I am proud to announce our new “Media” section on the T.E.A.R.S. web page. We have posted a “thank you” video for all the T.E.A.R.S. School supporters from Christmas 2006. I’ve also posted a video (a little old, I know) about the school.
Thanks for all your support and check it out!
As I walked through the barrio Los Pomos in the city of La Vega, my heart was burdened. I looked into the eyes of so many hurting, discouraged people - young and old alike. Huddled on the stoops, gathered in front of the little corner stores, passing around a $1.30 bottle of rum going nowhere fast. Adolescent girls with their babies playing in the filth, absent fathers leaving them to fend for themselves, forcing them to live off their over-burdened parents seemed the norm not the exception. As I contemplated their situation I was overwhelmed by the enormous needs and hardship they were facing daily. The astronomical unemployment rates, lack of adequate health care and the marginal opportunity for education seemed to have a merciless cast iron grip on them.
I knew that talking with them about a bye and bye, pie-in-the-sky religion would not cut it for a people that is only living for today. At the same time my heart rejoiced at the opportunity of inviting them to become part of the “Unshakable Kingdom of God” that gives confidence for today and hope for tomorrow. Our T.E.A.R.S. church planting team, after much prayer and several visits, decided that this would be a place that the love and grace of God could abound, so we set out to make disciples and share about the King and His Kingdom to whoever would listen. The openness and receptivity of the people was amazing!
In our first big activity last week, we broke out the sound system, loaded the buses with visiting teams from Lebanon, Oregon and Calgary, Canada and set up in a seeming abandoned community center on the main street of the barrio. The music was turned up and “Virus”, a Christian rap group (composed of Fernando who is on the T.E.A.R.S. Team and some brothers from El Camino Church) started to share the gospel through song and personal testimonies. Before long, the little tin roof was jumping and the people started coming!
I was leaning on a fence across the street just taking it all in and thanking God for what He was doing. Something caught my attention to my right and I looked down the street to see two scantily dressed women making their way towards the activity. They were bouncing to the beat of the music and appeared to be somewhat intoxicated. As they drew closer, one of them looked over at me with a shocked, then shamed stare and then called out my name, “Rodrigo, what are you doing here?!” Then I recognized her: “Maribel, is that you?” “Yes, yes!”, she cries out, “This is my barrio. I live around the corner.” Maribel was a beautiful young lady that I had met some years ago through a close friend in the barrio Maria Auxiliadora. She had seemed so full of hope and promise, and to see her now looking like a drug-addicted prostitute was saddening. We talked for a bit then I encouraged them to enter the activity. To my surprise, they pushed their way right up to the front and stayed for the whole service.
Afterwards, Maribel found me, and with tears welling up in her eyes she asked me, “When are you coming back?” The hunger for something more, the gospel, was evident in her gaze, so with great joy I told her that our team would be hanging around for a good while, sharing with anyone that wanted to listen. She smiled and said, “please come visit me; I live right around the corner”, and then walked away.
We are all so excited about what God is doing in Los Pomos. We ask that you would stand with us in prayer as we seek to reach this hurting community with the news of what Jesus has done for them! Once again we see that, “where sin abounded, grace did much more abound”. Thank you Jesus… you are so faithful!
Today I was privileged to take part in a very moving and meaningful part of our ministry at the T .E.A.R.S. School. We support twelve students as part of a Special Ed. program, designed to help those who need extra help learning. This morning, with excited faces and bursts of laughter, these students received their supplies for the upcoming school year. It was more like a party than anything; children flipping enthusiastically through blank notebooks, doubtless imagining what creative things they will be filled with, and showing off their awesome new uniforms.
My heart really goes out to these kids; they have so much potential at this age and I know that God has great purposes in store for them. I have built special relationships with a few in particular. Leonel (10) is my neighbor; a young guy who is absolutely off-the-wall hyper and always down to play. One afternoon we just ran around in the middle of a torrential downpour and enjoyed the refreshing feel of wet grass beneath our feet.
