Thank you to all

As many of you know,  we came home to Seattle for about 5 weeks due to my dad being hospitalized because of a fall and a serious infection throughout his body.  Thank you to so many who lifted us and him up in prayer, provided a home for us and loved us while were home. My dad spent about 10 days in intensive care and then another week at the hospital, then was moved to a rehabilitation home and spent about 2 weeks there.  During this time we prayed for my dad, visited him regularly, all the while cleaning out his house and garage.

Praise God for his faithfulness!  What looked so impossible to us turned into God blessing us over and over.  God brought family, friends, neighbors, and people we didn't even know to help us and Grandpa.  I have no doubt some were angels :)

During this process we also needed to find my dad an adult family home because he was still so weak.  God again was faithful in that He blessed us with just the right place for my dad.  We absolutely love the home we found him and we are so thankful for Marc and Claudia, the owners of the adult family home.

We were so sad that we didn't have much time to spend with our family due to how incredibly busy we were trying to accomplish all we needed to. But we did have a few days along the way to spend with them.  Here are some pics.

Again, thank you to all who prayed for us through this incredibly tough journey we just traveled. God is good!

The Jayne Family - looking good! (Daughter Amy and family)

Micah and Jonah's best friend Johnnie, with Oma too :) (Our daughter Amy's boys)

Matching smiles !
(Daughter Amy)

3 generations of beautiful :)
(Oma, daughter Lyndsey, granddaughter Ellie)

Grandpa, Oma, and one super happy kid
(Karen, her dad Jerry, Lyndsey's son Eli)

Notice any similarities ?
(Daughter Lyndsey)

One day we had to go look at some property Grandpa owned, so we took the boys with us.  Great day
(Amy's boys Jonah and Micah)

TREASURES

It was a great day!

Perfect form !  Looks like a home run from that swing
(Our son Trapper's son Wyatt)

Thats one proud papa
(Trapper with daughter Addison)

A great night with our grandson Carter playing cards, he beat everyone.
(Our daughter Crystal's son Carter)

Oma and Carter

I know what they're saying here.  I just got a new camera and was a little click happy.  They're saying  "Man, I hope his battery dies
(Sons Kenny Jr, Trapper and his wife Kaysee and daughter Addison)

I double checked, they don't make them any more beautiful :)

Again, one proud papa 

This guy....... Is Awesome !
(Daughter Lyndsey and husband Tom's son Eli)

Addison - Oma - Opa 

Much love,
Kenny and Karen

Assumptions and the Unexpected!!!

It's amazing to me how Kenny and I  become comfortable and "at home" in Jarabacoa. Yes, there have been tons of difficulties and many obstacles but at the end of the day when we walk into our home we sigh that same sigh of relief that we sighed when entering our home in the states.  I think we assumed that we would continue to settle in and serve there and that life back in the states would go smoothly, we would spend August with our grandchildren, our children and our parents. But unexpectedly, Kenny's stepdad, Marvin, had a fall and here we are - back in Washington for a month as we care for Marvin and do our best to make sure he is well cared for.

Before leaving to come back to the states, we had just said good-bye to a wonderful mix of adults and college students from James Madison, Indiana Weslyn, Wintonbury and the Humphrey family. We were busy preparing along with our interns, Martha and Sarah, for the next two one week outreaches.

Marvin went into the hospital and within a couple of days he was near death due to a serious infection. Our children faithfully stayed by his side until we could get there. Against all the doctors expectations, Marvin healed from his infection but still remained weak. He transferred to a skilled nursing facility and we are currently navigating and learning about Medicare and Medicaid. 

Among many other things, we have been cleaning up Marvin's properties to prepare them for sale. Marvin was a mechanic in his younger years and he loves machines and thinking about how things work. Just the other day he was talking about modifying his walker to better serve him! :-)

This is Marvin's garage after 8 days of us cleaning and clearing. Our children have pitched in to help! We have all been reminded of the many times we worked together as a family. Paul Klacson, our neighbor in North Bend, came out to help us as we navigated the new world of scrap metal! We had no idea there were so many different categories of metals! We were sitting in the Lowe's parking lot the other day and I found myself wondering if the carts in front of me were aluminum. Crazy!

