Prayer Requests

ISSUE

April, Ma y & J une

2011

That God continues to move in the relationships that are being formed. That I can have a positive influence here, and that cultural differences dont hinder. Positive family influ ences of the students and even the shoe shiners not in the school.

AN INSIDE LOOK ON W HAT GOD IS DOING IN JARABACOA, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC.

Domincan focus

BACK IN THE GAME... There was a time when Club was done every week at a follow up the nearby location called Casa Tranquila, which is kind of far a sports with an way from town. However, during this time, boys began not to intentional game or come because they had decided that it was more important to activity. Through work instead of going to Club. these intentional The ministry continued being games, we teach a part of their lives, by Biblical principles bringing food to the park eveas well as leadership and teamwork skills. After the intentional ry Saturday so that the boys games, we have a message that ties the intentional game to a could still work and be fed. A Biblical teaching. We finish club by eating lunch together and few months ago, we had dewe send them off back to the work. It has been awesome to see cided that we need to start how the boys invite their friends to club up again and that just come and participate and it is amazproviding physical needs is ing how much the Club has grown. not enough. It has been aweWe have found that by having the some to see God working in club closer to town, it has made it our Club, and to see just how easier for the boys to leave work for fast it is growing. The first just a few hours and come to club. week we had about ten boys show up, but now we are getting It has been such a privilege to be a around thirty boys faithfully every week. It has been really neat part of these guys life in this way. to be able to get to know the boys at Club, which is currently Please pray that Club can continue held at our church campus. During club, we normally start off to touch the lives of the Shoe Shiner by playing sports (baseball, kickball, basketball, etc.). We then boys in Jarabacoa.

Shoe Shiners Club

Shoe Shiners Camp 2011

In June, we had a Summer camp for the Shoe Shiner boys as well as for the students from our school, Colegio Timoteo. A church group from Wisconsin came down and put on this awesome camp. This was their second time coming down to help us out. All year during classes and in the streets, the boys would always tell me about the fun time that they had at camp last year and how excited they were for camp this year. This year there were a lot For where your treasure is, of familiar faces for there your heart will be also. the boys from the Matthew 6:21 group from last year and they made a lot of new friends as well. This year's camp theme was based in Matthew 6:19-21 and the importance of storing up our treasures in Heaven and not on material things on Earth. I feel like the theme this year was a challenging on for our guys, but I think this week gave them a new outlook on how to view the things that we have. The week started off with a scavenger hunt through the mountainside and was a week full of

Treasures in Heaven
Games, activities, sports, arts and crafts, Science projects, and even an outing to the pool and pizza. Camp this year, was a huge success and there were a lot of opportunities to speak into the guys as well as form solid relationships with them and the team. It was such a blessing to both the guys and to us who work at Colegio Timoteo to have this team come and pour their hearts out to these guys. It is so encouraging to see how God brings His church together to do His work.

In April, we had the opportunity as a class to go to a waterpark in Santiago, Kaskada Park. A church from Puerto Rico and Chicago had donated some money for the boys from the school, to go specifically to this waterpark and reward the boys for their hard work throughout the school year. They covered all of the costs, which was a huge blessing for the boys because many if not all of these boys would never have the opportunity to do something like this in

their lifetime. It was so nice to be able to do something fun with the boys. I really liked that it provided us as professors with the opportunity to have fun with the guys and allow us to connect with them on that level. Also, it allowed them to see us not just as an authority figure in their lives, but as real living human beings that genuinely care about them and who want to build healthy relationships with them. The day was full of crazy water fun, running up stairs and sliding down water slides, hanging out in the lazy river, and eating some great food. This was truly a great and fun experience that our students will never forget.

New Names in the Book of Life

This school year we have been reading a book called, Heaven for kids, by Andy Alcorn. It has been a very interesting book because it asks questions that most children or even adults have about Heaven, and uses Biblical references to support its responses. The neat thing about this book is that it answers the questions in a simple way, in a way that a child can understand, and relates it to things that they know. At the end of the book, it mentions that if one wants to see the things in Heaven that were discussed in this book, that his or her name has to be written in the Book of Life. We had told the boys that if they had wanted to join this journey and start living their lives for Christ, that they seek one of the professors out so that we can help them in that process. That same day Jess and Jefry came up to me and decided that they wanted to become Christians and have their names written in the Book of Life. The next day, Jefrys brother, Gregory, came up to me and decided that he wanted to be a Christian. Another student, Jordy, also had told our director that he had wanted to be a Christian as well. This was an exciting week. That Friday, since we had so many young converts, we decided that it would be a good idea to have one of the professors give their testimony and also talk to the boys about how to live out their faith. One of our professors, Andy shared his testimony, which resonated with many of the boys. Many things he shared from his testimony are things that many of the guys deal with everyday on the street. After the testimony, I shared a YouTube video about the Free Hugs Campaign. If you haven't seen it, it is basically a video of a guy that stands out in the middle of a city with a sign that says, Free Hugs. At the very beginning, people would walk by as if he was crazy. Then, in the video, people begin to get interested in what he has to offer. A few begin to try it, and before you know it, everyone wants some. I told the boys that this is a lot like having

