I (Dan) recently had an opportunity to go down to the DR for a quick trip with two friends from our church. The goal was to get some things set up in our house, to meet with some officials at the school where our kids will be attending, to spend some time with our GO teammates from Wheaton (Kyle and Dariana Bradley), and to visit one of our church partners, Pastor Nico in the community of Los Perez where he pastors and runs a nutrition center. We were able to transport nine extra checked bags/bins for the trip which was key in helping get a ton of our personal items down to the house ahead of our anticipated move in January. The trip was productive on many fronts, but it also gave me firsthand experience on how life and expectations in the DR are drastically different than things in the US. One brief example was during a trip to the store to purchase some mattresses and bed frames. You'd think that once we had decided on what was needed it would only take a few minutes to purchase the items and then get them loaded up to take home. What we expected to take an hour ended up taking over 3 1/2 hours! Now, I should put a disclaimer that not every shopping experience is like this, and there were some complications, but it was a good learning experience for me. I also got to take my first taxi ride and I got where I needed to be, so we'll say it was a success! I was grateful to spend a few days with great company and things really started to set in that this move is happening. When I left and locked up the house, it hit me that the next time I am in the country and opening that door, our whole family will be moving in!!!Visas
For those of you who have not moved to another country, in order to do so you need to apply for residential or work visas and be approved by the government. When traveling, typically you would fill out a temporary visa or tourist card, but in order to stay for an extended time you need specialized paperwork. We understand it is not difficult and is probably fairly routine, but there is a lot of paperwork and it's a pretty big deal. All 5 of us have our passports and we will be working through this process over the next month. This is one of the major pieces we need to complete before we can move to the DR and begin ministry there on the ground. Support Update
Currently we have raised about 75% of our monthly funds needed!!! We are really encouraged by the generous support by so many friends and family. We would not be in this position without your faithfulness to God in giving and your sacrifice. Here's a current look at what we still need in order to have all of our ministry expenses covered each month.
End of the Year Giving
Over the next month many people will be making decisions on how to make tax deductible donations before the end of the year. GO Ministries is a fully recognized 501 (c)(3) organization and all donations are fully deductible. If you are already giving and are looking to still give an additional donation, you can still give a one time gift to GO on our behalf. Others may decide it is easier to give annually at the end of the year than to give monthly, and may choose to support us through that avenue each year. Whichever the case is for you, we want to say how THANKFUL we are for your partnership with us in this ministry (because it is much bigger than sending the Riemer family). We'd love to answer any questions you might have about giving.
To give, you can follow this link and select how you'd want to give (one time donation or monthly recurring)
Thanks so much for all of your support and love! May your hearts and minds be filled with gratitude as you reflect on God's goodness and love in your lives.
~Dan, Holly, Jackson, Josiah, & Maddie~