The other, Stephanie (12) lives with me in the very same house. She and I developed a real bond from the start: singing, eating, and playing, well, pretty well doing everything together. I welcomed her to teach me Spanish and she will still correct me when I mispronounce a word or say a sentence incorrectly, something I am very grateful for. Being able to learn from Stephanie has opened my eyes to the truth of God’s grace and unique gifts that he gives to us all.
If you’re reading this entry today, I encourage you to take a few minutes and pray especially for our Special Ed. students. Please pray that God would open their minds not only academically but also to the glorious truth of his gospel. Pray for unity in their families, that Christ would reign in their households and also in their hearts, ever assuring them that they are loved, accepted, and precious, and that they too have a profound part to play in God’s Kingdom.
The people we visited yesterday in Los Pomos (a barrio on the other side of La Vega) were so welcoming and anxious to share their experiences and feelings about religion. Quite a different atmosphere than before last week’s evangelistic campaign. Bau and Fey 
were so right, that by doing a campaign people wouldn’t be as suspicious of why they were trying to get to know people in the area. We now have roughly twenty homes waiting for us to visit them, ready to discuss the bible and pray together. Homes like Sonia’s, a young girl who liked Fey’s rap music. Her whole family welcomed us in; her cousins, aunts and uncles, grandparents, and visiting neighbors; gave us coffee and shared all about what they thought was wrong about religions they’ve seen and churches they’ve visited. 
We had a great time sharing scripture with them and looking into what the bible says true religion is. They all agreed how important it was to read the bible for yourself instead of just accepting everything someone tells you. Yet, they added that you shouldn’t read the bible in excess because you would go crazy. We laughed and talked about it a bit then moved on to other important topics.
Los Pomos Campaign
I can’t stop thinking about this little myth that so many Dominicans truly believe. I’ve been praying for a while now that the people we’re ministering to would have a true desire to study the bible on their own. That they wouldn’t just listen to us, but that they would long to really know God and to hear what God has to say. Yet little lies like this, thinking that too much bible is bad, impedes people from diving into the Word.
The Catholic Church here is similar in that the leaders hinder people from studying scripture on their own. They tell the people to read the bible, yet they’re only supposed to use the bible study booklets they’re given which tells them what verses of the bible to read and how to interpret them. There’s no freedom to really just meditate on scripture and receive from the Lord. Please pray with me that God will give the people we’re ministering to a great desire to study the bible, and that they will be free from these myths and hindrances.
Would you like to make a difference for poverty-stricken children in the Dominican Republic? If so, now is your chance to get involved with what T.E.A.R.S. School is doing, in a practical way.
Choose a teacher to sponsor now >>
Imagine growing up in a poverty-stricken community where school is not a given. Your parents show you very little attention and you often go without food. You hear of other families where the children are receiving education, and you wonder if you will ever have the same opportunity.
This is a reality for many children in the Maria Auxiliadora Barrio. T.E.A.R.S. School is working to change that - one classroom at a time. This year we are starting up a Child Sponsorship program in order to expand the number of children we can support.
In order to teach students, however, we first need teachers. This is where you fit in. Today you have an opportunity to sponsor a teacher, who will provide the wonderful gift of education and, more importantly, the love of Christ to children in need.
The necessity of having sufficient staff in the T.E.A.R.S. School cannot be expressed. This is our foundation, our building blocks, the roots of the ministry. We invite you to ensure that these roots are strong. By supporting a teacher you are providing their salary, which they will live on. When funding to a teacher stops, so does their access to food, clothing and basic commodities. For this reason, consistency is important.
Please prayerfully consider this tremendous prospect, and may God guide your steps.
Sincerely,
T.E.A.R.S. Team &
Joy Reyes, Director T.E.A.R.S. School
We’re not in it alone
We just said goodbye to two teams from Calgary, Canada and Lebanon, Oregon. While I am so tired I could just sit and cry it was so great to have them here and I am so sad to see them go. There is an edge and energy that the groups bring with them that is contagious and I miss it when they are gone.
Of special interest was a team of teachers who came and helped me with two weeks of teacher training. It was wonderful to have other voices, ideas, and perspectives. Because of our instant bond, educator to educator, the chasm between country, language and economic standing felt smaller than normal. The team was spectacular, coming as not only teachers but as learners; I know that all parties benefited.
