Dominican Republic

Well, we did make it to the DR, but it has certainly taken a while to update the blog. We didn't have internet for the first month, and still wouldn't have it now if our neighbor didn't let us use hers. Apparently, the box is full and noone else can have internet or phone until someone in the neighborhood moves out. We're getting more settled in, now, and are living in a town outside the capital called San Cristobal. There are more motorcycles than cars here and still plenty of noise, but the traffic is better than in the capital.
It's a little different than Costa Rica for several reasons: The Spanish is really different- The accents as well as the vocabulary; Dominicans LOVE to listen to music and love to listen to it loudly and late into the night, so it's taking some getting used to; The heat, though it hasn't been as bad with all the rain; Driving is more than a little crazy- there seem to be no traffic rules; Motorcyles perform the tasks of pickups here- We've seen many things carried on the back of a motorcycle, like washing machines, 5 people, 100 lb propane tanks, 20' pieces of rebar, etc. It's fun to see what new things you may see on the back of a motorcycle each day.
We are enjoying our ministry so far, though it is in the beginning stages, and enjoying the DR and the people here. We all seem to be adjusting well. After trying to go without help for the first several weeks, and after seeing how much time it takes to clean house and get meals cooked and all, we found a great Christian lady who is the wife of one of the pastors at our church to help us out a couple of days a week around the house. She helps cook, clean, watch the girls, and has helped a few times to cook meals for teams that we have over. We've had over 40 people in our home at one time! We praise the lord for her everyday!
We've been busy working with several mission teams and trying to get settled in as well as shopping for furniture and appliances. I (Ted) just finished working with a team and have another coming in today for a week. The first part of August we will be blessed to have Southcliff Baptist Church from Ft. Worth, Texas doing a retreat with all of our DR missionaries for a few days. We are looking forward to it as well as some much needed family time and rest after a really busy summer.
We've made some contacts and are planning to start a Bible Study in our neighborhood in August after the retreat and also begin mapping out the city to see where the most need is for new work, and try to begin some work in those areas as well.
Please pray for the following: 1)God to open up doors for new work in areas of need, 2)Our language understanding and development, 3)protection from dengue and other sicknesses, 4)Kerri and the girls during times that I'm away.

On another note, please lift up the sale of our house back in Mississippi. We had a lady that lived in it the past two years and has moved out and left us with her thousands of dollars of unpaid rent and some repairs to the house. We are praying for God to sell this house fast. Please pray with us.

We are so thankful for all the support and prayers that were lifted up in our behalf while we learn new things here, get settled, and begin ministry. God is faithful!

3 Weeks left in Costa Rica!

The year has really gone by quickly here and we've made lots of memories and learned a little Spanish along the way. We will have our proficiency exams this week which will tell us what level we have achieved in the language, so keep us in your prayers. We just celebrated the resurrection of our Lord today with friends in Costa Rica and had a great time as you can see from the pics. We've already begun packing and getting things ready to sell. We've had the last week off of school for holy week, and got a good bit of things done then. Both the girls are doing great and are both walking really well, so they're getting lots of fun to take places, ha ha. This may be our last post before we head to the DR, so please remember us in your prayers as we move on the 24th. We will arrive at almost midnight, so everyone will be really tired. Please pray for the girls especially as they already are realizing something is about to change with all the packing going on. God Bless you all and Happy Easter.

March Update

We're beginning to wind down our time here in Costa Rica. We've been making plans for what we will need to sell, checking into flights to the DR, and even already had to say goodbye to some of our best friends here who had to leave early. We have around 7 weeks left until we head to the D.R. On one hand we're looking forward to getting to the DR to begin our work there, but on the other hand we'll miss Costa Rica and the people we've come to know here. We've heard several times that the missionary life sometimes seems like a lifetime of goodbyes. We're beginning to realize that now, but it's worth it to have to say goodbye to our friends and family temporarily so that others may have the chance to have the hope and peace of knowing Jesus and spending eternity in heaven with their families. We cherish your prayers and support and hope that you'll pray for us and the people of the Dominican Republic as we get ready to begin our ministry there and end our time here in Costa Rica. We will probably be flying out on the 24th of April. Please specifically pray for our ministries here that we can share the Gospel clearly and please begin praying now for our transition to the Dominican Republic (for our housing there, dealing with cultural shock and dealing with the heat).
Here are some pics of the family and some fun things we've done the last month or so. We were blessed to have Kerri's parents come for a couple of weeks and do a little bit of traveling with us. God Bless.

Haiti Relief!

