2011 Video Recap

Here is a quick recap of our time here so far.  Excited about returning the end of December and beginning a new exciting year!  Happy Thanksgiving and Merry Christmas.  This year we have a lot to be thankful for!!

FCA Dominican Baseball and Home School

Hey, listen to Andy Pettite share his love for Christ

God is good

This was absolutely a great way for Jodi and I to finish up our first 5 months in the DR before we go to Atlanta and Boston for a break.  Today started with me handing out 28 FCA baseball game jerseys to players and coaches from Ozoria Baseball Club in Boca Chica.  They earned the right to wear those shirts today.  For the 5 months I have been here in Boca Chica, I have seen these guys work really hard on the ball field and listen to their coaches every day.  Their coaches are believers in Jesus Christ and want them to go to heaven too.  It made me so happy to see HR 10 on their sleeves.  Holt is proud of them and is excited to have more people come to see him in heaven someday.

After passing out the game jerseys, we played a game against an American home school team from 7 states.  Those home school boys played well and showed our boys here in the DR how to get it done.  I was happy to see the passion and discipline from the "gringos."  Ha Ha Ha.  Before the game we read some scripture in english and spansish and prayed.  That was good.

After the game, we ate lunch together and shared testimonies.  A coach from the FCA Dominican team along with a Dominican player gave testimonies to the Americans and that was good.  Then, Danny Lovett, former VP of Liberty and Prez of Tennessee Temple, shared the Gospel and several young men made the decision to accept Christ into their heart.  That was good.

After the sharing, we played game 2.  Game 2 was a little different.  Home School had a 40 year old  ringer brought in named Andy Pettite.  You might have heard of him.  I think he has the most post season victories of any pitcher in the history of MLB.  Not too shabby.  The pitcher for FCA Boca Chica...almost 37 year old Mike Shaheen.  Mike Shaheen is only famous in his mother's eyes, Bette Shaheen.  

After Andy Pettite finished his 2nd inning, the game stopped as both teams went out to the mound to thank him.  (Two Dominicans got hits off of him and saved the balls)  Andy stood in front of all the young men and adults watching and told us this:

Quoting my friend from Atlanta, Billy Worthington: How cool is that?  The look on the faces of those Dominican and American baseball players was priceless.  We still have two more days of clinics (one at the Highlands here) with guys like Damaso Marte, Lou Pinella, Andy Pettite and Luke Murton (GT grad, Yankee).  I was a little bummed that all these Yankees are here, but let's face it, we are all on the same team that counts.

Oh, by the way, after two innings I almost collapsed (joking, not really).  I probably should have stopped after one bad inning.

I hope you heard God talking to you today.  Looking forward to seeing you in a week or so.

Luv you!

The Shaheens

A year later....remembering Holt Rowland

Hi there, this is Jodi.  Last year about this time we heard horrible news that a young man who we were in the Dominican Republic with the summer of 2010 had been in a car accident.  His name was Holt Rowland.  If you have our wrist bands, have seen the FCA baseball shirts or know our ministry you will see HR10 adorned with pride along with Holt's favorite verse, John 3:30.  The accident occurred on November 9th, and Holt lived on machines until the next day and his organs were donated.  His parents Dave and Kim, and his brother Hunter Rowland have become dear friends of ours even though we met only them for the 1st time right after Holt went to be with the Lord.  Their faith during such a trying time was a blessing for me to see.  Kim raising her hand in praise and singing after the loss she just experienced made me think, what do you have so that you can do that....and it is faith!

Once a fierce rival, Pierce County (where Holt #10 played baseball) and Wesleyan are now joined in the love of Christ and Holt.  During this anniversary time, the Rowlands and all of Pierce County Nation was heavy on my heart.  When I started thinking of what I could do for the family, I thought of making them a video.  What it turned out to be for me was a reminder of what really matters in life.  We will never know when we will take our last breath, but it is how prepared we are when that happens and how much love we have shown the world that is really important.  I only spent a few instances in the DR with Holt but the time I spent with those who love him and hearing the stories while watching a video of his memorial service, it is evident that Holt Rowland got it.  I pray for comfort for his family and friends, but I know their faith and that they know one day they will be with him again.  It brings them joy to see countless souls now walking in Christ due to hearing their sons story.  They even knew how much Holt loved the DR and how excited he was for our upcoming ministry and they wanted donations in Holt's memory last fall to go to our ministry.  Pierce County Nation is part of making our ministry happen here and we are thankful.  I hope you have time to watch the video, it may change your life, or share it in order that it might change someone else's.  We don't have Holt but we know that his story will inspire others to commit to walking Christ.

If you don't have time for the video, it is about 12 mins, then here are some visuals, I felt were good reminders to all of us:

This picture below was discovered after Holt's passing.  He had faith that his deer stand was in a great place although no one else believed him because no on had ever seen or shot a deer there before.  That picture is one of the two deer caught on the trail camera around 5 AM.

Holt, we miss you and we are blessed that your story is alive in the Dominican Republic.  

In His Grip,

Jodi

Haiti Video

Pulling Heaven Down in Haiti

Hi there, this is Jodi.  Mike is in Haiti, so I wanted to do a quick update and ask for your prayers.  If you remember back when we first got to the DR a man contacted Mike named Eliezer Lembert Caraballo and they became fast friends.  The story is back in July titled "It’s Clear Now Why We Are Here" if you didn't get to read it.  Saturday night Mike and I took the kids, along with our fellow missionary friends Craig & Joanna, to a Dominican Winter League baseball game in the Santo Domingo.  It was quite the experience!  There are 6 teams in the winter league and Mike has 2 ballparks crossed off the list!  We had a great time.  Eliezer met us there and spent the night and they drove back to Pedernales together the next day.  Craig McClure a SCORE Missionary went as well, along with Rawlings Foundation Missionary Eddy Jesus Gil and Intern with the Rawlings Foundation Will Thompson.  They suited up a baseball team with new uniforms, played soccer and American football with the kids.  Shared the Gospel of Jesus Christ using The Gloves for God baseball glove, and I am sure many more things I didn't get updated on from each of their facebook pages.  


Here is a map and a video of some of the pictures they posted to give you a little idea of what they are doing.  Pray for safety and their drive back to Boca Chica (about 5 hours I believe) and for there to be many seeds planted as it is God's will.  Thank you!!  More to come when Mike returns on Wednesday evening!  I am sure he will have many stories!!

Map of Dominican showing Pedernales

Gravity ~ Pulling Heaven Down in Haiti from Jodi Shaheen on Vimeo.