Project Guagua

The Goal: Replace our vehicle in 2 weeks!!

The death of our guagua (van) is imminent! It has gone beyond small repairs and is becoming a hindrance to our ministry here on a weekly basis.  We need your help!!!  We are asking for 1000 people to give $10 or for 100 people to spread the word by getting 10 friends to donate $10 each. This vehicle will give us the ability to reach more people with the gospel, as well as offer practical help to missionaries all over the island.  Unfortunately, cars are not cheap here.  They run 2 to 3 times what they are in the States. We desire to have something that is reliable and economical.  We have consulted with a local mechanic who has worked on the island for years.  He has given us a list of what he thinks are the most reliable, economical (gas is over $5 a gallon), and inexpensive vehicles to repair in the DR. When we think of the cost as a whole and all the logistics it is overwhelming, but we are trusting God and His plan for us in all things.

$10 x 1000 = 100 people asking 10 of their friends to donate $10 = Reliable vehicle used to bring glory to God wherever it goes!!!! (Click here to print the flyer out – PDF of Vehicle Fundraiser)

The Dying Guagua

Possible Replacement Van

To Give: Tax Deductible donations can be made to Alliance Bible Chapel with a note in the memo “Oliveria Vehicle Fund”

Mail to: Oliveria Family
c/o Tiffani Ghiglieri
1462 Beekman Ave.
Medford Or 97501

Donations can also be received through PayPal (donations through PayPal are not tax-deductible) on the Support page

PDF of vehicle fundraiser

To See The Glory - Our walk with the Lord and our desire To See the Glory

We had switched programs a while back for newsletters and now we are getting close to sending out our first with the new system.

Please take a moment and add yourself so that you will not only receive some awesomely beautiful photos of our family, we will (through wordy descriptions) tell of what God has been doing with us here in the Dominican Republic.

(Thank you for your patience with us as we made the transition due to software changes.)

To See The Glory - Our walk with the Lord and our desire To See the Glory

Everyone knows those times when things just change. Everything seems to be out of your hands and there are a lot of unknowns. Well, we are in that season now, but we have some things we can share with you about those changes.

Niños de la Luz boys (with Summer and Hannah)

Currently we are volunteering with Niños de la Luz up in the hills. It is a ministry here in Sosua that has a heart for street children. The family-like structure there combined with God’s amazing love has drawn us all to want to serve there. There are two areas of ministry, first is to younger street kids whom they take in as family and the other is to older boys who are at the age of graduation and need to be taught life skills. Currently they are building a new home to house the younger boys and until that is finished the life skills portion is on hold.

This ministry started in Venezuela and now is also in the Dominican Republic. The focus there are the boys, bringing them up in the love of Christ, and the hope of someday these boys having families of their own in which they will be equipped to lead spiritually and physically able to provide.

Pray with us as we ask the Lord for continued guidance as we desire to follow Him.

Just our little time spent so far visiting the Ranch has grown our love for these children. We have seen the love between those there to work with the kids and the kids. It really feels like a large loving family up there.

Besides helping some with staining boards for the ceiling in the new house and helping build some bunk beds, I was able to put to use skills from the past in wood working by replicating a table and a couple of benches to match.

To See The Glory - Our walk with the Lord and our desire To See the Glory

The last couple of days Jessica and I have been talking a lot about a specific need for this area. This is something others have been seeing as well. The need for an orphanage.

We are not sure if this is something God has planned for us, but it has been weighing on our hearts. There are children getting help medically and some of those children are simply in need of basic nutrition. They are starving to death or have diseases related to malnutrition and once they are well enough, they go home to the same. Some of those mother’s will abandon the child especially if they believe the child will be helped. The Transformation House near here has been left with 9 children from these types of situations, yet they are not set up to house children, they are more of a hospital.

What is need is prayer. Pray for an answer, for the place, the people, the funding, etc… It is needed. These children need to be raised up right, fed properly, parented, taught, and most of all they need the Lord!

Seeing a 10 month old in the arms of a family willing to take him on even when he barely weighs 12 pounds can really open your eyes to the need. Pray for the Luther family who has taken in little Franklin.

To See The Glory - Our walk with the Lord and our desire To See the Glory

I was doing a little pondering today while driving back from Puerto Plata to Sosua. It was about 3 years ago that Jessica and I first met up with Jim and Debra here in the Dominican Republic and they took us to a few places to show us around the area, not knowing then some of the things God had planned for us. It was during that visit that God was putting in me the vision of working with Jim and Debra in the Sosua area, yet before that trip we did not know anyone in this part of the country, however, we did know a few in Jarabacoa and in Santo Domingo.

What struck me today was my lack of faith. I keep finding myself questioning what I am doing here. We are spending time looking for the house to live in as we try to get started working in Villa Paraiso (Paradise Village.)  God was showing me and reminding me of all the things He has done already – from putting it on my heart to move here in 2003, meeting the Tunnicliffes, seeing God take us across the country and to fly here with a number of things timed that we could never have seen beforehand. God was reminding me that trusting in Him has always come to the result of what only faith could see. The visions He gives to us sometimes seem impossible and that is why I believe He does just that. How does our faith grow without the impossibilities to get beyond? If we could see how it would work out it would not take faith.