Aside from clearing out the house and garage, Marvin had a few trucks and cars, a couple trailers, a skid loader, a Bobcat, and this awesome 1941 Chrystler that we still haven't sold!

There were 25 brand new boxes of these along with 150 brand new Toyota master cylinders for 1972 Toyotas. One man's junk is another man's treasure!

When we first arrived, it was impossible to walk into the carport or the garage. They were so full!

Paul discovering a new treasure!

We are committing to prepare for our later years by making sure our will is in order and our possessions are few! This whole situation would have been incredibly more difficult if Grandpa had not named Kenny as his Durable Power of Attorney.

Hazardous waste removal has been complicated! We are so grateful for King County's recycle and waste disposal station only 10 blocks away from Grandpa's.

This morning in our devotional it says "In me you have everything. In Me you are complete. Your capacity to experience Me is increasing, through My removal of debris and clutter from your heart. As your yearning for Me increases other desires are gradually lessening." Lord, please help us to desire only you as we sort through all of this clutter. Let this be a reminder for us that we are not store up treasures in this world, so that we can focus more on you! Please draw the two of us and our family closer to each other through this experience. We pray that Marvin   will know how much you love him and that he will grow in relationship with you, that he will spend eternity with you!

An Unexpected Surprise

Tara (far right) arrived here on a Sunday night.  Then on Monday morning Karen and I drove her about 3 hours to a town called Las Terranas on another part of the island. She spent a week helping Rachel, Vanesa and Fernando (our SI  medical/dental staff) while they were on a mission trip. Yes, missionaries go on mission trips!

We really enjoyed spending time getting to know Tara. As we were driving we came acrossed this cave.  It was pretty awesome!

Looks kinda scary to me :)

We sensed we were in for a treat about 2 hours into our drive when we came acrossed this road.  

They literally just cut away parts of the mountainside for this new road.  With the red rock opened up, mixed with the green vegetation, aqua blue water and blue sky, wow, it really looked beautiful.

This picture does'nt do justice to how beautiful the red rock is.

Again, they literally cut this road right through this hillside.

Pretty cool!

Beautiful

Can anyone say "The hills are alive with the sound of music"?

A mere 78 degrees and cloudy, perfect :)

It was a very good day!

 I'm thinking a house right about here :)

This water will definitely make you smile 

On the way home.  Sad to be leaving the beach but still speechless over the beauty of this island

On the way home.  Just had to stop for one last look.

Not long after our beach trip we got to spend an evening going out to dinner with some great friends.

From L of Karen moving left,  Catalina Spanish teacher, Lourdes - In the DR on a medical mission, our interns Sara, Tara and Martha, Vanesa - SI Dentist with her husband Jose, Melissa -missionary,  Rachel - SI Community Health P.A.  Dick & Mary Ellen SI Hospitality 


We are getting ready to go for a pretty hard push so this was a wonderful break.  Please pray for strength, wisdom and most of all, an overabundance of God's love to freely give to all who come down here these next 10 months.  Thank you to all who partner with us to bring the Good News to the Dominican people and  American high school and college students.  

Kenny

Three Amazing Young Ladies!

Tres Asombroso Mujeres!
From L to R - Martha, Sara, Tara

We have been blessed with incredible spring interns as we gear up for a busy year.  Martha is splitting time working 4 days a week in the microfinance site and one day helping Karen and I go through and restructure all our files.  Sara is working 4 days a week in Social Work and will be helping train us in putting together video presentations.  Tara is here on a medical internship. It has been awesome to serve alongside these gifted women.

