Join us in having an opportunity to expand God’s Kingdom in the Dominican Republic. Our desire is that the Santiago Experience will create long term change through short term teams.
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Posted by Rick Romano on January 22, 2012.
As my parents dropped us off at the Portland Airport, with all of our bags I became overwhelmed with what God was beginning to do in and through our family. I am not going to lie, I was a little nervous. God is amazing; He took care of every little detail. I stood in amazement as the attendant behind the United Airlines counter told us we only had to only pay for four of our twelve bags. Arriving in Santo Domingo with all of our bags, I wondered how we would get them all through customs; and again God took care of every little detail. Two Dominican men grabbed and piled (literally piled) them on a dolly and brought them through customs with us and to the cars.
We have felt welcomed and loved by the C&MA team here in the Dominican. We have had the privilege of staying at the guest house, being pampered with three meals and beds to sleep in. The first two days we spent trying to find a car, this has been frustrating, but as I pray for God’s leading I have a peace that He knows what is best for us. Yesterday, we went to Santiago to look for houses. The first house we looked, I have to admit needs a lot of tender loving care, but we took it. PTL the house has an apartment out back, where we could house our interns. I was overwhelmed with a peace that only God could have filled in my heart. This will be home and where ministry will take place.
Please continue to pray for wisdom as we have to stretch our dollars and buy all the appliances and furniture. Pray that God would bring us the perfect car for our family and ministry. Pray for our kids, they are still adjusting. Thank you for praying for our family, we are grateful for your faithful support.
A side note; for those of you who know our son Jon, he has already picked a baseball team in Santiago to follow.
Posted by Rick Romano on January 12, 2012.
This week has been a week of preparing and reflecting. Reflecting on what is really important to us. When we went to Mexico we had the privilege of bringing whatever we wanted, because we could just drive it across the border. As we are packing our suitcases with as much as we can (under 50lbs), I keep asking myself do I really need this. I am reminded daily that God will take care of ALL our needs.
Reflecting on the day we showed up in Ensenada to our first house, we rented site unseen. Walking through the door and seeing only pipes in the wall where a kitchen should be. Of the six windows, three of them were broken. No doors on any of the bedrooms. After the second night in the house the owner came by and asked Rick if he was ready to work, Rick was confused, but soon realized he needed to help move buckets of tar onto the roof to repair it. Through God’s amazing grace, He took care of all of our needs, that house became our home. I remember that helpless feeling, and am confident that we will be hit with some road blocks along the way. I am thankful that I can put my trust in God who has faithfully taken care of our family. Yes, I wake up some mornings with anxiety of the unknown. However, there is a side of me that can’t wait to see how God will put everything together in His time and in His perfect way.
God has blessed us with supplying our financial needs; He has blessed us with a couple, David and Aleah Nishizaki, who are stepping out in faith and serving alongside us. We are excited to see how God is going to use us in Santiago, together we are laying our lives out there willing to GO and DO what God has for us.
Isaiah 55:8&9 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways. As the heavens are higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
Posted by Rick Romano on December 7, 2011.
Since June 1st our family has learned what it is to be in transition. We left Ensenada where our home and friends were for six years. Our kids really struggled with leaving what they knew was home. We have been on this journey as a family, saying goodbye, and learning to let go of a ministry we loved with open hands. In the summer, Rebekah was really struggling with the question where are you from? She didn’t know where she was from anymore. I encouraged her to take the opportunity God had given us not to miss out on what He has for our family. Even though we have been living out of suitcases, God brings people and experiences into our lives to mold us into who He wants us to be. When we said to God that we would go and be obedient to His call on our lives, as difficult as it as times, I understand that God has a much greater plan. We have been through two transitions since June; summer with our families
, and a move to New Jersey for home assignment. Transitions are not always an easy place to be, however, God has blessed us every step of the way. In six weeks we will make our final transition to the Dominican Republic. As we look back on this journey, we know that God has used this time of transitions for refining us for His greater purpose.
Posted by Rick Romano on September 6, 2011.
This is our first blog on our new Santiago Experience site. We’re still working on switching everything over, so bare with us as we make the transition.