The youth team from Lebanon helped by painting the inside of the school. They were so fast and did a great job. They also ran a Vacation Bible School and helped with outreaches in the evenings. I was told that many heard and received the gospel. It’s exciting to see God use teams in such a significant way.
Prayer Request
I am anxious. I know I shouldn’t be but the thought of starting school this Week has me in knots. There is so much to do and only so many hours in the day. I keep giving myself little sermons: “Cast all you cares upon me,” “If you have more to do than you are able to complete in 24 hours you are trying to do more than God is asking you to,” “even IF you got your ‘to-do’ list completed, it wouldn’t be enough…It’s not about you anyway,” “don’t just be about the master’s work, be about the master…ABIDE in Him.”
Perhaps my lack of peace is actually lack of faith or perhaps it’s wisdom shaking my overachieving drive. Either way I could use your prayers as I get ready to juggle two schools in two different communities with a new baby at home.
Elijah, by the way, is doing great and growing every day. I think he may end up with Vidal’s straight hair because like Helina and Isaac he lost his hair at about five months and instead of now coming in curly it’s filling in again straight. I guess that’s lucky for him as in the DR they call that “good hair” and work hard to straighten their beautiful curls.
Women’s Health Update
We have three staff members with little ones at home and two others pregnant so I recently purchased a breast pump and extra attachments so that women can continue to breastfeed as they return to work, a gift they never imagined possible.
Cloth diapers are now in production. I am still waiting on my sewing machine to arrive but with the help of a local friend we are getting some made for those who have recently delivered while others wait to make their own when the machine arrives. It’s such a simple way to make a significant difference by freeing up finances to purchase food and other necessities.
To see people of two very different cultures come together is one of the most unique and uplifting things a person can witness. I have been blessed to see God’s love among teachers from Canada and from the Dominican Republic this week; I know that He has brought us here for a purpose.
This Teacher Training Program has been about building relationships, growing spiritually and intellectually, and searching for new doorways; new bridges we can use to connect the old with the young- divine things with human things.
Our mornings have kicked off with devotionals. Milagros, our kindergarten teacher at the T.E.A.R.S. School, had an interesting story to share. “I know God calls us,” she said one morning while leading a session, “…a calling is for eternity.” She recalled an experience, not three weeks ago, when her great aunt was suffering greatly and near to the point of death. She felt that God wanted her to visit her great aunt; to care for her, pray with her and sing to her. She put off the idea for a few days, but it kept returning to her during the night, and she was unable to sleep. She felt compelled to go.
Milagros visited her great aunt and shared some meaningful moments with her, praying and singing as she had been led to do. Her great aunt passed away the following day. Milagros feels that God kept her great aunt alive to fulfill His purposes; to give Milagros this final opportunity to share and to complete all that He had planned for her. This story is not only a testimony of God’s grace in our lives, but also a shining example of the intimacy that has developed between all of the teachers in one short week.
Joy went on to share how a pivotal thirty minute phone call between her husband, Vidal, and Rod had brought them to TEARS. She then added what it was like when they brought Sunilda, now teaching first grade, onto the staff. Sunilda was Catholic at the time, and now her life has been transformed by the truth of Christ. There is a keen sense of God’s hand working here, calling teachers and bringing them into his Kingdom, to live and serve as his disciples.
Great bonding has taken place among us all. One memorable activity was a tone and rhythm game, led by Nola, our music teacher from Canada. “Often we hesitate to open our mouths because we are afraid of what might come out,” she said. At this statement we all laughed. “But don’t be afraid; just let it out,” she added. We went on to participate with full intensity and without shame.
Elizabeth, our second grade teacher from Canada, introduced us to some activities that literally make math fun (I never thought I’d say that, but it’s true). Meanwhile, Julie, Elizabeth’s partner, has been showing us unique art projects. “How beautiful,” one teacher exclaimed, her face beaming with excitement as she practiced blending watercolors. The teachers are loving it; just taking in all the fresh ideas and contemplating what they can now introduce to their students.
The anticipation of this new school year can be felt; it’s as though the teachers are ready to burst with excitement. When they enter their classrooms, I know they will do so with joy, because they have been equipped with not only new information, but also, it seems, a fresh desire to serve in the community.