Reflection Time

Wow! These last 18 months have been pretty close to inexpressible.  Starting with God calling us to the Dominican Republic for three years, to spending 8 months of raising support,  to Mission Training in Colorado, to Guatemala for language school, to landing in the Dominican Republic.

After arriving here our journey continued with more language here, looking for a little moto to get around, learning a new town to live in, finding a car, finding and renting a home, starting a new job, to making new friends and new co-workers, furnishing our new home. painting the entire inside of our new home.  Going home for the holidays and returning with only 5 days before teams arrive for 4 straight weeks.

Did I mention learning a new culture?

All in only 18 months! Wow!  If anyone thinks being a missionary is a piece of cake, come see me :)

In the midst of all this, we have never experienced such a depth of joy.  We continually get to see God at work through and in ourselves along with the all the staff here at SI - DR. Slowly but surely lives our being transformed through the love of Christ. Wow!

What a joy and an honor that God would choose us to be a part of all this.

I have to admit, before we came I sometimes thought in the furthest depths of my mind "Wow God, I am sacrificing a lot to be obedient to your calling to come here.  I mean, I have a great paying job with benefits.  I am being promoted.  I stand to make a lot of money towards the end of my work career to set Karen and I up for the long run.  I AM SACRIFICING ALOT HERE GOD"

THEN.............. God just opened His floodgates of blessings and here is what I have been privileged to see.

1) I have got to watch God impress upon the hearts of so many friends, family and even people I either dont know or barely know to commit to support us through either prayer, financially both
2)I have got to watch and notice that the gifts God has blessed me with - the ability to love others, no matter nationality, color or any other thing is so far and away better than any earthly gain I could have ever found.
3)I have got to see God come through in every instance of doubt or disbelief.
4)I have got to see that God is just as much at work in other parts of the world as He is in my own community
5)I have got to see American students come to the Lord, recommit their lives to the Lord, grow closer to the Lord.
6)I have got to see God grow Karen and me in both our own spiritual lives and also in our marriage.

And then I was left with feeling ashamed that "I AM SACRIFICING A LOT HERE GOD"  I have sacrificed nothing compared to His Son and secondly to the measure I have been blessed.

All in only 18 months! God has proven more faithful and bigger and wiser and more loving than I think I ever understood before.


Before our last team left we had a worship time with about 75 people and I came away speechless that I just got to be a part of that experience.  Not only to be a part of it but to get to be behind the scenes in the orchestration of it. Who would have thought this could be?

Not bad for only 18 months of reflection eh?

Love you all and thank you for partnering with us for the glory of God.  Your sacrifice, every bit as important as our sacrifice, is reaping eternal fruit.

Love and peace,

Kenny


Until a missionary comes to start a media site, Kenny is the guy in charge of photography! When a team is with us, Kenny goes to all the sites and takes pics. The pics below are the ones he takes when participants meet their site leaders (missionaries).

Yocasta (in pink) SI's Education site in the community of El Callejon!

Vanesa is both Dentist and Missionary!

Miriam (in green) and Eric (also in green) are  in charge of Microfinance. Martha (far left) the very first intern Kenny and I have had here. She is awesome!!!

Raul (2nd from Right) oversees the Men's Sports site!

Yocasta (in green) runs SI's Education site 
in the community of Los Higos.

Together, Mike and Karen 
run our Special Education site, Genesis.

Hans (in green) runs our Construction site.

Leo oversees the Boys Club site for SI.

Katie (3rd from right) and Alberto team together to run 
SI's Education site in the community of Mata Gorda.

Heidy (in green) runs our Social Work site 
in the Los Higos Community.

Fernando is the doctor in charge of SI's medical site.

Jess (all in black) runs our Women's Sports site!

Daisy (center) from Guatemala and Kim (3rd from right) together
run our Women's Social Work site in El Callejon.

Rachel is a PA who just started SI's Community Health site. 
This was her very first team!
Rachel attended our SI training last January and she also went to MTI (Missionary Training) in Colorado with us!