In just a few short months we will be working in the Dominican Republic, which shares the island of Hispañola with Haiti, which most of you know just had a severe earthquake with tragic loss of lives some estimate to be in the hundreds of thousands. Our coworkers in the DR are responding since they are closest to the scene. We have been instructed to direct anyone who wants to help to either email at
haitiresponse@imb.org or go to the Haiti relief link on right hand side of page under "ministry links" for information or if you would like to give money to help. Every penny that goes to BGR and designated for Haiti can only be used for ministry there, and cannot be used for administrative purposes or lodging, meals, etc. for personnel- so I don't think there is a better place to give knowing your dollar will be used in the most effective manner possible. Kerri and I personally are giving through BGR as well. Please consider giving even if only a small amount and direct anyone else wanting to give to this site as well. In tragedies like this, there are usually more oportunities to share the Gospel of Christ and more response to the Gospel than any other time. Please pray for ministry opportunities there and that many may come to know Christ through this tragedy.

Beginning of the End

As we wrap up our time here in Costa Rica with our last trimester in language school, we are trying to see a few things here that we've been wanting to see. We realize we may never be back in Costa Rica again, and God has placed so much of His beauty here, that we want to be sure and see some of that before we leave. This past weekend, we rented a car for the day and went just a few miles outside of San Jose and saw a few things in Orosi Valley in the Cartago Province. Here are a few of the pics.

The ruins of an old church built in the 1500's.


The National (Catholic) Basilica in Cartago- about 30 minutes outside San Jose


You can see people in these pictures crawling on their knees to the front of the Church. There's a statue up front of the black Madonna, or "La Negrita" as they call her here. People believe that if they crawl on their knees to the front of the Basilica, the Madonna will show special favor on them. This shows a little of the kinds of barriers there are to cross when sharing the Gospel in other cultures. It was a heart-breaking scene, the feeling in the church was very cold. Our hearts desire is the teach the truth of God's Word... this is the way many Latin Cultures believe and worship.


Nothing you wouldn't see in Mississippi, except people were walking down the street as well and not a soul thinking twice about a bull sharing the road with them. Just looked funny at the time.

Some of God's beauty I was referring to earlier. This was the view from our table at a little cafe where we ate.

This was the playground outside the cafe- probably not the world's safest equipment, but the girls enjoyed it nonetheless.


As I said before, the equipment may not have been the safest, but this playground has got to have one of the best views in Costa Rica, if not the world!



We also discovered a little trout farm up a mountain road where we actually had to cross a creek to get there. It had a beautiful view, and you can catch your own fish and have them prepare it however you like. We didn't do it this time, but definitely plan on going back.


This is called "La casa del soñador" or "The Dreamer's house"- It was built by Macedonio Quesada, a world famous Tico wood carver who died in the mid 90's. It now houses a workshop run by his sons and displays their works of art. As you can see, the house itself is a work of art. Neat place to visit.


Please pray for us as we start our last trimester of school, that we will be able to understand and be understood well enough to be effective in sharing the gospel. We head to the Dominican Republic in April, only 3 months away.

Christmas Time!

New Christmas outfits that aunt Amy made

Taylor trying to put a bow in her hair...eh, on her head, anyway :)


Opening gifts with Maw-Maw and Dop






fireplace at Ram Luna, a restaurant overlooking San Jose

Girls in their new rocking chairs that ah-ma and ah-pa Holley bought for them

Mom's new haircut


Beautiful view from a restaurant overlooking San Jose

Our trip to Volcano Arenal with Maw-Maw and Dop (Dewett)


Friend we met on the road going around Lake Arenal (he's kin to a racoon)

Christmas Dresses (thanks uncle william and aunt darlene)

Kamryn Loving on Taylor after they got into the diapers

Watching fireworks in amazement




Merry CHRISTmas! We enjoyed spending time with Maw-Maw and Dop over the past week and a half: we went to visit volcano arenal, opened presents, ate at a beautiful restaurant overlooking the city and did lots of shopping. We miss you guys already!

We hope that you had a great Jesus-filled CHRISTmas! Although we didn't have family here to celebrate (on Christmas Day) with us, we were able to celebrate with other missionaries and had a great time. We want to thank you for your support of the Lottie Moon Christmas offering that allows us to be here... and allows people all over the world a chance to hear the gospel message. Please pray about giving (at any SBC church) if you haven't already done so.
Check back in a few days for some more pics.

Kamryn giving thanks

Taylor says thank you as well, but we couldn't get her to do it on camera. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!