The Puerto Rico Story (part 2)

The Puerto Rico Story (part 2)

Before the end of October, I knew my work in Puerto Rico was not finished but God was not giving me any clear direction of what I should be doing. I was still unsure of what was going on internally and the reason I was having such a struggle with getting things together.  I began to pray harder. 

Lord,Why are we going, on this trip?  I realize that I have not prayed and interceded, as I should have.  You know the situation with my Father-in-law.  I just ask you to work out the details, and make it possible if you want me to be on the trip.  My mind is fried, trying to figure all of this out.  But I am open to your will.  Let me not be disappointed if you have other plans for me during this last week of Jan. I ask you Father, Give me peace about this trip. Make all of this work out for your glory, and leave no doubt in my mind what you would have me to do. Speak to me clearly leaving me no doubt your will.  

After speaking again with Jeff Hutchison, and seeing the depth of his burden, and enthusiasm, I felt that I really needed to talk with him.  I believed God was calling him to lead the work effort in Puerto Rico.  I told him that I would be right there beside him, to give any insights, as small as they may be, but I really believed that he should be the one to lead this trip.  His burden was to go and do physical work, and I feIt I needed to be there, to do research, and analysis and see if I could build some relationships for the future. 

"The Hutch"

Jeff accepted the challenge, and I felt a huge relief from the burden I had been carrying.  It was around that time it finally struck me why I was feeling all this anxiety about the trip.  Norma had just called from Oklahoma telling me of the impending death of her father. Of course it was impossible to know the outcome, so Norma, still in Oklahoma at that time told me she was coming home, to make preparations to go back at his passing.  Then it struck me; I may not be going to Puerto Rico. I may have to be in Oklahoma at the same time of the trip. Now my mind is really in a quandary.  I went on preparing as if I were going to continue the trip, all the time knowing that it may not be in God’s plan.   

Time was dragging by, and nearly the whole month of November was gone. “Hutch” continued to make plans and we both searched for men, who were willing to go.   He called a meeting in his home on 11/29/17 with a group of men who had interest in going.  At that meeting, we set the date for the trip to be January 28 through February 1, 2018. Anxiety was high, and we bought our tickets, the next day after this meeting.  Jeff set another date to meet on Jan. 3. 

By this time five men were totally committed to go, with my travel being contingent on the health of my father-in-law. The ticket I purchased included an extra insurance clause to get my money back in the event I had to cancel. We had two more men to sign up a few days later.  The group was composed of Jeff Hutchinson, Mike Sabal, Tony Medina, Josh Greifenkamp, Tim Mahoney, Paul Hamaker, and Geoff Isbell and myself. With Christmas and new years over, we anxiously met again for that January 3^rd  meeting.

Jeff opened that next meeting giving the group sound reason for the purpose of the trip.  Josh Greifenkamp shared a very touching testimony of his motivation for going. In closing his story, he shared with the men that our job should be looking for and building lasting relationships, that proved we really care for the people of Puerto Rico; not just going down for a few days, and then never thinking of them again.  

Fernando Silva Caraballo

Jeff contacted Fernando Silva for a conference call. Fernando Silva Caraballo is the founder and Director of InCiCo in Puerto Rico.  InCiCo is the Institute of Sciences for the Conservation of Puerto Rico.  It is a non-governmental, non-profit, Puerto Rican organization that works within the island with communities that suffer from limited or impeded options for socio-economic development. 

Fernando gave a rundown on his role in this process. He would come out to help on the first day as a foreman on the field, and may or may not be with us the rest of the time. He would try to see if he could send out some one as a manager, so he could go on with his work.  His strategy was to work with the most vulnerable people, those with the greatest need. He said this place is only about 10 minutes from the place we will be staying.  He gave reasons why we really need to think through a visit at this time.  He was in agreement with putting on roofs, but told us we really needed caution before planning visits to the island without very clear and precise coordination. He also filled us in on what tools were needed for the trip.  

Because of his involvement in InCiCo, Fernando was well aware of procedures to follow in relief effort, and many of their policies were very similar to Food For The Hungry.   He gave four reasons that should be processed well, before considering going on any relief trip.  

