The Heart of the Maker

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Is there a difference between the way my heart and hands respond to people in need and the way the heart of God responds to them?  Proverbs 14:31 says,  “Whoever oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God.”  Proverbs 17:5 teaches something similar: “Whoever mocks the poor shows contempt for their Maker; whoever gloats over disaster will not go unpunished.”

At ICC we can’t help but recognize the vast number of people in need in our community — a combination of great physical needs and also profound spiritual and emotional needs.   Responding to those needs is the challenge, and our responses are directly coorelative with our relationship with God.  If we choose to disregard the dignity of every human being who has been created in the image of God, we are showing contempt for  the Almighty.    Those are very strong words.  But, obviously, the Lord takes this issue very seriously, and so should we.

May God grant us all the wisdom, grace and supernatural love that we need as we attempt to relay the heart of Jesus Christ to every man, woman and child in our community, be it Santo Domingo, Shanghai, NYC or the uttermost parts of the earth.

Recent Events

There has been a whirlwind of activity around ICC this past week!   On Saturday, we had the chance to fellowship with our brothers and sisters from the DR Red del Camino for a regional conference called “Salt and Light – Transforming My Community” held at a sister church in Santo Domingo.  Our ICC founding pastor Robert Guerrero was a guest speaker, and our two pastors Jose Ramon Rodriguez and Jose Figueroa were in attendance along with other ICC leaders.  It was a great time of encouragement and challenge.

That very same evening, Nueva Creacion Gym director Flordelis and gym personal trainer/supervisor Victor were married at ICC!  It has been exciting to see the hand of God over their relationship, and we are so happy for them as they begin their lives together as a married couple.   They will be missed at Nueva Creacion as they make their move to Miami.  Many of their family members do not have personal relationships with Jesus Christ, so we pray that Robert’s message during the marriage ceremony will prompt them to consider all that God can do in their lives if they invite Him in.

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The Dominican Republic celebrated Mother’s Day on Sunday, May 26th.  We had special guest Pastor Alberto Castro from Costa Rica share a beautiful message with the ICC congregation on the example that Mary gives us for motherhood and trust in God.   The Abriendo Camino School students prepared a Mother’s Day presentation for the parents on Wednesday, May 29th.  All of the classes did a wonderful job, but the 4 year old class stole the show with their song and flower presentation.  Here’s a brief video of their closing:

Radical Community

Throughout the month of April, we at ICC have been focusing on the theme of “Radical Community”, which is one of our core values as a church.  We have been searching the Scriptures each week with our pastors to learn what Biblical community really looks like and how we apply that to our context.  For example, to have Radical Community, we must have something in common – personal submission to Jesus Christ and His Word.  From there, we are better able to walk in the humility that Christ modeled and is required in order to be agents of reconciliation amongst ourselves and within our neighborhoods.   Radical community also requires a genuine willingness to sacrifice, whether that be our time, our resources, etc., for our brothers and sisters rather than serving out of obligation or with “lip service” only.

As just one expression of our desire to be closer as a church, we went to one of the biggest parks in the city on a Saturday to spend some quality family time together.   We called it “ICC +Cerca”, which translated implies that we all went to be closer together in heart, mind and spirit.  It was a beautiful day, and we hope to do it again soon!

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New Management at New Creation

ICC’s New Creation Gym continues to remind its members that “God cares about your body, too!”, and it is a great platform by which our community of faith can reach out to individuals who would ordinarily never darken the door of a church.

You might not know that the gym is currently in the process of a management change.  Director Flordelis Miniel has an exciting reason for why she is transitioning out of the role in late May 2013 — she’s getting married and moving to the US!  Long-time ICC staff member Elizabeth Aponte will taking on the gym leadership role with Flor’s departure.

While working at New Creation, Flor met the man of her dreams, who shares her committment to Jesus Christ and to physical fitness with community consciousness.  Right after their wedding, they will be moving to the Miami area to start their new lives together.  Flor will be deeply missed, but we are confident that the gym will be in good hands with Elizabeth at the helm.

There’s another change around the gym to tell you about, as well.  Nueva Creacion Gym’s 4th floor reception area used to have an empty terrace outside its south-facing wall.   That terrace has recently been converted into a charming cafe called “Cincuenta’s” (which means “fifties”) Social Food, complete with artificial lawn, hand-crafted dining furniture and health-conscious, casual cuisine.  Cincuenta’s hopes to create a friendly atmosphere where gym clients, church members and neighbors in our community can enjoy fresh air, fresh food and fellowship while supporting something very dear to our hearts — 10% of Cincuenta’s profits will go towards supporting ICC’s soup kitchen (“comedor”)!  The next time you’re in Santo Domingo, we invite you to stop by!

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Faces in the crowd

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Every Monday through Friday, our soup kitchen serves approximately 80 men, women and adolescents a noon meal along with a time of reflection and encouragement based upon God’s Word.   We’re happy to do it, but just who are these people?  Many could be considered “regulars”, but because most choose not to participate in our worship services, Bible classes, or other activities of ICC, they become just faces in the crowd.  In Matthew 25:34-40, Jesus taught:

³⁴ “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. ³⁵ For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, ³⁶ I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

³⁷ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? ³⁸ When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? ³⁹ When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you? ⁴⁰ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

As Jesus followers, we are called to be committed to serving “the least of these”.   Because of the global condition of broken and dsyfunctional families, abandoned children and elderly, abuse and neglect of the weaker, the emotional needs of our communities go hand in hand with the physical needs.  Without a healthy family unit, many face the reality that there is often no one to know you – to know and celebrate your birthday, to care about your likes and dislikes, to spend a holiday with – much less give you a place to stay when you can’t pay your rent because you lost your job, or offer you a meal when times are tight, help you get to a doctor when your body is to weak to get there on your own, or even to look you in the eyes and call you by name…

In order to be the hands, feet and heart of Jesus to a person who has become just a face in the crowd, we need to make a personal connection, not just give a physical hand out.  Please lift up the congregation of ICC before our Heavenly Father who knows us down to the very number of hairs on our head, that we would be part of His marvelous plan of reconciliation for those who have lost their identity, lost their relationships, and have lost their hope of ever finding love and acceptance.

