Ronnie Herrera - awakening a Dominican Generation to Serve God Through Missions

Guachupita's Workshop

Mon, 14 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Blessings everyone.

While I'm typing, I'm trying to guess what my wife is doing in the back, kicking mosquitoes under my computer table and strive to not lose my concentration due to all the political campaing noise out in the streets. So as you have seen I'm a very multi-task person.

So as I promised I'm bringing you some pictures and a brief summary of an activity we just had in guachupita.

The Students from Colegio Evangelico Lucille Rupp, A christian school in which both Patria and I studied and where most of my disciples study now, presented a workshop for the kids in Guachupita.

It was a group of 25 students and they had to do a presentation for the kids on different topics such as Domestic Violence, hygyene, Human rights and other topics. This presentation/ workshop was part of a project from the school on how to develop a better country for the future. I was amazed when in one of my interviews with some the girls who were organizing the event, I was told that they wanted to base everything they were going to talk about on the authority of the bible. I was very glad not only to be their liason with that community, but also to be a mentor for the team organizing everything.

[for those of you who have been to guachupita] They were expecting about 30 kids, suddenly the room was fool and our 100 portions of food weren't enough. some of the students even sacrificed their portion of food to give it to the kids.

After the event I shared the gospel with these students, I felt such an Identification with them since I was a student myself of the same institution. They teachers are all believers and they studyin a Christian School but momst of them haven't really commmitted their lives to Christ. However; seeing them doing what Jesus did with the community opened my heart for them.

Please pray for them, and pray for /Goo- a- choo- pee- tae/

Un Macho fregando

Mon, 7 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT

En esta oportunidad les traigo un blog en Español. Despues de bendecirles cariñosamente, quiero disculparme por que el mismo [el blog] no es necesariamente espiritual o misionero como algunos querrian. Pero con una gran enseñanza.

Cada Domingo en Cativo un grupo de al menos 10 personas de diferentes iglesias con fines a trabajar como misioneros a Tiempo completo en grupos no alcanzados a nivel mundial ( o sea Amanece Dominicano); servimos en todas las areas posibles y usando nuestros dones. Un grupo imparte una clase de alfabetizacion, otro grupo da una clase para Niños, otro grupo cocina y otro grupo hace visitas a los que han aceptado al Señor o estan en eso. Alguna que otra platica de discipulado se podria dar y de no estar muy atareados...nos bañamos en el rio.

Ayer era el turno manita Mayi y Yo cocinar. Con conocimientos basicos de cocina y con muchas dudas hicimos un locrio de maiz con carne molida. A pesar de que el arroz parecia mas bien un chenchen por su pastosa consistencia, todo quedo muy bueno...de verdad!!

Mientras los demas efectuaban el servicio cantando, orando y predicando; Mayi y yo nos asegurabamos de dejar la cocina lo mas impecable posible. El calambre en mis rodillas por estar agachado por tanto tiempo y el deseo por terminar de fregar fueron interrumpidos por una niña que llamaba a todas sus amiguitas insistentemente. Yo mismo no preste mucha atencion, al final siempre juegan alrededor.

La solemne asamblea de niñas se habia reunido ya cuando en voz baja una exclamó "miren un macho fregando" no pude resistir la risa y mire hacia atras. disipando sin querer a todas estas niñas que ahora iban camino a sus casas con la "frustrante" imagen de un macho fregando.

El servicio a los demas debe ser el pegamento que nos une, y no el deseo de aquello que los demas puedan darme o proveerme. no nos avergoncemos de servir Jamas.

About Dominican Rising

Thu, 3 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Hello everyone.

Finally I get some time to post a blog and let everyone know what’s going on in the Dominican Republic so far. Before I do that I’d like to apologize because I haven’t posted a blog in a while.

Once I came from “Los Montacitos “. My wife and I have been very busy. We are both working with Amanece Dominicano and with ministries they are involved in, such as Guachupita and Cativo. I’m assisting my home church with the missions department which they didn’t have one before. Those things plus the discipleship with my guys and college consume most of my time. Now, more than being busy there‘s fruit in that and is about those fruits that I want to tell you about.

I knew that coming back to Dominican Republic to work with a Dominican Generation of Missionaries would be a hard task because of the things I knew I had to face (you can read about them in my last blog). It was hard for me to truly believe that God was going to take me to the nations and I knew it was going to be harder to teach a bunch of Dominican Kids to trust God with all their hearts. Once I started I realized that things harder than I thought. It is not the same thing to walk a path by yourself than to lead a group through that path. However; as of right now our team of 13 students is getting ready for their mission trips. Patria and I will be going with the first team (all new students) to Haiti by the end of July for two weeks. The main goal of that trip, besides assisting the Haitian church, is to help them discover and affirm the calling that God has for them.