•       People are still in shock and trauma, and it is a slow tedious task of organizing, without resources.
•      They don’t want us doing things our way, because of the PR culture of self- sustainability. They want us to follow their lead. Not hurting them in the process.
•       We must respect them in the idea that they want to help themselves for sustainability.
•       They are looking for relationships, and prayers, and knowing that people really care for them.  That in reality is our main job.  

Fernando told us that his father, Samuel Silva Gotay, was an Elder Theologian and professor who wrote much about the Evangelical Church in Puerto Rico.  He was one of the first writers on Liberation Theology.  He was a previous Pastor of a Southern Baptist Church in Yauco.  Fernando, though not a pastor, has good roots in knowing how to truly “help people without hurting”, and he can see it through the eye of the Puerto Rican.  He can see clearly the hurt, pain, and depression in the eyes of the people after the force of hurricane Maria.  

He briefly filled us in on the task at hand, and our men were getting more and more excited. The game was on, and energy was rising; anxiety was high, but there was not a lot we could do except to wait until the day we could step on the plane. 

We were all in agreement that we were going for the right reason.  We just have to keep before us what Josh mentioned in his statement that we want to build a relationship; that we are not going down just to do our thing, then leave and never be heard of again.  We must keep three words before us.  Those three words are: relief, rehabilitation and sustainability. These were words that became so real to us in our work in Nicaragua.  We had placed a lot of trust in the research from the books and videos of "When Helping Hurts, and Helping Without Hurting."  We must remember that we are on the tail end of relief, (stopping the bleeding) and are in the beginning stages of rehabilitation.  But we also must remember that we are a long way from sustainability.  

Time keeps rolling on and we are just five days away from the departure date.  Norma, has been called back again to Oklahoma with the word that her father had very little time left.  Still there is no confirmation as to whether or not I should cancel my plans to go to Puerto Rico.  I began praying more intensely than ever, thinking that I would go to PR, and in the event of his death, leave to Oklahoma from there.   

01/23/18—Lord, I pray for the PR work team.  And even if I don’t get to go I give you thanks for each man on the trip. Place your hand upon Jeff as he leads, through these unknown waters.  Help him not be discouraged in any way, but encourage him for many more ventures to come.

At this moment, with the pending death of my father-in-law, I need your wisdom and guidance.   Too often I get out in front of you, and when I do, things always turn into such a mess. So help me be able to see your light, and walk in that direction. 

His response was, Dock, I am not speaking to you at the moment about Puerto Rico just so that you can know you are going on this trip.  I am speaking to you because I see the greater picture. Puerto Rico just happens to be a place that is in great need at this time, and that is why I put this team together.  It really makes no difference whether you go or not.  I will let you know in my time what is my will and purpose for you. Meanwhile, just take one step at a time and be sure those steps are in my path.   I want you to trust me, and be prepared for whatever lies ahead, even if you don’t understand it all.  Be ready to turn to the right or the left to follow my path.   

1/26/18 Lord Here it is just two days from the day of the departure and, I still don’t know if I am going to or not.  Lord, this is the most unusual teaching moment that I can remember in a long time.  I know you are teaching me, shaping me, forming me for what ever may come my way. The lesson I suppose I am to take from all of this is that you are in charge. You are Lord of my life. You are Lord of this trip.  You are Lord of creation, and You are Lord of the Universe, no matter what. 

I had my plans all laid out, and now I understand that you wanted something different than my plan.  You had plans for my Father-in-law that touches and affects me in ways that I don’t understand. I ask You to calm my spirit, and let your sweet peace and rest over flow in my heart 

1/27/18…4:00 am.  Lord, I am at peace, because you gave me the answer.  I trust you; I will not go to PR.  I know that walking in your spirit is full and complete trust, daily, and I believe that is your answer. 

Rev. Jim Haas, passed to his eternal
reward on Jan. 27, 2018

Dock, I helped your team come together for the good work of the ministry.  And it makes no difference if you do that work in PR, Chicago, or in Tulsa Okla.  The most important part of the message is that you are always willing to go, when and where I lead you to go. Go, and teach all nations, baptizing in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.  (Matt. 28:19)

Lord I am at total peace. I hear your answer clearly. You only want 14 hands in Puerto Rico.

