Venisa's Story

I’m excited to share about what God has been doing in Venisa’s life the past few months. 

Venisa is a young woman who lives in Batey Prudencio.  We met Venisa last year when we were working with the children in Prudencio.  Part of our strategy in ministry is to work with people who live in the communities.  We want to include and empower them to discover and use the gifts, talents and resources God has given them to love and serve others.  In this case, we were looking for young people from the community who would be interested in working with the children.  Venisa was the first to volunteer. 

The first thing our teammates mentioned about Venisa is that the children really listen to her and respect her.  Then, they told me about how Venisa always arrives early and is eager to help however she can.  I watched Venisa with the children and noticed immediately that she is a natural teacher.

Venisa is also a leader among her peers.  She helped us start the English & Discipleship classes for young adults in Batey Prudencio.  What the youth first noticed about Venisa is true: when Venisa speaks, people listen.  

After working with Venisa several months, the team thought it would be great to have Venisa as a regular part of our team.  We asked Venisa if she'd like to join us, and she glady accepted the invitation.  Now Venisa travels from her home in the batey and stays with me a couple of times a week to attend team meetings and to work on different aspects of the ministry.  It’s been a blessing to get to know Venisa and develop a friendship with her.

 

Venisa is one of few Christians in her age group in the batey.  This has not been easy for Venisa, but God has been faithful.  Venisa continues to trust and rely on the Lord.  She has expressed numerous times her determination to follow Jesus regardless of the cost. 



Venisa Pierre, born on 12 de Abril, 1993
in the province of El Seibo, Dominican Republic.



  

Last night Venisa was sharing about how God has used this ministry to encourage her and bring her hope.  She said that before we started working in Prudencio, she felt lost and discouraged about her future. 

You see, like thousands of young people living in bateys throughout the Dominican Republic, Venisa does not have the proper documentation for higher education or to find a good-paying job in this country.  Though Venisa was born in the Dominican Republic, and considers this her home, her parents are immigrants from Haiti.  Her father came looking for a better life and found work in the sugarcane fields.  He and his wife never got the documentation to become citizens of the Dominican Republic.  Since her parents are not recognized as legal citizens, Venisa isn’t either. 

Venisa has a hunger for knowledge.  There's a whole list of things she would like to study - mathematics is number one on her list.  She would like to get a degree and be a teacher.  She's also very interested in learning languages.  It's extremely frustrating that Venisa's future and the opportunites available to her are so limited simply because of where she was born.  I'm trying to learn more about the system, and am praying with Venisa that God would open a door for her.  Please join us in prayer for Venisa.

Anyway, in our conversation last night, Venisa expressed her excitement and appreciation for this ministry.  She explained how this ministry has helped her recognize that God does have a plan and a purpose for her life.   Venisa has come to recognize some of her gifts and talents and that God can and IS using her to impact the lives of the people around her.  Venisa has opened up so much, and is allowing God to work in and through her more and more.  She is clearly a vessel for the Lord.  I'm glad to have Venisa on our team and excited to see how God is going to continue to work in and through her.

Introducing Linda...

Hello my name is Linda Tramm. I met Kristin about 6 years ago at a church weekend retreat and since then we have become good friends.  I grew up in the country just outside of Cold Spring, MN. After graduating from Rocori High School I moved to the “big city” for college. I have been living, working and creating community in the Minneapolis/St. Paul Metro ever since.

How did I get here??

I think that God started working on my heart in this area before I could even recognize it. The summer of 2010 I went on my first short term mission trip with a group from my church to the Dominican Republic. I will never forget the people I met and the way they touched my heart without even saying a word. I’ve been on another mission trip outside of the Dominican Republic; however it is clear to me that God has put the people here on my heart. I am not sure what that will look like for the rest of my life.  But, for right now and for the next few months that means I will be here, living with Kristin and working alongside my friends to further the Kingdom of God.

What exactly will I be doing for the next few months?

I will be helping out wherever needed in the ministry such as organizing the ministry office and keeping the office open and available for student-leaders to come and work while Kristin is out in the field.  I've already been helping with a lot of administrative and organizational needs which goes right along with the gifts God has given me.  I don't know exactly what God has for me during the next few months, but I am willing to follow Him wherever He leads.  I am blessed that He is allowing me to be a part of His great plan, and I pray that He would be glorified through me.

