Step by Step With Jesus

May Update

2011-05-04T06:35:00.000-07:00

We hope you’re doing well this month. A lot is happening here for and with Jesus! One of the newest surprises happened about a month ago when Isidro’s daughter Karen and Isidro’s son-in-law Junior moved back to La Romana from Puerto Rico. They are both about 35 years old. Living in Costa Rica for seven years, they served as pastors with the Methodist Church in Puerto Rico. Through a series of “God-events,” they moved back to the DR to be with Isidro and Lucy before taking a church in Costa Rica. However, as God had already planned, the church in Cost Rica was unable to follow through with their plans to have them there. In fact, the day before they got news of this change in plans, during a time of prayer, Karen received a message from God that God wanted them to stay in the DR and work with Isidro at the church in Barrio George. Afterwards, they got the call from Cost Rica. Don’t we have an awesome God!

So, the current team working at the Church in Barrio George is: Isidro, Lucy, Pastor Junior, Pastora Karen, Fanny, Jorge, Candace, Daniel, and me & Mey! Awesome team, huh?! God is doing tremendous things here…and continues to do more and more! We look forward to seeing how God will use the gifting that He has placed here for His Kingdom!

Daniel Fisher is our current Mission Resident living here and learning about being a missionary through the Mission Residence Program of Step By Step With Jesus Mission.
Daniel is a 20-year-old fireball who reminds me of an Old Testament Prophet, in many ways, due to his quick willingness to risk himself for the love of God for those in need. Daniel came here on December 30 and will return to the US on July 6. He has been involved in many things while here. One of the most significant is that he, Isidro, Walter Strathy (Outreach Director at Covenant Church in Greenville, NC), and the board of Step By Step With Jesus, started a new program called The Kingdom Business Fund that has helped two members of the church in Barrio George to start their own businesses. Freman, a Dominican Sunday School teacher from Isidro’s church, has started his own small cafeteria through this fund and is selling everything from homemade juices to homemade “hot pockets” (empanadas), sandwiches and French fries. It is turning out to be a wonderful success for him. And, he is giving some of his profits that he borrowed, back to the Fund, in order to help others start new businesses. Daniel has also helped Norma start a new business where she makes and sells plastic bags of different kinds of condiments such as: ginger, pepper, paprika, garlic, etc. She sells them to corner markets at wholesale price and is able to make money for her family in this way. She is also giving some of her profits back to the Fund to help others start new businesses too. Daniel is doing much more than I can mention in this newsletter, but, suffice it to say that I am very proud to be a part of his growing knowledge and skills in him being a bright and shining star among missionaries…now and for the future!

Food, clothes, medicine, clean water, school supplies, and the love of God…..
…are continuing to be shared here in La Romana through Step By Step With Jesus Mission and through your kind and generous giving. Thank you so much and God bless you as you give. We couldn’t do this without you!

Candace O’Quinn is living here permanently and working in mission…..
…through Step By Step With Jesus Mission where she teaches English & Flute in the Compassion International School in Barrio George, leads a Bible Study for some girls at the school, is developing a Child Sponsorship Program for the poor kids in both Barrio George & in Batay Anon, and works with me in other areas of mission here. She is a real treasure and we are all thankful for her here.

Step By Step With Jesus Mission offers wonderful opportunities to share God’s Love:
Come along…& let your soul experience the freedom & grace to love a Dominican through God’s heart! It will change them & you forever! How can you be a part of this? Thru these ways:
1) Pray for us here
2) Share your generosity by giving to Step By Step With Jesus Mission by contacting Amy Bissette at bissettea@ecu.edu
3) Come on a mission team thru your church or thru Covenant Church in Greenville, NC by contacting Donna Sheets at donna@connect2covenant.com
4) Purchase one of the books that I’ve written by email: “Chinese Scientists In My ’54 Chevy: Mission Stories & Mission Principles of Mark Lykins”, “Planting A Culture of Mission In Your Church”, “Gifts of the Poor & Why We Don’t Want To Receive Them”, “Ten Things That Drive Me Crazy About Christians…And I’m One Of Them!”, “Comfortable In The Lap Of Our Papa God…And Why He Wants Us To Get Down Now”, or others that I’ve written, by contacting me at marcosandmey@yahoo.com .
5) Sponsor a needy child in Barrio George or Batay Anon by contacting Candace O’Quinn at Candace@onebodygreenville. org
6) Be a part of the Kingdom Business Fund by contacting Amy at: bissettea@ecu.edu and giving to this mission
We love you all. From Marcos, Mey, John, Adrian, Perla, Candace, Daniel, Isidro, & the rest of your Dominican family! And remember to walk…step by step with Jesus! When we give to those in need…we give to Jesus. He will remember. And, one day He will say to you, “When I was hungry you gave me food…”. And we will ask, “When did we see you hungry & give you food?” And He will say “When you gave to the least of these, my brothers & sisters, you gave it to Me”.

Grace & blessings in the name of THE missionary-Jesus-who sends us all out into mission!

April 2011 Update

2011-04-12T10:42:00.000-07:00

The Story of Little Christian, the Preacher, in Barrio George…
Like all other eleven-year-olds, Dominican boys in Barrio George, Christian likes to play with kites he makes out of torn plastic bags from trash piles here. He also enjoys playing baseball, and is OK at it, and enjoys playing jacks with the other boys. Little Christian has a smile that lights up a room and everyone in it when he enters. There’s just something so authentic, so loving, and so real about him. Christian comes from one of the very poor families in Barrio George. But, he doesn’t let that steal his positive attitude at all. Christian is one of those we work with (and his family) through our Step By Step With Jesus Mission. Little Christian enjoys going to church where he hears Isidro and others preaching and teaching about the Gospel of Jesus.

But, what is different about Christian is his amazing and mystifying ability to preach in a way that is bringing hundreds of young people to Jesus! Several years ago, Pastor Isidro recognized Little Christian’s ability to understand, at very deep levels, about the Word of God. Pastor Isidro, and I, and others have taken Little Christian under our wings because of this mystifying gift that he has with God’s Word. We desire to encourage and teach him about the spiritual gifts he has and how to use them.

On January 6th of this year (about 3 months), we launched a new church plant in Barrio Sabanita…about 3 miles from the church in Barrio George. We did this because of the children from that Barrio we actually pick up to come to the Compassion International School in Barrio George. You might remember that about a year and a half ago, Isidro fought for those kids (mostly Haitian) who had been dropped from another Compassion International School there in Barrio Sabanita when it closed. So, through the kind and generous hearts of people at Covenant Church in North Carolina, we bought a bus to bring them to our Compassion International School. For the last year, they have been picked up and taken back home by this bus after classes in Barrio George.

Since then, both the kids and some of their parents have wanted to come to worship in Barrio George, and we have bussed them there and back for worship, too. About 6 months ago, we were approached by many of the children and their parents with their desire to have a church, like the one in Barrio George, in their own neighborhood. So, we began to pray about this and to look for potential leaders in order to form a team for this new church plant.

One of those who we chose was…..you guessed it…..Little Christian. He was also feeling led by God to do this. So, along with a team of about 7 other people from our church, we began training Christian a little more about leading worship, leading them to Jesus, and preaching. This new church plant was opened on January 6th with Christian preaching, and he has been preaching many times there since. At present, there are between 100 to 200 people showing up for worship about 3-5 times a week there.