Hebrews 11:1 Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.  God puts in us the vision and the faith of that vision. I know that over the last few years it has been challenging to even explain to other believers what God has called us to. And it took even more faith when it did not happen in our timing to continue to tell people what we were going to do. I can’t imagine what Abraham went through when he kept on getting older and not yet seeing the fulfillment of the promise of a son.  To believe and hope for something he knew was improbable and was only becoming impossible.  God uses the impossible to show us who He is. Thank goodness we have no say in who God is!

Be encouraged my brothers and sisters, God is not finished with us. He will continue to work out miracles as we look to Him. His ways are not our ways (thank goodness) and He has a plan with all the details already perfectly worked out. I challenge you to be stretched and that thing He has been prompting you with, trust Him. Accept that it is impossible for you and not for God. Let God grow your faith and take the first step in what He is asking you to do. Be blessed by allowing Him to take reign in your life and know that a perfect Father in heaven loves you and wants you as His devoted child.

To See The Glory - Our walk with the Lord and our desire To See the Glory

Here we are in a hotel in Cape Girardeau, Missouri having jumped in the pool at 10 PM and ready for some rest. This was a short 7 hour drive (with stops) from our last stop with Shane and Kami who blessed us with their hospitality and the privilege of doing a presentation at their church and Jeremy did some music. As usual, the Lord moved and people were blessed and touched. It is so cool to witness God using the music to reach deep in the hearts of His people.

Back to the title of this post – Revival – I believe that God has us on this trip across the states to be part of an ushering in of a revival. The same themes are at each church so far, from Medford Oregon to Missouri. The Holy Spirit has been moving and just seeing what God is doing in the three young men with us has been inspiring. Jeremy, Sam and Matt have all been great to be with on this trip and I know God has great plans for them. Please keep them in your prayers. We are asking for safe travels and for God to continue to use them mightily.

If you haven’t been experiencing God in a deeper way lately, start asking for Him to draw you closer. God wants all of His children close to Him, asking Him for all things, and dependant on Him. Allow the Holy Spirit to enter in you fully and flow out of you, touching others and connecting His people together.

Also, keep my brother Garth in your prayers, I am not sure how He is at the moment, the last I heard was he fell about 15 feet off a ladder and was unconscious for a minute and may have some broken bones.

God bless!!!

To See The Glory - Our walk with the Lord and our desire To See the Glory

We were a bit too busy to post some updates, but here is one from Parker, Colorado near Denver. We spent the last two days driving the new shuttle (used, but a perfect vehicle for the drive) to Colorado. There are two shows for Jeremy scheduled in Colorado and we will be presenting the ministry as well.

We are asking God to be the one to move in the hearts of His people as we make this journey across the U.S. and then off to the Dominican Republic. We are excited about all He is doing in us and through us.

I was encouraged again with the faith of the young men with us. Jeremy, Sam and Matt are all a blessing. The Lord is working through these young men, praying that the Lord will use Jessica and I to impart some of the Lord to them as they travel with us.

A show tomorrow in Grand Junction (if I am remembering the correct city for the night.) May the Lord be glorified!

To See The Glory - Our walk with the Lord and our desire To See the Glory

Some families here in Medford have set up a benefit dinner this evening to help bring in support for Island Light Ministries. This will help raise money for the feeding program, scholarships for the trade school and more. If you are interested please give us a call or write on my FaceBook (email program is locked up for me.)

Please pray as we finish packing our bags into the shuttle today, try to sell my desk, move a few items to our storage, etc… we still have so much to do and so little time.

Also, I wanted to thank all of those who have been praying and encouraging us, this really has been hard but the Lord is seeing us through each step of the way.

I will try to post on the drive when I have the opportunity – God bless you all!

To See The Glory - Our walk with the Lord and our desire To See the Glory

Returned home at 12:30 am this morning after driving round trip to Folsom California to aid in purchasing the shuttle van we will be using. Long day, but now we have a way to get to Florida!

It is a Ford Diesel van front shuttle with the wheelchair lift on the side. We will be able to have enough seats and then the room for the luggage and instruments. Thank you for all your prayers!

I will try to post some pictures later today.

To See The Glory - Our walk with the Lord and our desire To See the Glory

Never did I dream that this drive would be like this! We were hoping for a few, but now it is a full schedule. I know the Lord has plans, I just hope we follow Him all the way through it.

Oh, did I mention that we still have no vehicle to do this in? One more thing for God to complete as we move close the date of departure.  We are still asking God to open the door to the right vehicle to safely get us there and Jeremy and Sam back.

Thank you for your prayers!

Hoping for a van like this:

Help find us the van?

To See The Glory - Our walk with the Lord and our desire To See the Glory