Right after that another team of five will be going for a month long trip to the same community. These students were not able to make it to Cuba last year and they will be going to Haiti both to help and serve the church there and to put into practice what they have learned in the last couple of years. The purpose of this trip is to have them learn how to use their gifts and talents for God as they work in a different culture with a different language and far from home.

The last trip will be to the Amazon jungle. Patria and I and 4 more students will be serving in Iquitos Peru for 3 months. Our contact there has confirmed that we will be working with “the Urarinas” an unreached Native community in the Jungle. At first we were planning to work in Nauta which is one of the main cities in the Jungle, but God placed the opportunity and the desire in our hearts to work with the unreached. We accepted it.

To get there will need a higher amount of money than we had planned, but we decided to take a step of faith believing that God will provide for transportation and spiritual guidance as we go. The culture will be a challenge and the language barrier might stretch us to the fullest, as we get ready to become full time missionaries to many unreached nations around the globe. Please pray for all these plans we have so far and pray that we get prepared for those trips spiritually and physically. Pray that God provides the funds we need for those trips and pray that God send workers to the field.

Thanks for reading and please share it. In the next post I’ll let you know about our home churches in Cativo and Guachupita.

Have you ever been on a mission trip?

Sun, 29 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Have you ever been on a mission trip?
Have you ever dedicated a week to serve in a different environment than your own?
Have you volunteered to work overseas sharing the good news of the gospel?

If you have, then is very possible that you could easily answer the next question:
What do I need to go on a mission trip?

The answer is not objective, for it depends on where you are going, how long are you going to be there and what you are going to be doing once you are on the field. You might also think about the difficulties that you are going to face. How is your comfort going to be challenged? What will you miss, and what's life going to look like when you don't have McDonald, walmart, or your favorite TV Channel. Of course not everything has to be bad; you don't have to think about taxes while you are out there, you don't have to think about mowing your lawn or dugging your car out of the snow, not in the Dominican.

Now, how is this different for a 20ish year-old, Dominican college bachelor?

It's very, very different and still so similar. As we take a break from translating, two of my Dominican Rising Students and I have a conversation about the country that is in their hearts, Mayi rapidly responds Uganda. She has been praying for about 4 years that she get the opportunity to go there and share the good news with those people. Connie had a harder time but eventually figures out that her heart is towards South America. The two sisters tell me that they assume that these countries being in their hearts could be a sign that that's where God wants them to go.

What do they need to go on a mission trip?
Most families don’t accept servings others as an official “job”. Most Dominican Parents expect their kids to finish college and to have a good job so they can retire peacefully. Most of our DominicanRising students have to face struggles because their families see going on a mission trip as a bizarre call. Stronger than anything mentioned above is the inner struggle; to have faith that God will take them to the nations and lead them to preach the gospel to the unreached and to help the poor and the hopeless regardless of the circumstances they were born in.

Now imagine rising funds in a third world country were most churches don’t assume missions as their goal. Rising funds in a third world country is not an easy task. So they need much more than any of us would think. Your help is needed. Your prayers are needed. Your words of motivation are needed. Your support is needed. Your presence is needed.

We are a team of Dominicans aware that “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few” and here we are standing before Him letting Him know that we are willing to go. Will you send us?

Pray. Send. Go. Or Disobey
John Piper

We're back

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT

We’re back…and broken!!

God bless all of our brothers and sisters in Christ. I pray that His love is felt in every breath you take and in every step you make; for it is by his grace that we are alive.
Patria and I are back from Los Montasitos. We had been working with the church there helping them with some ministries while we hosted a World Race team. It was a great time for us and for the WR team that was working there. We wish we could have stayed there.

It’s a rejoice as well to be back at our place and feel the warmness that our home gives us; nevertheless we’re also broken, and it is about our brokenness that I want to share with you about.

Our time in Los montasitos was marked by a family and especially one of their children, his name is Yonaji (Johnajee). He’s only 5 years old and he has already faced many of the struggles that we might never face. Patria and I were witness of every single fight his parents had. Nobody in Los montasitos rents them a house because of how troublesome his family is. As I’m writing, they are living in an abandoned building, using blankets and sheets as doors. Yonajee, his mom, dad, older brother and older sister share one bed. Food is scarce for them.