We call Little Christian’s preaching “mystifying” because it’s hard for any of us to believe two things about his preaching:
1) The depth and yet simplicity that he preaches with. (and we know that this depth comes directly from God because an 11-year-old could not preach the way that Little Christian does without it coming from God)
2) And the fruits of his preaching…the results that we see from him preaching.
There have been over a hundred people come to the Lord after Little Christian preaches and gives an invitation for people to give their lives to the Jesus. It’s just incredible! When people come forward and are prayed for by Christian many fall to the floor, by what some call “being slain in the Spirit”, and experiencing the closeness of God, a time of rest and restoration with God, visions from God, and healing from God. It’s just amazing! Little Christian’s way of preaching, inviting others to Jesus, and laying hands on people is not done in a “circus-y” kind of way…it is done in the simple faith of an 11-year-old who truly loves Jesus with all of his heart and with the simple faith that really believes that Jesus does what He promises when we believe Him and trust him.

What will God do with Little Christian in the future? God only knows. But, we’re trying to keep up with God doing so much through this little 11-year-old right now. About all of you who have come on mission teams to the DR, here, have already met Christian and know who he is. Those of you who will come will have the chance to come to know him and maybe hear him preach, too. And, I assure you, like the rest of us here, you'll watch and experience the power, the love, and the grace of God through this mighty and loving warrior for Christ…11-year-old Christian…too.

Other News:
Food, clothes, medicine, clean water, school supplies, and the love of God are continuing to be shared here in La Romana through Step By Step With Jesus Mission and through your kind and generous giving. Thank you so much and God bless you as you give. We couldn’t do this without you!

Daniel Fisher is our current Mission Resident living here in La Romana, and he's doing great things for Jesus. He will be here for 6 months, as he continues to learn how to be an authentic missionary for Jesus through our Step By Step With Jesus Missionary Residency Program.

Candace O’Quinn is living here permanently and working in mission through Step By Step With Jesus Mission where she teaches English & Flute in the Compassion International School in Barrio George, leads a Bible Study for some girls at the school, is developing a Child Sponsorship Program for the poor kids in both Barrio George 7 in Batay Anon, and works with me in other areas of mission here. She is a real treasure, and we are all thankful for her here.

Step By Step With Jesus Mission offers wonderful opportunities to share God’s Love:
Come along…& let your soul experience the freedom & grace to love a Dominican through God’s heart! It will change them & you forever! How can you be a part of this?
1) Pray for us.
2) Share your generosity by giving to Step By Step With Jesus Mission by contacting me here at marcosandmey@yahoo.com or Amy Bissette at bissettea@ecu.edu
3) Come on a mission team through your church or through Covenant Church in Greenville, NC, by contacting Donna Sheets at donna@connect2covenant.com
4) Purchase one of the books that I’ve written: “Chinese Scientists In My ’54 Chevy: Mission Stories & Mission Principles of Mark Lykins”, “Planting A Culture of Mission In Your Church”, “Gifts of the Poor & Why We Don’t Want To Receive Them”, “Ten Things That Drive Me Crazy About Christians…And I’m One Of Them!”, “Comfortable In The Lap Of Our Papa God…And Why He Wants Us To Get Down Now”, or others that I’ve written, by contacting me at marcosandmey@yahoo.com.
5) Sponsor a needy child in Barrio George or Batay Anon by contacting Candace O’Quinn at Candace@onebodygreenville.org

We love you all!
Marcos, Mey, John, Adrian, Perla, & the rest of your Dominican family!

And remember to walk…step by step with Jesus! When we give to those in need…we give to Jesus. He will remember. And, one day He will say to you, “When I was hungry you gave me food…” And we will ask, “When did we see you hungry & give you food?” And He will say “When you gave to the least of these, my brothers & sisters, you gave it to Me”.

Grace & blessings in the name of THE missionary-Jesus-who sends us all out into mission!

December Update 2010

2010-12-16T07:24:00.001-08:00

Young Life has come to Barrio George! During a mission team back in the summer Bethany Bradsher set up a meeting between our folks at the church in Barrio George and some Young Life leaders from Santo Domingo. Since then many of the youth of Barrio George have been going to their camps in the mountains, doing evangelism with them, and growing deeper in Jesus. Thanks, Bethany! We believe that this connection with Young Life will grow stronger as the years go by and bring many new people into the Kingdom of God!

Evangelism Crusades in Barrio George! We walked through Barrio George with a mega phone sharing the Gospel with all who would listen last month. We saw several people give their lives to Jesus through this crusade effort. And starting on Thursday, Dec. 16th we have an evangelist from Puerto Rico coming to the church in Barrio George to preach and lead another crusade for Jesus. We expect to see many new people give their lives to Jesus too!

Mission House Beginning Construction Now! Thanks to generous hearts at Covenant Church in Greenville, NC, we have cleared the land and measured it off for construction of the new mission house on the church’s property in Barrio George. This will house the continually growing number of mission teams coming to Barrio George to work with us there as well as many Mission Residents who are coming here to live & learn how to be an authentic missionary through Step By Step With Jesus Mission Residency Program. If interested in living here for 2-6 months through this program please email me.

Weddings Galore! The Restoration Zone (Isidro’s church in Barrio George) will celebrate three weddings during December where members of the church will marry: Geraldo & Lady, Juan Carlos & Joanna , and a new older couple to the church . We ask you to join us in praying blessings on them.

Sign Up For Mission Teams Coming To The Dominican Republic are happening now! Please sign up to come on a mission team to La Romana by contacting Donna Sheets at Covenant Church at www.donna@connect2covenant.com . We need you here to be in mission with us because the people in need here need you!

Batay Anon Sponsorship Program: New Program Approved by Step By Step With Jesus! In a few weeks we will be beginning to match needy children in the Hatian Batay Anon with sponsors from North Carolina who would like to give money to support some of the poorest children in the entire world. The money sent through this sponsorship program will provide food, clothes, medicine, shoes, and school classes for them where they never had these things before. Their parents work in the sugar cane fields outside of La Romana in batays (Haitian migrant camps in the middle of the sugar cane fields) for $5.00 per day. Please contact Candace O’Quinn at Candace@onebodygreenville.org and let her know of your willingness to help these poorest of the poor children.

Candace O’Quinn Returning To Barrio George! Candace will return to live here in La Romana on December 30, 2010 to work in the Compassion International School in Barrio George and with the new Batay Anon Sponsorship Program. She lived here for 6 months before and was trained in how to be an authentic missionary through Step By Step With Jesus Mission Residency Program. It will be wonderful to have her back!

Daniel Fisher: Our New Mission Resident in La Romana! Daniel will arrive on December 30, 2010 to live for 6 months learning how to be an authentic missionary through training and experiences here in La Romana through the Step By Step With Jesus Missionary Residence Program. Please pray for him.

We Need Your Help! There are so many people fighting to live here in La Romana and Step By Step With Jesus Misison is impacting their lives and their souls. You can help in these ways:

• Through generous giving to Step By Step With Jesus Mission. Please contact Amy Bissete at bissettea@ecu.edu

• Through sponsoring a child through the Compassion International program in Barrio George by contacting Karen Harrington at HarrinK@pitt.k12.nc.us

• Through sponsoring a child through the Batay Anon Child Sponsorship Program by contacting Candace O’Quinn at candace@onebodygreenville.org

• Through coming on a mission team by contacting Donna Sheets at Covenant Church at www.donna@connect2covenant.com

• Through your prayers for those of us who are in mission here in La Romana and your prayers for the Dominicans and Haitians here who are in such desperate need. And please contact me at macosandmey@yahoo.com and let me know that you’re praying.