Mateo’s Story

As Hurricane Sandy was passing by the Dominican Republic last October, bringing rain and heavy winds to Santo Domingo, an old man was found out on the streets near ICC, disoriented, malnourished, and hardly able to walk due to a bad leg infection.   He was welcomed into our church lobby to ride out the storm in a dry, safe place with the rest of the elderly men and women who stay in our shelter.

After the storm passed, we learned more about this man.  Don Mateo is 94 years old and a military veteran, whose years of service include time under the infamous dictator Trujillo.  He has family members in towns on the outskirts of Santo Domingo and in New York, but it seems that because he was a hard father, they no longer want anything to do with him.   Don Mateo wept when his daughter did not keep her promise to come visit him the night of our community Christmas dinner.  Not one family member has come to the church to see him, despite phone calls advising them of his grave health condition.

The leg infection has continued to worsen despite our medical ministry’s best efforts, and it is an ongoing battle to keep the fly larvea out of the wound.  We will spare you greater detail; but needless to say, we continue to help Mateo fight to avoid amputation.

This past week, he has been admitted to a government hospital for blood transfusions and further treatment to his leg.  The doctors and nurses have learned that Mateo is homeless and being cared for by our church.  They are astounded by this, as they have never before had a patient admitted in this situation, nor anyone who has received regular visitors and care from people who are not members of his actual family.   But, we know that God has called us as Christ followers to be a family to those who are rejected and alone.

We praise God that Mateo recently gave his life to Jesus Christ!  He now has peace about where he will be for eternity; however, he is still hoping to also reconcile with his family.  Please pray that Mateo would experience this miracle of family restoration, and that the Lord would help us to continue to be sensitive to the lonely and lost in our community and willing to make sacrifices on their behalf, just as He has made the ultimate sacrifice for all of us.

Love, Sweat and Tears

Recently a team of students from Judson University of Elgin, Illinois, visited ICC for a chance to partner with us in some community service projects.  A very special project that they undertook was the pouring of a cement floor for a young widow who works for our New Creation Gym.

Francia lost her husband a few years ago to a tragic motorcycle accident.  He left her with two young daughters and a concrete block house that was not yet completed.   She works hard and does her best to get by and provide a good home for her girls, but it is not easy.   When some of Francia’s friends from ICC went to her house to visit her a few months ago, they noticed that the entire floor of her house was dirt and gravel.  They decided to look for an opportunity to improve that situation for her.

The Judson team came with a desire to be the hands and feet of Jesus Christ along with us in our community.  So, Pastor Jose Figueroa and ICC leader Alberty Reyes took the college students out to Francia’s home and got them started breaking up the dirt and preparing her house for a solid, clean concrete floor.

It was a blessing for all to partner alongside one of Francia’s brothers and friends from her neighborhood who had expertise in how to pour the floor.  Because they are a family of very little resource, they never had the means to purchase the supplies to be able to make the floor for Francia.  But, they were very excited to partner with the students’ gifts of supplies and volunteer labor to make this new floor come together for this sweet young woman and her daughters.

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The students not only helped with mixing the cement and preparing the dirt floor, but they also leveled out piles of rubble that had been left around the house so that Francia could have a workspace behind her home, rather than the rocks and dirt that had been left there from the house construction.   Francia and her girls were thrilled!

Sadly, just days after the completion of this project, another one of Francia’s brothers was murdered.  She and her family are broken-hearted over this loss.   She has experienced so much tragedy in her life.  Would you please join us in praying for Francia, her girls and her extended family?  They need the comfort and peace that only God can provide.  Many of them do not have a personal relationship with the Lord, but they are witnessing the love of the body of Christ in a new way as a result of our church and some university students eager to serve.

Family Day

Abriendo Camino School celebrated a family day in the park on Saturday, February 23rd.  All of the families of the students were invited to meet at one of the biggest parks in Santo Domingo for games, hotdogs and hamburgers and a great time together.   It was a perfect, sunny day, and everyone had a wonderful time!  The pictures say it all…

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An Evening of Romance

The ICC Marriage Ministry hosted a romantic rooftop dinner for our couples this past Saturday in honor of Valentine’s Day.  Over 25 couples enjoyed watching the sun set over Santo Domingo while dining, reciting poetry, and confessing their love for their spouses.   It was a night to remember!

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A Time for Healing

In the month of February, the ladies of ICC began an 8 week study based upon the Beatitudes of Jesus Christ called “Decisions that Heal Your Life”.   Every Wednesday night, more than 50 women have been coming together for a time of teaching followed by break out groups for discussion, companionship and prayer.

It has been exciting to see new faces each week; and the strong turnout tells us that this theme of healing and making healthy decisions is very relevant.  So many women have been carrying “everything”, including hurts from abusive relationships, unhealthy choices, dysfunctional home lives, etc. for years, and they have not been able to turn it all over to Christ for the permanent healing and peace that they desire.  Please pray that we will see incredible breakthroughs in the lives of our women during this study.

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.  Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.  Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.  Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.  Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.”