Wednesday, October 31, 2007

Tropical Storm Noel Update

Continue to pray for many Dominicans who have lost loved ones and their homes during Tropical Storm Noel. So far more than 30 have died and nearly 300 thousand people had to be evacuated from their homes.  Several thousand homes have been completely destroyed. One family I know who is our leader's brother's family in the church in Medina, lost their entire home and all their belongs. We are working with them to see how we can help. The problem right now is that it continues to rain thus limiting our travel to get to our ministry sites especially here in Santo Domingo and San Cristobal. We are hoping that the rain will slow and we will be able to assess things better by the weekend. I took the kids to school this morning and the roads were really flooded. May God bless you this day!  Thanks so much for praying.
Posted by Wagner family at 08:03:05 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |

Tuesday, October 30, 2007

Flooding in the DR and Haiti

Please lift up to the Father today those families who lost loved ones and homes in Tropical Storm Noel that hit us hard here on the island of Hispaniola. There have been reported more than 20 deaths so far in the DR. I have not heard the reports from Haiti yet. The area where our Medina church is was hit hard, with one of the bridges being taken out by the flood waters. It has finally stopped raining so we should be able to get out more today and tomorrow. This storm hit us all by surprise. We hurt for the losses but we are also grateful that the storm did not cause other massive destruction.
Posted by Wagner family at 09:57:29 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |

Monday, October 29, 2007

Ministry to Haitians in the DR

Haitian immigrants represent the second largest people group in the Dominican Republic.  Most come desperate to work and support their families economically.  There are a few Baptist churches among immigrant Haitians but in reality we are just reaching a few for Christ compared to the more than one million who live on the DR side of the island of Hispaniola.  Please pray for a new potential partnership with a Baptist church in Florida who senses a call from the Lord to minister to Haitians in the DR.  They will be coming November 7, 2007 to explore how they can partner up with two existing Haitian Baptist churches and help them gain a vision for church planting.  Please pray for this exciting potential partnership!
Posted by Wagner family at 10:54:55 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |

Wednesday, October 24, 2007

Proclaiming the Kingdom and Healing the Sick

God is really blessing this week as a medical and dental team from Trinity Baptist Church of Raleigh, North Carolina is being used of the Lord to minister to the needs of the poor. These servants of Christ are pouring themselves out to touch the lives of desperate people. We have also made many connections with folks and invited them to attend our weekly bible study and worship service. Each day has also presented itself an opportunity to teach bible stories and preach the gospel to several hundred people. God is good. Please continue to pray, and specifically pray for a great harvest to unfold in the communities of Medina and El Fundo. One older man who has been attending our worship services made a commitment to surrender his life to Christ and soon be baptized into the church. He couldn't wait to tell me after he completed his turn at the medical station. Praise God!
Posted by Wagner family at 18:01:00 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |

Tuesday, October 16, 2007

Medical/Evangelism Team Coming!

Next week, October 20-27, Trinity Baptist Church of Raleigh, NC will be sending a medical/evangelism team to minister to the poor.  The volunteer group will be working with us in Medina Centro, a small community where we have a new church start.  Please pray that God will use the team greatly for His glory!  We will also be working in the community of El Fundo, a barrio with no church of any kind.  We are praying for a harvest!  Currently we have 11 baptized members in Medina.  All of them are new and growing believers in Christ.  Pray that God's Spirit will be poured out in a great way in these two barrios.  Pray that many others will be healed physically and spiritually.
Posted by Wagner family at 13:35:36 | Permanent Link | Comments (1) |

Friday, October 12, 2007

Pray For a Growing Partnership!

Would you pray today for a growing partnership that we as Southern Baptist missionaries are developing with the Dominican Baptist Convention? The convention is made up of some 120 Baptist churches and missions. Right now we are working together to form a good, biblical and practical definition for what it means to be called a Baptist New Testament church in the Dominican Republic.  This will help us all in our dream to plant many new Baptist churches. Please pray for brother Manolo Martinez who is the Executive Secretary of the convention. Pray that God continue to give him a vision for church planting throughout the country. Brother Manolo dreams of seeing a strong Baptist witness in every province of the Dominican Republic. We support this great effort and desire for the Lord to send forth a harvest in the land. Pray for new national missionaries and church planters that God would empower them with the Holy Spirit in their work.
Posted by Wagner family at 14:51:04 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |

Monday, October 08, 2007

Wagner Family Introduction

I would like for you to get to know our family! My wife Lisa and I have been married for 23 years. Prior to missionary service on the field we served in pastoral ministry for 12 years in West Virginia and North Carolina. Before that we served in Youth Ministry for 4 years in Kentucky and North Carolina. We have been serving as Southern Baptist International Mission Board missionaries to the Dominican Republic for 7 years. We are both graduates of Campbell University in North Carolina. Keith is also a graduate of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kentucky, and Lisa has completed graduate work in Education at the West Virginia College of Graduate Studies. We have three great kids, Matthew, a senior in high school, Brianna, who is in fifth grade, and Micah, our second grader.

 

Posted by Wagner family at 14:57:08 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |

Saturday, October 06, 2007

Welcome All to the New Hispaniola Field Blog!

    Hello!  I have been wanting to start a blog for our Hispaniola Field in order to keep our faithful prayer partners informed and updated.  My name is Keith Wagner and I serve as the Field Strategy Leader for a group of International Mission Board, SBC missionaries serving together in the Dominican Republic and Haiti.

   Welcome!  I hope to provide consistent prayer updates and news of the Harvest in Hispaniola!
 

Posted by Wagner family at 19:44:13 | Permanent Link | Comments (2) |