I felt so powerless, because his family is not the type of family that would be opened to foreigners. I prayed and asked God what I could do about this situation while I was there. I felt God telling me to share His love with these kids in a practical way. Yonaji spent most of the day in the streets playing with his friends and sledding on the mountains. So I took some time to sled with him and talk with him every now and then. However he preferred being with the “americanos” (WorldRacers). His sister Julissa is victim of abuse from her older brother and father. The girls in the team helped her encouraging her to rely on Jesus for hope. I taught English while I was there, and she attended sometimes. Their older brother yonky was careless of our presence. It wasn’t until I had a talk with him for beating his sister that he sort of opened to spend time with me. We both shot our slingshots at birds and sled down some mountains as well.
I really don’t know if my time there and the things I did with them will in fact create a change in these kid’s lives. I’m not expecting that being in Los montasitos for a month will eliminate the abuse, the hopelessness, the famine, the anger and the bad habits of this family. But I do strongly believe that God called me to do the little I did in order to show HIS great love for these kids. I believe that there was nothing better to give these kids than the very love of God. I believe that the Holy Spirit will do the rest.
Please pray, not only for yonaji, or his family, but for all the abuse going on in our country. Pray for the bullied, and the bullies. Pray that a new generation will rise up; A generation that understands God’s desire for this nation. Pray for every missionary, Pastor, believer that has grasped God’s heart for this country. Pray for Patria and I, that we never grow numb to the things that we see every day. That we never lose the hope that Jesus gives us. Pray. Pray. Pray without ceasing.

For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;
That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;
Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness;

Colossians 1:9-11

Coffee, pumpkin, water and very sore feet

Sun, 4 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Blessings a todos.

Sitting in the back of a truck, enjoying the cold breeze between the colossal mountains as we made our way to the river, the view was divine. Miguel and I had been planning a surprise trip for the Amanece Dominicano students, and we were happy to see it happening.

As we arrived, the first goal we had was to prepare some coffee, for which we had to find dry wood, and we did! (well kind of). Later on we moved to a second spot where we could sit under the shades of some of the most wonderful trees. Horlyn and I explored the area. Jumping from rock to rock we almost became quadrupeds. By the time we met the team they were already having lunch; A Delicious pumpkin pie like dish made by my beloved.

The river we swam in was pretty strong; so Horlyn, Miguel and I enjoyed getting into it and float in the cold water. Finally, I was really tired and overwhelmed by the magnitude of God’s creation. I decided to lay down and see if it was possible to fall asleep with half body under water. I couldn’t my feet were too sore and I was too tired for that.

Some of us would rather not go to the mountains as not to get sore legs, we wouldn’t walk barefoot in the river because the rocks in it would hurt our feet. Sometimes we need to get up and yes! Get hurt, get sore, get tired, get disappointed but making sure we are enjoying our duties of expanding and fortifying the Kingdom of God. Ministry is not always those things we’re addicted to, but also those things we need when we’re hungry and those things that will most likely be uncomfortable.

In life we’ll get coffee, pumpkin and sore feet.

We were made for eternity

Tue, 22 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT

I knew there was something wrong, our church service finished and it hadn't been an hour since it started. Our Pastor was giving the final announcements when he finaly explained why we were being dismissed. Our youth Pastor's mom had passed away.

She had been sick for a while and Tony (youth pastor) was ready for her departure; however, when I showed up to the funeral home the picture I saw was not pleasing. Tony, a retired basketbal player known for being emotionally strong and the one comforting others in their losses, was there sitting there crying and weeping in a way I have never seen him. That broke my heart.

At that moment I remembered a phrase I had heard "we were made for eternity". Tony kept on saying he was prepared, but when we lose somebody in our lives not only that makes us feel sad but it also makes us think how short life is.

That phrase was in my head for a couple of hours, until God revealed the purpose of that phrase being in my head for so long. "we were made for eternity" but a lot of people don't know it. We were made for eternity but a lot of people forgot that purpose in life. We were made for eternity and I'm called to lead people to live for that purpose.

I hope I can accomplish it.

Update on wedding and other stuff

Mon, 14 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Hey guys bendiciones.

This is just a very quick and short post to let you know what's been happening in my life so far.

As you may know, weddings are not a piece of cake, plus getting an apartment ready and preparing all the logistics for our projects next year is enough to keep me really busy; I thank God however for giving me the opportunity to get back on track with everybody and with everything.

The apartment is already painted and the wedding preparations are our main goal right now. It's been great to spend time with the Shauls and my beautiful nieces. They are a great blessing for me and Nabel.

We have been working in the different communities here in SJ and blessing people with the word of God and our visits. Please keep praying for them and for the team.

I want to thank you guys for your support and I want to apologize to those whom I haven't sent a request yet. I promise that as soon as I get a little done with everything I'll do my best to keep you informed and give you all details on how you can support us. Thanks for trusting us.

Muchas Gracias.