If you are already giving to Step By Step With Jesus Mission…thanks so much and we pray more and more blessings on you. We love you!

Until next month , Marcos & Mey, and the rest of our family.

And remember to take your next right and faithful step with Jesus.

May/June Update

2010-06-03T06:53:00.000-07:00

Hola & Dios Te Bendiga! Our prayer is that you are able to see & receive the blessings that God is pouring upon you during this month. See the handprints? They represent both the children in La Romana & YOUR handprints that are all over what we do through your support.

Thank You for your prayers, your presence here with us, & your gifts of financial support! We could not do what we do without you!

May Mission Team: Scott Griffin lead a Men’s Mission Team here to La Romana during May. We thank them for their hard work & fun while here. They got a lot accomplished & we are even closer to starting to plant the gardens! Yeah team & Yeah God!

Mission Residency Program: This is where student missionaries come to be taught on how to become authentic missionaries through our “28:18 School of Mission” here in La Romana. Currently, we have
Candace O’Quinn who will be finishing up her 6 months of training
& we just sent Kristin Schoch back after her 2 months with us. We are expecting Allie, another mission resident , to come & start in July.

Preparing for 2 June Mission Teams: Our first Medical Team is
Coming on June 12th followed by a Student Team also from
Covenant Church. Please pray God’s blessing on them!

New Step By Step Sponsorship Program: Now older children (ages: 10-18) will have the blessing of being sponsored by caring folks from Covenant & other churches. If interested please let me know. Sponsorships are for $32.00 per month.

A Haitian Batay Has Opened It’s Door To Us! We are very excited that Batay Onone has been the 1st Batay to invite us in to do whatever we want there. This opens up possibilities for Bible Schools, Bible Studies, school for the children, water purification, clinics, etc.

If Interested in Becoming One of Our Supporters: please contact
Amy Bissette at bissettea@ecu.edu we sure could use your support!

Adios from Marcos, Mey, John, Adrian, Perla, & the rest of the family here.

And remember...to walk...step by step with Jesus! Grace & Blessings to you all! We would LOVE to hear from you...please respond with a comment here or email me at marcosandmey@yahoo.com

April/ May Update

2010-05-13T12:45:00.000-07:00

Hola to all of You!

I hope you're doing well. This past month was full of memorable moments with God.

WE NOW HAVE A BUS FOR BARRIO GEORGE: This new bus, purchased by the generous donations from Covenant Church folks, has enabled us to transport 134 new, mostly Haitian, children from another barrio, to the Covenant-Compassion School at Isidro's church. Thanks for your wonderful contribution to this amazing school. You helped to make it possible for some kids without parents to experience the love of God and the love the folks at Isidro's school and church. How awesome!

STUDENT MISSIONARIES: Candace O'Quinn and Kristin Schoch are here through the "Mission Residency Program" and serving as Student Missionaries. They are involved in everything from teaching English Classes, to Food Distribution, to Mission Training, to serving in the batays.

PREPARING FOR A MEN'S MISSION TEAM TO WORK IN THE GARDEN WITH A MISSION: Scott Griffin is leading this team. They are here May 13-19.

SCHOOL OF MISSION: Teaching The 16 Mission Principles at Isidro's church in Spanish so that the people in Isidro's church can learn how to be missionaries too.

NEW BELIEVER'S CLASS AT ISIDRO'S CHURCH: I am teaching new believers about what it means to grow deep with and follow Jesus after they have given their lives to Him and recieved salvation.

UnCuerpo (ONE BODY), La Romana: Youth Unity project...met for the second time...really good event with 150 + students...full of fellowship and relationship building between three youth groups (Isidro's, Fermin Miguel's, and Santiago's churches). Candace has helped this project to start and move forward as part of her mission work here. This project has the goal of unifying the youth of La Romana to share the love of Jesus with the people of La Romana through local mission.

CONTINUING MISSION WITH THE "POOR": We are continuing to share groceries, clothes, medicine, etc. with those in need here in La Romana and the Haitian Batays in the middle of the sugar cane fields.

THANKS FOR BEING INVOLVED WITH US HERE THROUGH YOUR PRAYERS AND GENEROUS GIVING: We could not do the mission that we do here without YOU! If there are those of you who read this newsletter and would like to support us with your praryer and/or gifts please email me at marcosandmey@yahoo.com and email Amy Bissette at bissettea@ecu.edu and let her know...donations can be sent to her for Step By Step With Jesus. We love you all and treasure your prayers for us here. We are praying for you too. We would love to hear from you too. Please email us.

Marcos, Mey, John, Adrian, Perla, Candace, Kristin, and the rest of our family

Note from Kristin:

Hola, all my friends!

One can really get used to living here. Days are spent hanging out with Mark's awesome family. There's always people around. No time for loneliness. We spend time socializing out on the patio, listening to music, playing dominoes that the boys hand-made the playing table in one day. They are a talented bunch. You know what else is so beautiful, the Spirit of the Lord shining through the lives of some of these people. Such love there is.

A love I didn't know these children could have for a stranger. A love these adults have for this stranger (me) and those who have yet to be blessed when their paths cross theirs. The power of this love can only be from a God that lives within them. I had the honor of presenting 1 of the 4 mission styles in a mission conference at Isidro´s church to a mission team of 30 Dominicans from San Francisco de Macoris... in spanish of course. It was great! You don't have to travel thousands of miles away to be used by God. All you need is a willing heart. Any time to give or resource is better than no time.

There's a very sweet little girl named Carla, who I believe has cerebral palsy. She can't walk or talk, but boy, does she know how to love. I am looking forward to working with her and God has definitely placed some ideas in my mind on activities to do with her. (Update: Kristin did receive the opportunity to work with Carla and her family and took her on a special trip to play on the playground at the Dominican Burger King as a treat for her efforts.)

So God has been working in my heart with ideas and things I need to change when I get home. I can't run the rat race and I've never been one to keep up with the Jones'...to strive for more. Really, what does more bring you? The desire for more. Temporary joy. True joy comes from the Lord who lives within you as you love others. Loving others.... That's a whole other topic. What does that mean? I'm still trying to really take it into my heart. I can believe it with my mind and I can do nice and good things, but it is also the perseverance in loving. Just as important as being able to give love, you must also receive it. When you receive love, especially from God and then in turn are able to really love God, can you actually change.

Change. That's hard to do, but it's a work and gift to be received as one chooses. The main reason for being able to change is in love. And so to end on this note... May you all be able to give and receive love in a way that not only changes you, but the people around you.

Kristin

March DR Update

2010-03-30T08:07:00.000-07:00

Little Andrew has a new job!
Some of you may remember Little Andrew…he’s about 10 years old and used to wash car windows at the street corners. He now has a wooden shoe shine box and is shining shoes in the park. This is much safer for him. He is also at every worship service at Isidro’s church. While he’s too old to enter the Compassion-Covenant School he is doing better because of the love of some of the folks from the previous Covenant Mission Teams who have helped him with clothes and other necessities. Even though Andrew can’t be sponsored through Compassion International, we are praying for some folks to “sponsor” him through Isidro’s church. Please pray for Andrew and his family.

March Mission Team was great!
Karen Harrington along with Trey Quinn and Janell Brockett lead a mission team from Covenant Church here to the DR. They helped complete the “New Upper Room” above Isidro’s school. They also loved on kids and adults through time at Isidro’s church, Prayer Walks, and a new way of being with the Haitians in one of the batays (Migrant Camps in the sugar cane fields) where we all took 2 big pots and cooked dumplings and salami along with some of the women at the batay. We stayed for most of the day singing, sharing testimonies, preaching, and loving on the folks there. Way to go team!