I’ll share more in the next post about my journey from working in the Metro to living in the DR. Until then God Bless you!

My Grandma

In January I made an unexpected trip back to MN for my grandmother's funeral.  Just after Christmas my grandmother fell.  The doctors found compression fractures as a result of the fall, and she was in quite a bit of pain.  Each time I talked to my mother for an update, it seemed there was another complication.  My grandmother passed away on January 4th. 

I'm so thankful for a friend who helped me get home on such short notice to be with my family during this time.  Click here for my grandmother's obituary.

As you can imagine, I loved my grandmother dearly, and I'm very proud of her.  She was a great example to me in many ways.  Her quiet strength, wisdom and integrity inspire me.  I'm thankful for the many special memories I have with my grandma.  She was a woman of faith, and we find comfort that my grandmother is now without pain, meeting Jesus face-to-face and perhaps even dancing with the angels.  Praise God that we have this hope of eternal life with Him.

Thanks to all of you who have sent condolences and have been praying for my family.

   

Sweet Beans

Just before Christmas, we had a "fun day" in Batey Prudencio where we've been working with some of the teenagers who live there.  We send a team of four out there twice a week.  Two English teachers and two who lead discussions on different topics related to faith.  We've had some very interesting discussions.  The group is improving in their language skills, and we're having fun getting to know one another. 

On this particular day, the group worked together to gather the ingredients for the traditional beverage they enjoy at Christmas time: Habituelas dulces.  This is beans, blended,  and then cooked with milk, sugar, cinnamon, raisins and a few other ingredients that I'm forgetting about. 

Here is Venisa cooking the beans over the fire.

Here are Belkis, Liliana and I watching Venisa cook the beans!

The guys having a good time in the shade.

As the beans were finishing up, we went inside for a special worship service.

Belkis shared a message encouraging the young people to put their trust in the Lord.

We wanted to do something fun together.  We decided to play pictionary, but since this was English class,
we could only guess using English words. 

We had a good time!

Finally, the beans were done! 

Sweet beans, Yum!  :)

It has been several months since we started working with this group.  We've made new friends, and we can see growth.  It has been fun getting to know them, learning about the Lord together and studying languages at the same time.  As you think of it, please join me in praying for these young people. 

The people in this community face many challenges associated with poverty.  While we can't solve the problems or take away the challenges, we can be their friends.  We can point them to the only One who saves us from our sins and the trials of this world and who gives us the hope of an eternity with Him in His Kingdom - where there is no pain, suffering, sickness or poverty.   We can point them to the One who knows all our needs, the One who loves us more than we can imagine and is there to comfort us and guide us if we will let Him. 

Praise God for sending His son, Jesus!  At whose name, one day, every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.

Food Distribution in Guerra

Just before Christmas we distributed ImpactLives food in a few different communities near Guerra.  Here are some pictures of the first place we went.

The second community had a lot of children.  Azarias did a great job with the children.  He has a GREAT voice and really got their attention.  Then he taught them about prayer by pretending to talk to God through a cell phone.  It was a lot of fun for all of us!

We praise God for the opportunity to share this food with people who need it in Jesus' name. 

Jim from IGO comes to visit.

Jim Odens, pastor of Oakridge Community Church in Stillwater, MN and president the mission organization IGO Worldwide that I am a part of, came to visit early in December.  He spent a week with us, getting to know a little more about our ministry here in the Dominican Republic. It was great having Jim here, sharing with him about what God is doing and learning from his wisdom and experiences.  As I've said before, I am so thankful to be a part of an organization that cares so much about their global partners and the ministries that they are involved in. 

Jim working with some of the students in the English class in Prudencio.

Jim attending a worship service with us in Batey Magua. 
This community does not have electricity or a building, but that doesn't stop them from
worshipping and seeking the Lord through His Word.     

One evening the youth gathered in my home, and Jim shared with them a bit about "calling" and
then invited the youth to ask questions.  This turned into a really neat time.  The youth asked all
sorts of questions and Jim spoke words of wisdom.  We all were blessed by the experience. 
  

These were just a few highlights from Jim's time here in the Dominican Republic.  There were many more special moments.  Thank you Jim and IGO Worldwide for your visit.   Please come again, soon!  Que Dios le bendiga!