Within two hours, I got the word.  My father-in-law was in the arms of his Savior. 

Coming up in part 3 of the Puerto Rico Story is the report of the first trip from Ginger Creek by a team of roofers.  They were known as “Fourteen Hands For Puerto Rico”.  A guest writer, the leader of the group, will present the play-by-play wrap-up of their experiences on that trip.  

Revising The Blog

For nearly the past three years, this blog has been lying dormant.  During this time Norma and I have inundated ourselves in a new work in Las Mariitas, a tiny village in northwestern Nicaragua, only eight miles from the border of Honduras.  Although I kept up with daily journals and the stories of impactful occurrences, keeping up with the blog was pressed to the back ground.  But with the enrichment of these stories, and God at work in our lives, I believe now is
the  time to pull out the diary, dust it off and share with you a little about our lives over these past several months. 

There have been so many unimaginable events that God has led us through that I hardly know where to begin.  So for the next several postings, my plan is to give a rundown of the work in Las Mariitas and the initiation of work in Puerto Rico. These two stories will take front stage in the postings to follow. 

Also, coming in future posts will be accounts of our blessings. I would like to share stories from our personal lives, as God has favored us with his grace over these past 50 years. 

About Las Mariitas.  Our church at Ginger Creek, along with our partner churches in Managua, New Jerusalem and Gran Familia of Pochocuape have teamed up with Food For The Hungry in a working relationship for the past two years.  FH is a mission organization based in Phoenix, Arizona that  labors all over the world, especially when needed for critical situations in relief efforts. This summer we will begin our third year in a relationship to help nurture sustainability in Las Mariitas. 

New school rooms in Las Mariitas

But we want to begin our first series of stories with the most current events around the story of hurricane Maria. This has been in my opinion one of the most incredible phenomenon that has occurred over the past several years, and is a story that is not getting enough factual news and proper attention.  We will share a little of that story of what God is doing in the lives of people in Puerto Rico from our perspective 

destroyed home in Puerto Rico

In 2017 there were so many natural catastrophes in the US, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands and throughout the Dominican Republic that they were almost too numerous to count. Wildfires and unusual storms in the US began in the Pacific coast and ripped their way all across America. Much devastation was experienced and later even much more due to flooding and landslides. Then came hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria to add to the devastation

Harvey and Irma struck our mainland in August, followed by Maria in September, which lambasted Puerto Rico with initial costs of 90 billion dollars. By the time the Island is restored, it is doubtful anyone could put a dollar figure on the total cost. 

The Puerto Rico Story (part 1)

When Maria struck the Island of Puerto Rico on September 19, 2017, I remember vividly hearing and seeing all the devastating reports. I immediately felt a heaviness in my heart that I did not understand.  I began to ask God what there is, above and beyond praying, that I could do?  Would it be possible for our church to do something that would make a mark on that country?

destroyed home in Puerto Rico

I continued to pray about this gnawing in my heart, and on Friday, Sept. 29 I was sitting in McDonalds with our Friday group of men, and out of the clear blue, I told the guys that I would love to go to Puerto Rico to help.  But there was very little response.  I told them to just pray about it, and ask God if it would be possible, to send a delegation for relief effort.  That same night, I spoke with a close friend from PR, whose family still lives there.   I asked her about her family and told her I had been praying for all of the family there.  She said they were fine, but had been cut off by the roads that had been washed out. 

On October sixth, in a meeting with our pastor, I told him of my burden and asked him if he thought we could consider  supporting Puerto Rico in some way.  His response was that he would pray, and that he would take very seriously, any suggestions that I could give him.  

The following Sunday, Oct. 8, I was in a conversation with a friend, who was visiting from Florida. I mentioned Puerto Rico and he said, “You should speak to Toni and Agna, other friends in our church.” At that very moment, I looked up to the front of the Church and saw Norma talking with Agna.  They had been talking about the very same subject, Puerto Rico.  

Right then, I thought I knew  what God was expecting from me, but still there was no full confirmation. On Saturday, October 14th, there was still that abiding conviction that I must do something, so I got up and wrote these words in my journal as a part of my devotional prayer for the day.  