Candace O’Quinn & Kristin Schoch are really learning about and doing mission here!
Wow! To be able to have two wonderful young ladies like these here with us to teach about being missionaries is a real blessing from God. They are learning a lot and doing a lot to help those in need here. They will be awesome mission leaders upon return to the US! I’m so thankful to God for their interest, passion, and loving ways among the people here. I’m learning a lot from them, too! In my opinion, this “Mission Residency Program” is tremendous success! Praise God!

We’ve moved the mission team residence site to the “New Upper Room” above Isidro’s school!
After much talk with Pastors Santiago, Isidro and Fermin Miguel (District Superintendent) we have decided to move the mission team residence site (dorm style with bunk beds, separate male/female sleeping areas) to the “New Upper Room” above Isidro’s school. We will always be grateful to God for Santiago’s church being the “mother church” that launched the mission teams into La Romana. And we are excited all of the teams we will be able to be “on-site” at Isidro’s church from here on! That gives more time to be with and love on the kids and adults there. Plus, there will be less cost for transportation. Everyone seems to be very happy about this. Thanks be to God!

Mission to Barrio George & the Haitian Batays are showing wonderful results!
We are moving from the “Popcorn” mission style to the “Relational” mission style with the folks at the Batays. We are doing this by taking big pots and cooking meals there with them now. It is so fulfilling to see Dominicans from Isidro’s church, Haitians from the Batays, and folks from Covenant Church cooking, eating, singing, and sharing together at the Batays. We now stay for most of the day with them and share stories about who they are who we are…getting to know them better. And, the training that Isidro and I have been doing with some of the Haitians in the Batays is really working. Now, there are a handful of Haitians living in the Batays who walk for 1-2 hours to other Batays where they start Bible Studies, preach, and teach about Jesus as Lord and Savior! We are helping them to see themselves as missionaries, too…and they are living this out among their fellow Haitian brothers and sisters! God is good!

Please continue to support us with your prayers and generosity!
We could not fulfill the call of Jesus to be in mission here in the DR without you! If interested in supporting us financially, please contact Amy Bissette at bissettea@ecu.edu . If you’re interested in coming here on a mission team or living here with us to learn to become a missionary through our “Mission Residence Program” please contact Donna Sheets at donna@connect2covenant.com .

We love you all and are so thankful to God for you! Until next time…remember to follow Jesus…step by step. Marcos, Mey, John, Perla, Candace, Kristin, and the rest of your DR family.

Thanks, from Marcos

2010-03-03T11:10:00.000-08:00

Hola All,
I'm back in the DR. Man Oh Man, it is great to be home! The family is well and sends their thanks to you for taking care of me during my time in NC. I spent some time with Isidro and Lucy yesterday telling them about the time in NC...and...as you can imagine...Isidro was shouting "Halleluja". Candace and I will be going to Isidro's church today...trying to help get the new 100 mostly Haitian kids into the Compassion school. Thanks so much for all that all of you did for me while I was in NC and for all of the meals and transportation and so many other things that you helped me with when I was there. I love you all and miss you all already. Candace, Mey, Isidro, and I are planning for the next mission team to arrive in 3 days. Grace and Blessings to you all. And, thanks again.

Marcos

Want to see Mark's message delivered at Covenant Church this past weekend? Click here and choose Mark's video to find out what his mission in the DR is all about.

February News...Haiti and Mark's Upcoming Visit

2010-02-05T12:08:00.000-08:00

Hola! From Marcos, Mey, John, Perla, and Candace O’Quinn! Yep, Candace is my first “mission resident student” living here in the Dominican Republicwith us in training to be a missionary for 6 months. She is in the “Mission Resident Program” we have just started and learning a lot about what it means to be a missionary. She also went with us on a mission trip to Haiti last month where she got to experience Port Au Prince after the devastating earthquake there. Here's a note from Candace about the trip:

Our trip to Haiti was interesting. Marcos, Mey, Pastor Isidro, a Haitian friend named Denni and I traveled to Haiti about a week and a half ago. We were anticipating utter chaos and despair. The news stations here showed footage and reported stories that left us expecting to see an astronomical amount of destruction; we didn't really expect to find much of a city left when we got to Port Au Prince, to say the least. It was a very long drive to the capital of Haiti from La Romana- 13.5 hours there and 9 hours back. Haiti, we discovered, is a masterpiece that displays Papa God's artwork through glorious mountains that cover the whole country. It was a very calm journey through the Haitian mountains- we didn't see any injured persons or any destruction; we only passed a small number of people traveling away from Port Au Prince.

When we finally reached Port Au Prince, things were very calm and quiet, all things considered. We drove around the capital and saw a fair amount of buildings that had collapsed or been damaged from the earthquakes, but not all. There was still a fair amount of the city left standing. Many people were camping outside in tent cities- they didn't want to be inside in the event of another earthquake. We were able to find and connect with two different churches in Port Au Prince and distribute the supplies we had brought between the two. Pastor Isidro is hoping to begin to build relationships with these churches and send missionaries from his church monthly to encourage and support our brothers and sisters in Haiti, so that was awesome!

For me, personally, Haiti was a shock for three reasons:
1. The lack of total destruction that we had anticipated and heard about- we didn't find, which was wonderful. Praise God we had over-anticipated things, and it wasn't as bad as we thought it would be!

2. The actual state of Haiti as a whole was also shocking. I have visited a number of Haitian batays here in La Romana, all of them neighborhoods consisting of one room shacks made from trash, or tarps, or sheets. I had not stopped to realize that the whole country of Haiti would probably be like that, however, so as we drove, I was taken aback at how very poor Haiti truly is. But then I have also been thinking about the beauty behind that. Jesus didn't have electricity or running water in His house, either. They had to draw water from a well then just as they do in Haiti; they had to take baths in the rivers then too. Homes in His day were probably very similar in size to the Haitian homes...a lot of different thoughts that all led to this question: "Is it really all that bad, how the Haitians live?" So, I continue to mull this over in my spirit and every now and then Papa God squeezes the sponge that holds my thoughts to add something, or take something away, or show me something else. It's a beautiful process :)

3. Haiti is the most breathtakingly, divinely beautiful country I have ever seen. I wish ya'll could have been in the guaguita (van) with us on our drive back. We drove next to a river, with crystal blue water, for over 100 miles. We were so close to it, we could have driven right into the water, if our drivers had felt daring. Beyond the river was a lush meadow, green and billowing as Jesus breathed into the wind. The meadow blanketed the foot of those glorious Haitian mountains that stretched the whole length of our journey. And as we drove, we got to watch Papa God set His sun behind His mountains- a vision I will carry with me for the rest of my life :) You could feel, in a very tangible way, God's joy in that place, how He loved to play there. And that was only the left side view!

On the right side of the guaguita we drove right next to another mountain range, snow white and close enough we could have touched it. In the side of this range of mountains were...caves! Tons and tons of caves! And many of the caves had little lagoon-like ponds in between them in the road. It was as though Papa was saying "Look! See how marvelous! I made this for you! I painted this for you to find! Oh, how I love you so!" It struck me as God-ronic, how the poorest country in the world is the one most full of His beauty and divine thumbprint. I love the way He works :)

Denni went with us to Haiti and has a story to tell as well. I first met Denni when he was 15 years old. I went with a Covenant Church mission team to build a church in Barrio Duarte where he lived. He became a believer in Jesus through the street drama that the mission team did while there. Now, he is 21, and went with us to Haiti on our mission trip as our interpreter. And, to put it in his words: “To be in mission on this trip is the best thing I've ever done…to give back to my people in mission. I will always remember being in mission with you. And it was all because you came to help build a church for us…”
-Candace

A mission Team from Covenant Church came in January, led by Mandi Nichols…with Amber, Moth, and Candace. They focused on a Prayer Walk in Barrio George, a Haitian Batay and teaching baseball techniques to young boys who are a part of Isidro’s “Covenant Red Sox Baseball League” where there are 300 boys participating.