and the contagiousness of Jesus

Christ in your life. There are a lot of people that are going to walk by and see that there is something different or weird about you; but Jesus is contagious and than before you know it a lot of people are going to want to have what it is that you have. Later on in the video, the police see this as a problem and they tried to banned these events. This is much like the church being persecuted and demonstrates that there is an enemy that doesnt want us to share the love of Christ with others. In the video, however, the people unite and get a petition together. Ultimately they got the campaign reinstated. I explained how when we are living for and in Christ, He will ALWAYS win. The last challenge that I had for the boys was, So, how are you going to stand out and make a difference for Christ? Gregory said that he wanted to make a sign and walk around town that said free hugs and give free hugs to people. I told him, Great! Go, do it! But sharing the Love of Christ can be in the very little things that you do too. How you interact with people, how you interact with each other, doing services for each other, etc. Another neat thing that we do as a school and as a church is that when a person decides that they want to be a Christian, we give them what we call follow-up which are basically meetings that explain what it means to be a Christian, what is the Bible, what is Salvation, who is Jesus and other things to help guide the new believer in their walk. I got the privilege to begin that process with Gregory, Jess and Jefry. We discussed more of the message on Friday one time when we met. It was so cool because Gregory was so encouraged that he went and talked to another one of his Shoe shiner friends, and Juan had decided that he wanted to be a Christian. It is so encouraging to see children do things in radical ways for the cause of Christ. Please be praying that Christ can continue to move in these boys and that peoples lives can be changed through the living testimonies of these young disciples of Jesus Christ.

Training
May 3rd-6th all of the professors from Colegio Timoteo participated in a Kids Games Training. This training was a very encouraging and motivating event that also led to some great ideas for our very own Saturday Shoe Shiners Club and even our Friday Morning activities in the school. Something that is very neat about this program which also included a curriculum from an organization called Max 7, is that it gives creative ways to share Gods message and Word through various games, sports, and kid appropriate activities. We have seen a lot of fruit coming out of our training experience through our Shoe Shiners Club. This program really challenged us to think like a kid. One thing that was really expressed is that if you are going to work with children, you have to be willing to be hi energy and have the enthusiasm of a child. This experience overall, was a very stretching experience for all, but there was a lot of benefit that came from it as well.

H IGHLIGHTS
K ASKADA P ARK A PRIL 5, 2011

Kids Games Training

MAY 3-6, 2011

Aleidas Cowboy

You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others. 2 TIMOTHY 2:1-2

Birthday Party MAY 28, 2011

The End of the Year Celebration

On Monday, June 20th, we had our schools end of the year celebration and graduation. This was an opportunity for the boys to receive awards for all of their hard work throughout the school year. Each boy was presented with an award based on positive character or leadership skills that they possess as well as Academic achievement. All of the parents were invited as well as the church to come and share in this celebration. The event also included a cake and a video slideshow of pictures of all of the memories we have had throughout the school year. This was also a farewell time to three of our students: YanKaury, Dany, and Yunior, who will now be going into the public high school to finish their academic studies. We are sad to see them leave but we are sending them off knowing that they will make a difference in the lives of the people around them, and ready to take on the next challenges they face.

Jefry & Jess become

Christians J UNE 1, 2011

Jordy & Gregory become

Christians J UNE 2, 2011

Shoe Shiners Camp

J UNE 20-23, 2011

End of the Year

Celebration & Graduation J UNE 20, 2011

Contact Information
Cell: 809.430.7892
Email: jim.ralstin@gmail.com Please Send Donations to:
College Park Missionary Church 2014 Liberty Drive Mishawaka, IN 46545 Attn: Danny Hunter **Also, Keep updated by following my blog: jimralstin.blogspot.com**