A HEARTBREAKING EYE OPENER....

I've heard so many times we are a blessed nation.  And I've always believed that to a certain extent.  But last weekend opened my eyes to really see just how blessed we are.  Karen, Brent ( the semester program director), the semester students from Bethel University and myself jumped in a SI van and took a road trip to the border of Haiti last weekend.

Brent, who has made this journey multiple times gave us directions from our town Jarabacoa to the Haitian border, about a 3 hour trip one way.  It was a great time of fellowship together as we headed up to the border.  The purpose of this trip was to go to the marketplace at the border and observe the interaction between the two cultures.  Little did I know how much I would observe.

Twice a week, Tuesdays and Fridays, Haitians are allowed to cross the border into the DR to sell whatever they have, and then they turn around and use that money to buy food.   Most of the things they sell come from relief organizations and a lot of the things they get they won't/can't use (clothes, toys, foods, shampoo, etc.) so they sell those things and as I said buy food that is critical. 

There is a river that separates the 2 countries and as you walk across a bridge you cross into the DR.  As soon as you come off the bridge there is a huge building with booths inside and booths outside.  This is where all the trading/selling is done.  It is literally wall to wall people, so much so you can barely walk.  Everyone trying to sell their things.  It is loud, busy, smelly, desperate.

As you try to walk through you are constantly moved to the side by Haitians with old broken wheel barrels loaded to their max hurrying back and forth with goods and food.  It is really hot so the air is filled with the smell of body odor and fish.  Not a good combination of smells.

As we walked through the outdoor booths and the marketplace inside I could not help but look into the vendors eyes to see if I could somehow get a glimpse into their lives.  I really had no desire to look at all the stuff they were selling.  I was more interested in the condition of their hearts.  What I saw will impact me for the rest of my life.

Mind you this is only my interpretation, what I saw with my eyes.  

I saw pain, frustration, desperation, bitterness, anger, hopelessness all wrapped into one.  Some of the vendors lay on the concrete floor waiting for someone to walk by and buy their things.  The Haitians we saw outside at the back of the building were incredibly hard-working. This is where the "behind the scenes action" was and where my heart was truly broken for them.

From what I could tell the system appears to be:  On the Haitian side of the border they have a staging area, where trucks carry all merchandise to be sold.  Haitians then use wheel barrels and old style carts (wooden carts that much resemble the carts in movies like Gladiator) to transport everything across the bridge, then into the booths outside and inside the marketplace.  Then as they get the money needed for food they reload these big carts full of food and 8-12 Haitian men then push the carts back up hill to the Haitian side of the border to be loaded on the trucks to deliver food to their families in need.  

The cart line behind the building is long and single file so if someone breaks down or needs to rest everyone has to stop.  Did I mention the temperature is really hot, or that so many of the men pushing the carts are barefoot in the mud, or that I saw the look in their eyes of sheer exhaustion but knowing they have to keep moving or they could lose valuable relief for their families?  

The pictures you see here are from someone else's camera.  At the time I observed all this I could not bring myself to take one picture.  It was so sad.  

In a sense I never want to return there.  It was just too sad.  As I processed this I began to question God, "Why do I/we have it so good?, Why do you show me/us favor?, This is too big, how can I/we help in any way?, What would you have me/us do?"

I seriously don't know the answer to these questions.  I also understand God is God and He can shape and mold however He wants.  He is the great Potter.  But I do know this......

I WILL NEVER BE THE SAME.  When someone speaks of me/us being a blessed people I truly can understand that concept in ways only a short time ago I really didn't.  In the back of my mind are forever burned these images of men and women dirty, tired, hungry desperately trying to survive.  

I think of the song "Open the Eyes of My Heart" and I know it has new meaning to me.  
"Lord, how can you use us as a nation "to see You high and lifted up?  How can our actions reveal Your glory?"

Your brother in Christ Jesus,
Kenny