I am preparing for my mission trip to Covenant Church & other parts of North Carolina from Feb. 12th thru March 1st. I will be visiting a number of churches and preaching/teaching in NC while there. I will spend the better part of a week of my trip around Covenant Church…ending with me preaching there on Feb. 27th & 28th…and with a workshop on “Dominican Dreamin” at 2pm at Covenant Church on the 28th. Please come if you can. I also hear that we will be doing a “Prayer Walk” in the Redemption Zone in West Greenville, too on Saturday morning, the 27th. Join us in mission if you can.

Click here to view Mark's schedule while he's in the US.

Imagine Yourself in Mission in the DR
Just imagine…..receiving a letter from a child that you support through Compassion International at Isidro’s church that says, “I could not go to school or eat without your help…thank you so much! I love you!”

Just imagine…..stepping out of a gwagwita (van) in the DR and being greeted by cheers and hugs from the children, teens, and adults there as you arrive to help build a Mission House for future mission teams on Isidro’s grounds at his church.

Just imagine…..making friends for a lifetime among your mission team members who go to the DR with you…and with a special Dominican youth there.

You need to be a part of this mission here! Why? Because Jesus is calling you to be involved in mission too, because in order to grow deeper as a believer and follower of Jesus, you need to put action to your praise and prayers, and because we need your help here, too. You can get involved in two ways:
1) If interested in coming to the DR on a mission work team, you can contact Donna Sheets at Covenant Church at donna@connect2covenant.com.
2) If interested in supporting us by your prayers and through your generosity in giving, you can contact Amy Bissette at: bissettea@ecu.edu.

Thanks so much to those of you who are supporting us already!

Gratefully until I see you in North Carolina between Feb. 12th & March 1st…

Grace & Blessings,

Marcos, Mey, John, Perla, the rest of the family…including Candace too!

Mark's Trip to Haiti and visit to the US

2010-01-29T10:22:00.000-08:00

Hola All,
We just got back from Haiti this am. (January 22, 2010) We were able to enter through the border without problems. It was a 13 and 1/2 hour trip by gwagwita (van) through the Haitian mountains and into the capital of Port Au Prince. We ministered among the Haitians through several churches there, in the "tent cities" (made out of sheets or cardboard), on the street, and throughout the city. We arrived in Port au Prince at about 2pm yesterday and left the city at about 7pm. We arrived home about 4am this morning (9 hour trip home). There were many buildings that had fallen in, and in the center part of the city it was the worst. Many structures had caved in...including the President's palace in one section.

We had complete access to the city and traveled through it looking at the destruction from the earthquake...there was another strong tremor, we heard reported about while we were there but we didn't feel anything inside the city. It was difficult to see so many buildings that had collapsed. But, despite what the news media may be showing and saying...we found the city to be moving about its daily business with the people in the streets not crying or in shock nor screaming. There were people in the tent cities mourning their loved ones who had died.

We went into the worst of the disaster areas but found the people to be very kind, open to us praying with them and receiving the many things that we took with us including bottled water, food, clothes, etc. We found one church there...a Church Of God...which was about in the center of one of the main disaster zones that seemed to be open to helping the people there with the distribution of the water, food, etc. so we gave the majority of what we had to them so that they could help their own people. There were 7 of us in the gwagwita: the two drivers, Isidro, Mey, Candace, Denni (the Haitian young man who was our interpreter), and myself. It was great to have Denni with us who interpreted our Spanish to Creole...this was Maria and Leecien's son from Barrio Duarte here where we built the church with Pastor Elias with the first mission team from Covenant Church from 2005. He is now a Christian and in mission with us. That was great to see him ministering and being in mission with us now. There were not as many buildings that had collapsed as we thought there would have been according to the news. No one was rioting or robbing anyone as far as we could see. They seemed very orderly in the water and food distribution lines throughout the city.

We made some good new friends with Lendee and Andres...two fellow believers from the Church of God where we left our things and hope to be able to establish a relationship with them and their church on an ongoing basis. We also met some of the people from the Haitian Methodist Church there in the disaster zone as well. We will follow up with them too. Fermin Miguel, the District Superintendent from here in La Romana, was taking a team in to Port Au Prince today as well. We spoke before we left the other day and we are going to have a meeting with all of the pastors in La Romana when he gets back with his team so that we can coordinate sending disaster mission teams into Port Au Prince on a regular basis from the Methodist churches here in La Romana.

Candace (O'Quinn- a missionary resident under Mark's direction) did well on the trip...helping with the food distribution. Mey (Mark's wife) was great, as always, and Pastor Isidro was his usual self of talking and praying with folks that we met along our way and in Port Au Prince. The gwagwita was so full of the things that we took that the 7 of us were packed in like sardines in a can...and it made going over the mountains that much more challenging because we were weighted down so much. There were many other mission teams from the U.S., Germany, Switzerland, Spain, the DR, etc. Plus we saw one U.S.ship with soldiers helping the Haitians as well as the U.N. Peace Keeping Troops everywhere.

Thanks to the Seedcasters Team of Covenant Church, the Step By Step With Jesus board, and the individuals who were generous in their giving for food for this trip. It was a success. Jesus was shared with the people there...and we fed and gave water, clothes, etc. to Jesus in Port Au Prince. Thanks for your prayers.

With all of our love, grace, and blessings, Marcos & Mey.

Note: Mark is visiting the US in February. Here is his tentative schedule. We at Step By Step invite you to join and Meet with Mark as appropriate below.

Click here to view Mark's itinerary.

December (A Look Back) & January (A Look Ahead) Newsletter

2009-12-30T06:26:00.000-08:00

Feliz Navidad y Muchas Bendiciones por el Ano Nuevo (Merry Christmas and Many Blessings for the New Year) from the Dominican Republic! Both our family here and the family of Dominicans here are wishing you and your family many blessings for the celebration of the birth of Jesus, our Lord & Savior…and many blessings for the New Year, too!

4 Wonderful Mission Teams came to be in mission with us over this past month!
The 1st team was made up of Bob Wynn, Director of Student Ministries and Walter Strathy, Director of Outreach both from Covenant Church. They both came to the DR for their first time to see the mission opportunities for themselves here and to do some planning to send other mission teams in the future.

The 2nd team was lead by Dr. Rich Rizzuti from Covenant Church. Rich has been here about 3 times before and is a plastic surgeon. Also on the team were Lee Quinn, PA, Frances Van Cleef, RN, and Becky Testerink, RN, from Covenant Church. Their mission was to meet with the officials at Buen Samaritano Hospital here in La Romana and to develop a plan to begin sending Medical Mission Teams to the hospital and to set up clinics at Pastor Isidro’s church. The 1st Medical Mission team is planned for June, 2010.