"Lord, My heart is still heavy, and it seems I am doing so little to help Puerto Rico in any way. Give me wisdom and discernment as to what you want me to do and say about Puerto Rico.  I ask you to send helpers to assist in some of these devastated areas. Lord I am willing to go anywhere you want me, but for the moment after seeing all this destruction in Puerto Rico, it seems as there is very little that I can do. I am willing to go there to work in disaster relief, but I need your confirmation. What ever it is that is keeping my heart so heavy today, just make it clear to me."  

I sat back and waited and listened, hoping for an answer.  All I got was. “Dock, you are in my hands.”  “I love you and ask that you simply remain faithful and willing, and I will take care of the rest.  For today just walk patiently and in peace." 

destroyed home in PR

The following Sunday, Oct. 15^th, Toni came to me again and said that I should talk more with his wife about PR She had been gathering information, about her homeland in Yauco.  As I looked on the map, I found this was only a short distance from where my friends live. The whole following week Agna spent a long time with Norma talking and texting over the phone and my heart just got heavier and heavier.  I wrote down notes, and listened to news accounts I copied down all the information Agna was receiving from her family. 


The following Sunday, Oct. 15^th, Toni came to me again and said that I should talk more with his wife about PR.  She had been gathering information, about her homeland in Yauco.  As I looked on the map, I found this was only a short distance from where my friends live. The whole following week Agna spent a long time with Norma talking and texting over the phone and my heart just got heavier and heavier.  I wrote down notes, and listened to news accounts I copied down all the information Agna was receiving from her family. 

Agna told us about the food-packing ministry she was doing, and on Tuesday, Norma went down and gathered food and some boxes from the post office.  We started packing a box just like Agna had been doing.  On Wednesday night, Oct. 18th, our small group decided to purchase provisions to pack and send as well.  At our following group meeting, we completed the task of packing and that seemed to release a little bit of the heaviness on my heart.  So, I. told the Lord, that if that all he wanted from me, then I had it covered.  But that was just the beginning of the story.  It was at that very same time that Norma had received word of her father's imminent death and she had to make an emergency trip to Oklahoma to check on him.  She learned that he had at the most two or three months to live.  

On Friday Oct. 20th   As I was talking to our gang of men again at McDonalds after our Friday morning meeting, it seemed like there was a huge breakthrough.  My friend, Jeff Hutchinson (the Hutch) was there with a friend.  He came by our table and was asking questions of what our men could do to enhance our ministry.  He asked each one of us for input.  Each man gave an opinion but when it came to me I said,  “I don’t really have a lot to add.”   But then, out of the clear blue without really thinking, I said, “Jeff, if you would really like to do something with the men, you should get a group to go down to PR as a work team.”  I told him I was ready to go, if I could find two or three willing to go with me. He didn’t even respond, but only listened as some of the men discussed how difficult it would be to get into the area. Finally Jeff said, "well guys, sorry, I have to go."  That was the end of that conversation. 

But unbeknownst to me, God had been working in Jeff as well about Puerto Rico.  No more than 2 hours later, I received a call from him, and he said, Dock, ever since I left you guys this morning my heart has been so heavy I can hardly breathe. I just got on the phone and called a friend of mine who has a house in PR.  I told her what you had said earlier this morning, about trying to get people to go with you, and that what you really needed was to find a contact in PR who might offer a Church or school, or any place to lay their heads and stretch out on a sleeping bag for a few days while working there.  Immediately she told me that I was welcome to use her home there.  She said she could take in up to 12 people with comfortable beds and they even had a generator and functioning AC.  She said by some miracle, their home had nearly no damage, and with the generator we would be fine.  

When I heard this news, I almost went through the roof, and immediately, with much more passion and zeal began laying out plans, and research on how to make this the trip happen,  and what kind of work we would do in Puerto Rico.  I knew immediately what God wanted of me, and I asked Him again to show me clearly His will in how to carry out the task. Whatever happens from this point on is in His hands. 

Stay tuned for the follow-up on how we got there, and a documentary of events that took place in the process.  It is a story you don’t want to miss.  It is undetermined at this point how many stories will be coming on Puerto Rico, but best estimates at this time are at least three or four.  Please follow this blog and offer any comments or questions you may have about our ministry.