This is the essence of our work: providing education to children in need, with the goal that they will be enlightened and emboldened to continue learning and growing in Christ throughout their entire lives. The teachers here act as a springboard, launching their children into a world of opportunity; a world where they can get engaged in what God is doing and make an impact.
Getting to know these teachers better and watching how they interact, learn and enjoy their time has been awesome. I praise the Lord for what he is doing here, in the hearts of these teachers (both Canadian and Dominican) , and I eagerly anticipate the great things that will take place in the classrooms as our school year begins.
Editors Note: The T.E.A.R.S. D.R. School opened its doors to the children on August 21st. Teacher training occurred August 6th through August 16th.
Sitting in my office today, long after everyone had left, working to organize the handouts for our full week of training, the sounds of the barrio kept interrupting my alone time. I kept turning up the music but the screaming, yelling and crying took over the room and I had to give it my full attention. I watched from my window for several minutes. Straight ahead five girls, previous students at T.E.A.R.S. school, were fighting as they worked to clean, wash the clothes and tidy the outside area of the tiny house. They argued like adults, faces full of the worry of adults-the childhood of poverty makes one old very fast.
I continued to scan the area for the crying. The baby must have been crying now for more than an hour. I spotted him. Laying on the floor naked with his grandmother sitting next to him a banana in one hand and a belt in the other beating the child repeatedly like it were the most natural thing in the world.
My first instinct was to scream and I did, but no one heard or cared. So I marched out of my office and started up the hillside. What was I going to say or do? I didn’t know but I couldn’t sit and watch a child be beaten. I prayed and wondered how my friend Jesus would have handled such a situation. I knew he wouldn’t come in judgment with a lecture-love was his tool of choice. So I asked myself, “How can I show love in this moment?”
As I approached the house I greeted the woman and spoke kindly to the child using the typical phrase here, “Que fue chiquito?” - “What happened little one?” — “Que tiene?” - “What’s the matter?” He cried and the grandma began to visit with me lying about the situation and why he was crying. I ignored the lie but showed her my office and told her as I watched from there I felt so sad I had to come see if I could help. I entered into relationship with her and we visited for several minutes as the child continued to weep. I asked what she thought he needed. She couldn’t say, but explained that if he didn’t stop crying she would spank him and showed him the belt. I suggested a hug and being held. She shook her head not convinced and didn’t make a move.
I went to visit the girls next door and as I was leaving I noticed the grandmother holding the child, now clothed and soaking up the love. I smiled real big and her eyes met mine. “That’s what he needed” I said. She smiled and asked with expectation if I’d be back. Am I too busy to give her the love she needs?
As you might know, Rod has created a “Biggest Loser” Dominican Republic style. We are proud to announce, through this program, Rod has lost 17 pounds so far! He has received tons of support from people just like you and would love encouragement and for you to pray-fully consider pledging in order to help him achieve his goals of losing weight and supporting his family financially. Learn more about supporting Rod with “The Biggest Loser.”
Weigh-in #2 (August 4, 2007): 325 pounds
Weigh-in #1 (July 4, 2007): 342 pounds
Next weigh-in September 4, 2007.
Rod had the following thoughts recently regarding his program:
Why am I the size I am? Why can he eat anything and gain no weight yet I can’t without gaining weight? I guess that I should ask some even deeper questions like, why is food so important to me? Is it more important than looking good on a date with my wife? Is food more important than having energy for special times with my daughter? Is it more important than being able to play ball with my boy? Even bigger than them all, has food become a pseudo savior that I run to in times of emotional need and hurt, or look to in an attempt to satisfy that deep longing for self-justification and reward?
Why I am the way I am, I am not sure but one thing keeps me going. Knowing that as messed-up as I am, He paid to justify me and show me my true worth. He died to show me how much He loves me and to pay for my faults. If I could only remind myself daily that I am accepted and that I don’t have to prove anything, that He is my recompense and my treasure, maybe this food addiction would start to pale away in comparison to His love. Oh, that I may just see Him today, just today.
Through T.E.A.R.S. of joy,
Roderick Davis