The 3rd team was from Amity UM Church from Chapel Hill, NC. Their mission was to assist Pastor Isidro and us in building a room on the new second floor of Isidro’s “Compassion-Covenant School”. This was done so that the water purification system could be installed downstairs in one of the older classrooms. The system was installed and we are producing 3,000 gallons a day of clean, purified, drinking water that we are giving out for free to the people of Barrio George! They line up every day with thankfulness to receive this free water. It’s such a joy to watch and be a part of this! The Amity team loved on the people in the barrios and batays and, to put it in their words, “We experienced the love of God and the power of the Holy Spirit for ourselves like we had only heard about before! It completely changed our lives to be a part of mission there! We’re coming back again!”. In fact, Pastor Isidro was so impressed with the work and the love that this team shared that he decided to name the water with a mission project: “Amity Water…Agua de Amistad”…and since “Amity” means “friendship” this fits really well with this project.

The 4th team was lead by Jennifer Johnson & Tammy Scherer with 11 people on that team. Their mission was “to love on people” here…and they really did that…with the Dominican pastors, the women cooks in the Upper Room, people in Isidro’s church, in Barrio George, Maria & Lucien in Barrio Duarte, and in one of the Haitian Batays. Jeff Daigle, Director of Communication at Covenant, was among this team who captured some wonderful footage to use back at Covenant Church. Also, Rebecca Thomas painted a beautiful mural on the front wall of Isidro’s church that everyone is still in awe of there.

We're preparing for another mission team coming on Jan. 3rd! This team will be made up of Candace O’Quinn, Mandy Nichols, Melissa Griffin, & Amber Taylor from previous teams.

Our Mission Resident Program will have it’s 1st missionary in training! Candace O’Quinn will be staying here in the DR from Jan. 3, until the end of June learning how to be in mission cross-culturally with us here in La Romana. She will be working with Pastor Isidro, Mey, and I…as well as the other Dominican folks…and will be learning everything from applying the Mission Principles to her own life to assisting me in leading the Covenant Church March Mission Team. She will be certified by Isidro and I through his church’s School of Mission when she finishes her time here.

God-inspired and God-blessed mission is continuing in the barrios and batays through our Step By Step With Jesus Mission here. If you would like to be a part of feeding the hungry, giving clothes to the needy, sharing God’s Word of salvation, hope, and love with some of the least, last, & lost with us here through your prayers and your generous giving…please contact me and let me know or Amy Bissette at bissettea@ecu.edu . And if you want to be a part of a mission team please contact me at marcosandmey@yahoo.com or Donna Sheets at donna@connect2covenant.com . Blessing to you from Marcos, Mey, John, Perla, and the rest of our family. And, remember to walk step by step with Jesus!

November 2009 UPDATE

2009-12-01T11:16:00.000-08:00

Isidro called Junior, an 8 year old Dominican boy, forward in a crowd of hundreds, to receive the first, five gallon, plastic bottle of clean, purified, free drinking water at the celebration to start the water flowing to Barrio George and Barrio Pica Piedra this past month. We found Junior on one of our Prayer Walks in the barrio who was drinking from a dirty bucket in the street because he had no other water to drink. He was just about passes out from thirst and was willing to drink whatever he could find because he was so thirsty and had no money to buy clean water. Isidro explained Junior’s need for water and everyone else’s need at the celebration as they all looked on with smiles that would light up anyone’s Christmas tree. After the celebration everyone received their own 5 gallon bottle to cheers and shouts of “Gracias a Dios” (Thanks to God). Some were so thirsty that they sat down on the ground and started drinking the free, purified water before they even took it home. With the Purification system in Isidro’s church we can now purify 3,000 gallons per day to give out. Junior will never have to be thirsty again…nor drink dirty water that makes him sick. And, as I stood there watching the people who were so happy and grateful to God for this water…I thought I heard Jesus whisper, “When I was thirsty you gave me a drink…”. Thank you all so much for praying for this, for giving generously to Step By Step With Jesus, and for coming to be with us here on Mission Teams so that this dream could be fulfilled in the barrio around Isidro’s church. Oh, and, Junior wanted me to thank you too!

Three Wonderful Mission Teams Came in November To Be With Us In The DR!
The first team was made up of Walter Strathy, Director of Mission, and Bob Wynn, Director of Student Ministries from Covenant Church. They came to do a Scouting and Planning team to look at Mission Teams for 2010. Through their willingness to come and plan with Pastors Isidro, Santiago, Adolfo, etc. we will see many teams coming over the twelve months ahead. The second team in November was made up of Dr. Rich Rizzuti, Dr. Lee Quinn, Frances Van Cleef, and Becky Testerink, both nurses and all from Covenant Church. We visited the Hospital Buen Samaritano (Good Samaritan Hospital) in La Romana and made connections with them so that Covenant Church can start sending Medical Mission Teams over 2010. The third Mission Team was a team from Amity United Methodist Church in Chapel Hill, NC. This was their first time to come here and their focus was on building a room above Isidro’s school so that we could have space to put the Water Purification System in one of the downstairs classrooms. Isidro decided to name the Water System “Amity Free Water” (Amity in Spanish is Amistad which means Friendship). With all of these teams we did Prayer Walks in barrios and Haitian Batays, gave out food, clothes, and shoes to the poor, prayed for them, saw people come to Jesus, and found new friends among them. It was a great month for mission teams here!

Thanks so much for your love and your prayers for Step By Step With Jesus. If interested in sharing your time on a mission team here please contact Donna Sheets at donna@connect2covenant.com. And if interested in giving to help support the mission here so that people like Junior can have clean drinking water or little Maria so she can have clothes and food to be able to eat and go to school please contact Amy Bissette at bissettea@ecu.edu. And remember to take your next, right, and faithful step with Jesus….it will deepen your walk with God.

Blessings, Marcos & Mey & family.

Christmas Opportunity

2009-12-01T10:53:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends of Step by Step With Jesus:

Christmas is a season of opportunity. We embrace the chance to celebrate Jesus’s birth into our world and to honor our family and friends with gifts. And we can also take the opportunity to meet the needs of “the least of these” – both in our backyard and abroad.

Step by Step’s ministry is thriving, as Mark and Mey and their co-laborers serve the Dominican people daily in the name of Jesus. The needs are overwhelming at times, but they continue to trust the Lord to provide the means that allow them to be the hands and feet of Jesus in the barrios and batays.

We are so thankful for the support you have given Step by Step in the past year, and we hope that you will join us this Christmas with an outpouring of love to the Dominican people. Below we have compiled a list of specific giving opportunities that can bring you closer to the Savior this holiday season.

We welcome you to choose specific needs that you would like to meet with your donations, and designate a loved one to receive it in your name. If you choose to give gifts through Step by Step, we will send cards to the designated recipients telling them what you have given in their name. (For example, Mary Jones has given 20 bags of rice to Step by Step With Jesus in your name.)

If you choose to give an undesignated donation instead, we will use it to meet the greatest needs. You can also give an undesignated gift in someone’s name as a Christmas gift, and we will send cards for those donations if you wish.

To partner with Step by Step this Christmas, you only need to send the information below in a note, along with your check written to Step By Step With Jesus, to the following address:

Step By Step With Jesus
2375 Sir Eugene Ct.
Greenville, NC 27858

Emmanuel! We rejoice in the hope of the Christmas message, and we are so thankful for your generous willingness to make Step by Step part of your Christmas celebration.

Joyfully,

The Step By Step With Jesus Board

Please indicate in your note what you would like to provide (use the information below).

