are not involved in the school.)  On their last day here, over 30 of the neighborhood kids came over and the group re-enacted “Daniel and the Lion’s Den” while Erica (our intern) translated. 

Daniel and the Lions

Daniel 

A Captive Audience

The kids (even the older ones) loved it!  They also did a craft, played sports and learned English.  It was a great morning and a perfect way to wrap up the week.  
Hope you enjoyed just a few of their pics from their time here.  UPC and WPC- THANK YOU...we are grateful for you!Love, The Becks

Introducing The Interns!

We have a dynamic group of ladies who will be joining us this summer.  They arrived on June 4 and have already added so much life an joy in our home.  They will be helping at the school, with groups, and one will be a nanny for our director and his family.  We will be their host mom and dad for the summer and we are thrilled.  Please be praying for them as they minister to Makarios students, groups, the community, and a host of other people throughout the summer.

Meet the Interns:

Lainey, Allison, Erica, and Angie

Lainey- I will be a senior at TCU studying political science.  This will be my fourth time here with Makarios and I am looking forward to what God has in store for the summer.  In the fall I am headed to Washington DC for a semester.  Random fact about me is that I am obsessed with dinosaurs and Star Wars.  

Allison - My family is from Germantown, TN but I went to undergrad and grad school in Birmingham.  The Lord has been very present to me in this season of my life; more than ever before. He has led me here to the DR and then to Dallas in the fall for next year.  I look forward to this exciting adventure.  A random fact about me is this is my first time out of the country.  

Erica- I am from Houston, TX but currently live in Austin where I go to college.  I am a junior at the University of Texas where I am studying corporate finance.  A fun fact about me is that I am a longhorn to the core and I have a longhorn named Sadie that is pregnant!  I was here in January and worked with the kindergarten class that I will be teaching this summer.  I fell in love with the people here and God has been faithful to give me more time to serve this summer. 

Angie- I am usually a third grade teacher in Vancouver, WA.  I also lead worship at my church for the youth program.  I am excited to be in the DR and looking forward to working with Makarios students.  It has been exciting to see God open doors to bring me here this summer.  My random fact is I have a dog named Bella. 

Our summer is off to a great start!  Our first group of the summer arrived on June 9 and we can't say enough great things about University Presbyterian and Westminster Presbyterian from Austin.  What an amazing blessing they have been!  We'll share more about their week in our next blog post.

Thanks for your partnership...and joining us on the journey.

Love,

The Becks