Departing

Sun, 9 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT

For several months I have been eager to see that day in which I'd go back to the Dominican Republic. Tomorrow is that day. I have abusy day today meeting some frinds to say good buy and meeting with some potential suppoterrs of my ministry. But in all these errands i'm running I see God blessing me amazingly with smiles of friends and people whom I served, taught, helped, spent time with, and picked on (well only sometimes).

I know some of you might be thinking about how cool it is to return to you mother country and be with your fiancee and you friends. I need to be honest with you, that really keeps me happy, especially the fact that I will be getting married, but that is not the main reason. What really makes me happy about this is that I will be serving in the accomplishment of God's call both for me and Patria. That we will be able to dedicate pur lives to the training of Dominican missionaries and serving in the poorest and most times forgotten areas of SJ and DR. Yes, there is anxiety too, a sensation of fear. Questions come to my head and doubts as well; however I'm sure about where I am going and what I am doing.

I will need your prayers please. Pray that everything regarding the wedding goes smoothly. Please pray that the areas we are about to start ministering become sensible to the word of God and that the Holy Spirit softens ntheir hearts. Please pray for the younger generation of Dominicans since whether they are missionaries, Pastors, Preachers, non- believers, skaters, baseball players, etc, they are the ones that will change this generation and will make of Domonican Republic a free country from the opression of the authorities of darkness.

be blessed.

PS. if you have any question regarding my ministry in DR or you are willing to donate and become a supporter, don't hesitate to send me an Email to hashemrd@hotmail..com

DR's First Mission trip

Tue, 20 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT

I still remember my first imssion trip outside of the DominicanRepublic. In November 2008, I left the country to live for a month in Haiti. While I felt very anxious and nervous about it, you should know that today, three years later, I'm still willing to go back,

Shortly after I got back from my second mission trip to Peru, I started with a small group of kids that had in their lives the call to be missionaries too. I started discipling them along with Miguel. Next Sunday they will be boarding a plane landing on a foreign land for four weeks, where they will be ministering and working with the local church there [read more].

I'll be joining them in their last week of ministry and i will be leading their debrief as soon as wwe get back to the Dominican Republic. They are excited, anxious, nervous but willing to give it all for Jesus. I wish I could express in words (and in my second language) how happy I feel to see these guys boarding a plane to do what God has called them to do. Take the gospel around the world. This is just the first step. I'm very, very proud of them.

My fianceé and my mom are in that team. That will give you a better idea of what's going on in my life right now. I'm working, packing and getting ready to leave to the Dominican Republic, arranging logistics for my wedding and planning the possible ministries we will be leading once we're back in SJ.

Please take some time and pray, for the team, lifte them up in prayer and encourage them in spirit. Pray for the local church in that country and those that are about to receive the gospel there. Pray for Miguel and Kristina for all the effort they've been putting into the training of these students. Pray for those that couldn't make it for different reasons. Your prayers are very imprtant and meaningful.

May God bless you a lot.

P.S. Email me if you have any questions or need any information, I'll return to you ASAP.

Hurricane Irene

Thu, 1 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Blessings to Everybody.

sorry guys, I haven't been able to update you about the hurricane that recently hit the east coast, Irene. It's quite interesteng ) I should say) to be chased by hurricanes even when I'm in the USA. That's why I wasn't scared at all. My Heavenly Father has protected me so many times that there was no point in not trusting HIM this time. However we took the needed precautions.

It did hit our area, and although it seemed like nothing happened, two days later we started experiencing floods. Our house didn't experience it, but a lot of my students have been calling to excuse themselves since their houses have been covered in water and mud. Authorities are doing a lot in order to help, but still these families are overwhelmed my the character of this disaster.

The little tremor we felt earlier in the week...is another story...I'm protected by God definitely...thanks for your prayers

Thanks to those of you who have been asking, and again I apologize for not having informed you earlier.

August Update

Fri, 12 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Corn fields, miles of it. small and sometimes enormous houses. Statues full of history. Rivers, lakes, tress everywhere, and many, many other things that seem somehw new to me...definitely New Jersey and Illinois are VERY different.

This is my 4th day in my visit to mny friends here in Illinois where I'm attending the Global Leadership Summit at Northwoods Community Church. My pastors and a couple of friends from DR are also here. I must say that God is doing amazing things already. This training is a great asset to me, helping me to think and act in the right way as a leader and pioneer in the projects I have in mind. A t the same time I see God encouraging me to trust HIM in times where knowledge is not enough. Showing me where to go from here.

Tony and Laris are here to, they are the Youth Pastors from my church back in Dominican Republic, and we have already started making plans regarding my return to DR as a missionary and volunteer for Heroes de la Fe, Which is growing rapidly in spirit and number.