Step by Step With Jesus Christmas Giving Opportunities
--For a donation of $25, you can provide one of the following:
--Food for a family of four for three days
--Four pairs of pants and four shirts
--12 gallons of purified water

--For a donation of $15, you can provide one of the following:
--20 pounds of rice to distribute in the Haitian batay
--One day’s wages for a Dominican man who has lost his job or is unable to work for physical reasons
--Five loaves of bread, five dozen eggs and five bags of powdered milk

Example:

I would like to make the following Christmas gifts through Step by Step:
1. Gift:_________________________________________________
In honor of:___________________________________________
Honoree’s address:_____________________________________
_____________________________________

Early Fall Update

2009-10-22T09:30:00.000-07:00

Hola To Everyone From Marcos, Mey, John, and Perla from the DR!

FIRST: AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE! I AM NOT IN LONDON!
I have received a number of phone calls this morning (Saturday, September 19th, 2009) letting me know that they just got an email from me saying that I was in London, had my bags stolen, and need you to send money to me. THAT IS NOT TRUE! I am still her in the DR, have not intention to go to London or anywhere else for now, and I guess someone stole my identification. I have contacted Yahoo Security and don’t even have access to my own Yahoo account at this point. Hopefully I will soon. I have a NEW Yahoo email which is now: marcosandmey@yahoo.com. Please contact me through it from now on. Sorry for the inconvenience…not my fault.

ISIDRO RETURNS FROM COVENANTCHURCHWITH “FULL STEAM AHEAD” EXCITEMENT FOR MISSION!
We shared Isidro with Covenant Church for 5 days but he is back home now and we are moving ahead with our mission work here in the DR. After experiencing these things at Covenant Church I don’t think he’ll ever be the same again: NC BBQ, grits, a Prayer Walk in West Greenville, the “4:12 Event”, and air conditioning. Thanks, folks at Covenant Church, for taking such good care of him! Now you have to come here if you want to be with him more!

SCHOOL HAS STARTED HERE IN THE DR FOR THE KIDS!
They are in need of uniforms, medicines, food, backpacks, and money for books. If you would like to help one or some of them with that or other things please contact Amy Bissette at: bissettea@ecu.edu and let her know.

PREPARING FOR NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER MISSION WORK TEAMS!
We have a team of Doctors and Nurses from Covenant Church coming in November to work with the Hospital Buen Samaritano here in La Romana and to check out the possibilities of other medical teams for the future. There is a team of folks from Amity United Methodist Church from Chapel Hill, NC coming the last week of November to work on the “Water With A Mission” project at Isidro’s church. And there is another team from Covenant Church coming the first week in December to do Prayer Walks, go to the Batays, love on people here, for one of them to paint a huge mural of Jesus on the wall of Isidro’s church, and help us with the Garden With A Mission project.

WE EXPERIENCED A DEATH IN OUR FAMILY HERE IN THE DR: Mey’s sister, Majee’s little 5 and ½ month old boy, Ricardito, died this month. He and Majee were living with us. He was diagnosed with Meningitus and after a 3 month battle went home to be with the Lord. It was a difficult time for us but the Lord walked through it with us.
WE NEED YOUR HELP! Please continue or start supporting us with your prayers, your presence here by coming on mission work teams: contact donna@connect2covenant.com, & through your financial support. You can help many with just a little by contacting Amy Bissette at: bissettea@ecu.edu.com.

THANKS AND BLESSINGS! We’re glad you’re a part of Step By Step With Jesus! Please email us…we’d LOVE to hear from you. And, remember to keep walking step by step with Jesus!

With a lot of love,
Marcos, Mey, John, and Perla Lykins.

Dominican Pastor to Visit Greenville

2009-08-27T11:05:00.001-07:00

Hello, Step By Step Followers!

Pastor Isidro from the Dominican Republic, who partners with Mark Lykins (founder of Step By Step With Jesus) will be in Greenville on the weekend of August 28-30. Want to hear more about how God is working in the DR? Want to see pictures from those who are being helped in the DR? Want to meet the Step By Step board and hear more about the ministry? Want to go on a prayer walk with Pastor Isidro in West Greenville or attend a baseball game with him? There are lots of opportunities to jump in and get involved. Pastor Isidro will arrive in Greenville on Thursday, August 27 and will be a featured personality at Covenant Church on Corey Rd. in Winterville all weekend.

Click here to get more information about Pastor Isidro's visit.

August Update

2009-08-20T17:58:00.000-07:00

God is good! God sent us two wonderful teams of folks from Covenant church from Greenville, NC to work with us in preparing our Garden With A Mission site…it is almost ready! The teams also worked on Pastor Isidro’s church where they plastered the walls of the church building and finished the altar.

One really cool moment was when we put pieces of paper with prayers on them under the rocks of the altar before we filled it in with concrete mix. That way, prayers will be going up to God 24 hours a day from our altar! Cool…huh?! People from the poor barrio (neighborhood) next to Isidro’s church heard about it and came to put their prayers in the altar too…even those who are not yet professing believers in Jesus.

In Batay Imanom, on a Prayer Walk, one Haitian lady almost passed out from hunger so Caitlan helped her to where we were giving out food and preaching. Caitlan also, later, gave her a Bible that she had been carrying for the week trying to decide who God wanted to give it to.

We shared the good news of the Gospel with many people and saw many come to Jesus through the Prayer Walks in the barrios and batays. One team presented a drama without words in a batay (Haitian migrant camp in the middle of the sugar cane fields) where about 20 people gave their lives to Jesus.

We left our own shoes with the Haitians who had no shoes in one of the batays. We had taken many bags of shoes, clothes, food, & rice with us to give out but the Haitians were so desperate for all that we took…and more….that the members of this team gave away their own shoes too. We went back to La Romana barefoot. And, as a way to say “Thank you” the Haitians brought us their only mangos for our team members to eat. Now THAT’S God’s love responding to God’s love!

Both teams presented “Cardboard Testimonies” in Santiago’s church together, in Spanish, to the folks of the church shouting “Alleluia!” and clapping and cheering. It was very emotionally and spiritually moving. Both teams were together for one night before the first team returned home. They stayed together in the Upper Room at Santiago’s church that other teams had built.

Thanks so much for supporting us here in the DR with your prayers, your generous giving, and your emails of encouragement. It means so much to us. We really feel that you are here with us sharing the gospel and helping the least, the last, and the lost.

If you would like to become one of our generous givers please contact Amy Bissette at bissettea@ecu.edu and let her know. Other mission work teams are forming. Please contact Donna Sheets at Covenant church at donna@connect2covenant.com. Blessings! We love you! From: Marcos, Mey, John, & Perla Lykins in the DR.

And, remember to walk step by step with Jesus! You are a missionary too!
Please email us…we would LOVE to hear from you! We miss you all!

January, 2009 Update from the DR

2009-01-14T11:13:00.000-08:00

Hola Everyone! How did you celebrate Christmas and the New Year? Here, the Dominicans don't give presents for Christmas. Instead, they have their children leave their shoes outside of the doors on "Three Kings Day" (Jan. 6th). And, the parents here who can buy presents leave one in their shoes as a way to show that the same 3 kings who went to the stable the night Jesus was born also passed by them to give their children presents too. Sadly, many of the Dominican children here in La Romana didn't get presents this year because the economy is so bad and many of the people that Mey and I do mission work with are so poor. However, hundreds of presents were given out to hundreds of children through Pastor Isidro's church a couple of weeks ago. It was a marvelous sight. Many of these children are so poor that they came wearing only underwear and were so proud of their presents. And, their parents were so happy that their children received something too. Pastor Isidro, Mey, and I are planning a dinner to honor these poor parents who are trying so hard to provide for and raise their children well...inspite of their extreem poverty.
Mey and I went with Pastor Isidro last week to Batay Cacata. A "batay" is a Migrant Labor camp in the midst of miles and miles of sugar cane fields where Haitians come to work for ridiculously low wages for the Sugar Company in La Romana. We took clothes and Bible Studies this time. It was amazing to see the joy they had in receiving them. Pastor Isidro and I spoke about God's love and they responded with hunger for Jesus. Please consider coming here to be in mission with us through one of Covenant's Mission Work Teams. There are currently teams being planned for March, April, and June, 2009. For more info and to sign up to come please contact Donna Sheets at Covenant Church. Thanks for your prayers and financial help. We couldn't do these things without your help. God bless you. Mark & Mey Lykins.