My wedding is also coming closer every time and Patria and I are working hard to get everything done before she departs on her mission trip. Our wedding is set for December the 17th, for that we will have 40 days to get everything done. I know is too little time, we will just trust God for help and rebuke stress.

Please pray for my family and my Mom as she gets ready for her mission trip. Pray for Faith that we will have the support for our ministry as we start it in January 2012. Pray for wisdom. We are going back to DR with a blurry idea of what we are going to do with what we have. there's a lot to do.

May God bless yoy a lot.

P.S. if you have any questions or need any informationl don't hesitate to email me at hashemrd@hotmail.com

Your Support

Fri, 29 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Buenos Dias a Todos

This short and brief blog is to extend my immense gratitude to those people that so far have sent their support to our mission. I want you to know that, although it might seem a little, it will help me and the ministry to continue to expand. I haven’t left the United States and so far projects are coming, I do believe that God is putting all the pieces together in order for me and Patria to be ready in order to serve Him. So far I’ve been extremely busy, because I’m working on some teaching material for Dominican Rising that I will be teaching in the length of a month via Skype, Plus I’m preparing the logistics for their mission trip. Besides that, I’m always keeping in touch with Patria to see how all the arrangements for the wedding are going.

My trip to Haiti is still a plan. So I’m praying that God provides Participants and support for it. Please, pray for provision. Pray that God opens the doors that we need to be open so that we can serve Him in a way that His name is magnified above everything. Pray for strength so that no matter how stressed both Patria and I are, we can still give Him glory through all the logistics to our marriage ceremony, and our marriage itself. Thanks for being there for us and for joining us in our call.

For those who have sent their donations I would love to have your Phone number and inform you in a more personal level how things are going and how these resources are going to be used. Please send it to me via email to hashemrd@hotmail.com I will appreciate it.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years??

Sun, 24 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Where do you see yourself in 5 years??

To be honest with you guys, I love this question. It makes me dream. It actually makes me think of the every single step I take everyday and where it leads me. It makes me ponder whether what I'm doing today will have an impact on this planet or not. It makes me work towards what I want to be said in my funeral. The only problem is that I really don't know where I see myself in 5 years, or in three, or in one. I just don't know.

This I know, that I will be shadowing a team in Haiti from Sept 23rd to Sept 30th, from there I'm coming to the US to start packing and then back to DR on Oct 15th. One week later I will go to Cuba to pick up the Amanece Dominicano team and take them on a debrief. When done, wedding prep starts.

I'm still fund raising, and although all this looks like a set plan, it's still blurry; but like I said in an earlier blog, God is in control. Patria and I have already started thinking and praying on some ministry projects that Our Father might want us to be working in. It seems like HE is eager to see us together working for the good of the kingom.

**to clarify: I totally believe that God can use a person while single to do amazing things. Neither Patria, nor I have to be married in order to serve HIm in DR or anywhere else. Marriage is another call in which I'm obeying God. Our marriage is a commitment to God that we will be together in everything we do. And I love her.

not a long post

Thu, 21 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT

blessings everyone.

As the temperature rises above 100 degrees. I just wanted to stop y and let you know that recently i took some time by myself to pray and evaluate my first year in America. As I prayed and asked God to take me back a year ago in order for me to remember HIS grace and love. He actually took me ten years ago when I was only 15. The whole journey went thnrough my eyes.

His Grace has been always with me and will always be. Sometimes I get anxious and desperate about my future. But He is there for me and will always be.

THE END

Dominican Raising going to Cuba

Sun, 17 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Hey guys Bendicione chico!!!!

Just writing a little blgo here to inform you and at the same time tio let you know of a prayer request.

The team Dominican Rising or Amanece Dominicano is already working towards their Cuba trip, I will ask you to pray for them as they get ready for that trip. Keep in touch and stay tunned either through here or through their website Dominicanrising.myadventures.org. Just to remind you that this will be their first trip overseas, where they will be experiencing a new culture and enviroment.

If you have any questions or you are willing to support let me know and I will guide you or simply clkick on the support link of their blog.

God bless you

Welcome

Wed, 13 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Hey guys!!!!

I just wanted to stop by and let you know that this website is already working and under construction. The old blog (brotherdavid.myadventures.org) will be discontinued soon. MOst of the blogs will be transferred to this one. If you want to stay alert and receive updates regarding my ministry and my loife for GOD or about Dominican Rising suscribe to this blog and we'll stay in touch.

I thank you one more time for your desire to stay in touch and know about the wonderfull works of God in the Dominican Republic.

Bless you all