Step by Step with Jesus Support Video

2008-11-09T08:47:00.000-08:00

Where To Send Financial Support

2008-11-05T06:49:00.000-08:00

Special Blessings on you if you are helping us prayerfully and financially! Really!
You can send this help to us by making your checks to "Step By Step With Jesus" and send them to: Scott Griffin
Practicon, Inc.
Step By Step With Jesus
1112 Sugg Parkway
Greenville, North Carolina 27834
or
Buddy Holt
Step By Step With Jesus
1101 West Wright Road
Greenville, North Carolina 27858-3917
We are a tax exempt organization. Thanks for your support...we won't be able to do it without you. Blessings, Marcos & Mey Lykins

Current Ways To Come Into Our "Balcony"

2008-11-05T06:40:00.000-08:00

Here are some current ways to come into our "balcony". In other words...ways to cheer us on...ways to encourage us...ways to help prayerfully & financially:
1) a laptop computer
2) funds for some type of transportation when we get to the Dominican Republic
3) funds for purchasing rice on a regular basis to share in the Haitian Migrant
camps around La Romana, DR
4) funds for purchasing other food to fix on a regular basis to give out in the poor
barrio (neighborhood) where we will be in mission
5) Need some of you to help children in the barrio where we will be in mission through
"Compassion International" where you can sponsor a child monthly for about $30.00
Thanks for praying for these needs and mission opportunities and thanks for your help in meeting these needs. Blessings, Marcos.

Welcome to Mission with Mark & Mey!

2008-11-03T06:34:00.000-08:00

Well...here we go...

Thanks to God, first of all, for the call to go to the Dominican Republic as missionaries!

Thanks to Covenant Church for supporting us with their prayers & financial support in this mission!

Thanks to Reagan May for her help in putting together this Blog...whee...I'm in cyber space!

Thanks to Mikey Danielson for helping with our video!

And, thanks to you for being willing to pray for us and cheer us on...we need it! I often talk about being one person in someone else's balcony...hanging over it...cheering them on...yelling "You can do it! I'm rooting for you! I believe in you and what God can do in you!". Well, now Mey and I are asking that you climb into our balcony to cheer us on because there is no way we can do it without you...really! My understanding of how to do mission and how to do it well is that it is always a community of faith venture...together! No "Lone Rangers" on this one to the Dominican Republic!

In a few days from today (Mon., Nov. 3rd) we will include a video that Mikey Danielson is helping us do. In it you can hear and see what we will be doing in the DR. In it you will hear a plea for prayer & financial help. Please look at it and ask God what part God wants you to play in this mission. While the Seedcasters Team (Mission Funding Committee) of Covenant Church has been generous in their financial help they can not cover the needs that we have for transportation, a laptop computer, food to give out to the hungry, rice for the rice ministry, or coffee for our Matthew 25 Coffee House. Please join us in mission with the poorest of the poor in La Romana, Dominican Republic. Please go to the video and see where and how you can help. And, consider coming over to be with us to be in mission with us...on a Mission Work Team through Covenant Church (one is set for March & one for April) or by coming as a family. Details to follow... Blessings, Mark & Mey.

Get Involved

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How Can I Get Involved?

Do you want to be a part of Step by Step with Jesus? There are numerous ways you can be involved with this ministry. Following are some options:

Pray for Step by Step on a regular basis.

Join a mission work team (three or four teams go every year from Covenant Church) and join in Mark and Mey's work firsthand.

Speak about Step by Step to a church or community group.

Assist with upcoming fundraising events for Step by Step.

Make a one-time or monthly donation to the work.

How Will My Donation Further the Mission?
Funds donated to Step by Step with Jesus will help support Mark and Mey Lykins as they share Christ and meet needs in the poorest areas of La Romana. Your dollars will do more than you can imagine to feed the hungry, clothe the poor and share with people the good news of Jesus. Some specific ways that your contribution could be utilized are:

Help buy rice and other necessities for Mark and Mey and their team to give on their frequent trips to the 25 Haitian migrant camps in the area around La Romana.

Pay rent or supplies for Mark and Mey's Coffee Shop, where they will give free coffee and share the gospel with people in impoverished barrios.

Help provide desperately needed medical care for the people in barrios like Pico Piedro or at the Haitian migrant camps.

Step by Step T-Shirts

Donors with a minimum $25 donation will receive this free t-shirt! Here's what $25 will buy in the DR:

Enough food to feed a family of four for several days

12 gallons of purified water

Four pairs of pants and four shirts

Full wages for five days for a worker who has lost his job or is unable to work in the sugar cane fields

About Mark Lykins

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Meet Mark Lykins...

Mark Lykins has served as a United Methodist pastor and Missionary for 25 years. He has served in North Carolina, in Liberia, and in Argentina. Currently, he is serving as a missionary in La Romana, Dominican Republic. Mark has a Masters in Social Work from Ohio State University and a Masters in Divinity from Duke Divinity School.

Step by Step with Jesus is a life-long dream for Mark who also served with his wife, Mey. Mey is a native Dominican who has worked in La Romana and in Argentina for 5 years. After residing in the United States for several years with her husband, Mark, she has now returned to the Dominican Republic with Mark to serve as a missionary to her own people.

A Message from Mark...

"Here in the DR, so much time is spent just focusing on survival. In the US, we have so many choices- what food to eat, where to live, which things to buy and what we will do with our time off. In the DR, most of the day is spent trying to find food, preparing meals, carrying water, and seeking transportation. There is also a lack of electricity and running water. This is what makes life difficult for people in the DR- the lack of choices or options. However, there is a simplicity in life and a sense of community among the neighbors that is difficult to find in the US. There is a simple joy that I am learning to experience and treasure with the people here. While it isn't always easy, it is a pleasure to serve Jesus in this place."

Our Mission

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What is the Mission of Step by Step with Jesus?

Feeding and clothing those in need, offering God's love to the least, last and lost, as we walk step by step with Jesus.
With a bag of rice, a cup of coffee, a Bible, a toy, or a spontaneous prayer offered for a hurting family, Step by Step with Jesus is a daily setting up face-to-face encounters with Christ among the impoverished and poor in spirit in the Dominican Republic. The ministry exists to offer healing and hope wherever the Spirit leads- the barrios, the batays and among American work teams hungry to experience God's grace anew.

What is Step by Step with Jesus doing in the DR?

Start "Coffee House" in poor barrio; give free coffee as a way to invite into Bible Study, offer Jesus, train & connect to Pastor Isidro's church
Feeding & Clothing Ministry
Work with "Compassion International", connect kids to sponsors
Develop leaders in other churches
Receive & work with Mission Work Teams

Step by Step with Jesus Board Members

Scott Griffin
Amy Bissette
Buddy Holt
Gary Bass
Becky Testerink
Walter Strathy
Rich Rizzuti
Jennifer Johnson
Bethany Bradsher