Happy Opening Day!

If you would like to help pay for transportation, support summer camp and feed the kids during Spring Break, click here and give today!

Today is Opening Day for Major League Baseball in the United States. With a new season and all of the fans’ eyes locked on their teams it seems like a good time for a quick update on what’s going on with our team as well.
1) The team recently traveled to a nearby community for a game against one of their rivals. At stake were bragging rights. The good guys came out on top and Fondo Negro won 11-3. The boys don’t often travel to other communities for games. Typically, other communities come to them because of lack of transportation (a goal for this year) so it was a big deal to play on the road and then to win on top of that was the icing on the cake!
2) Plans for summer camp are underway. 250 boys and girls from Fondo Negro will attend camp at Tierra Alta on July 30-31. We need adults to help with camp! If you are interested in this opportunity let us know. Camp is free so expenses are minimal. Come be part of a really amazing experience with these kids! Click the link below if you are interested.
3) Holy Week is just around the corner and it is one of the most important weeks of the year in the Dominican Republic. The boys are looking forward to a week off from school where they will spend hours at the river and additional time at the field. And you can’t forget the sweet beans that will be consumed in record quantities! Please pray for opportunities for our pastors, and the boys as well, to share the gospel during the week leading up to Easter.
4) Giving opportunity: Next month on April 23rd we are excited to be part of the Kitsap Great Give once again. It is a chance for you to give to the kids and have your gift multiplied! We will send out more information as the date draws near but if you are interested in taking a look now feel free to take a look at their website. https://kitsapgreatgive.org/

Thank you for the prayers and keeping up with our kids each month. Look for more information on the Great Give coming up. Opportunity abounds!

Summer Camp you say? I’d like to go!

Prayer Request – Update on Robert: Robert has been home for about a month now and has returned to practice and coaching the team. He has developed a problem with one of his knees which may require future surgery but for now he’s hanging in and putting in his all with the kids.

Prayer Request – Pastor Sandy: Pastor Sandy (pictured here leading a devotional before practice) is a favorite among the kids. He is a math teacher at the high school and also leads a church some of the kids attend on the weekends. His church is active and vibrant. We feel blessed to have him as a leader in our organization. Like Robert he was in a vehicle accident recently. He was ejected from a motorcycle taxi and broke his collarbone. The doctors have said surgery might be necessary so we are waiting word and praying for a quick recovery. Please pray with us.

Needs of the Community

First and foremost for anyone just joining us a word of explanation: J1Nine is fundamentally and at its core different than any other program in the Dominican Republic in a big way. We as part of our philosophy, don’t take only the kids who look to have the potential to be players in the major leagues on our team and into our program. There is no tryout process. If you want to play and do not create a negative environment on the team you are welcomed and will be given all of the benefits (and love) given to any other player on the team as though you are the star.

With that said a few weeks ago Coach Chico reached out to Joshua 1:Nine leadership with a request. Vianyel, a seven year old (seen above), had recently started coming to practice. He has a huge heart and passion for baseball and wants to the bottoms of his toes to play. But when Vianyel was younger he broke his arm. Quality healthcare is lacking in Fondo Negro and unfortunately his arm was set poorly and resulted in an arm that is always at the wrong angel. But Chico wanted him to play and he wanted him to get help to fix his disability. He said we had been the conduits of miracles in the past and wondered if we could be a conduit for a miracle for Vianyel.

So we come to you, our supporters, and ask if you can be, or know of someone who can be, the conduit of a prayed for miracle for Vianyel. We know God has someone out there who can help fix this boys arm. Are you that person?

This leads to a very important prayed for Impact Trip for 2019. One of our goals is to have a medical team in Fondo Negro for a week in the fall. There has been expressed interest from dentists and hygienists as well as doctors, nurses and sports therapists. There is great need in the community for health care and we want to put a team together that would help start the process of healing bodies. Can you be part of that team? Please let Kristin know of any interest or of anyone we should reach out to who might be interested. Kristin@joshua1nine.org

And those of you who maybe can’t go, or who think you don’t have a skill that can help, pray for those people who do; that they are moved to go and for details to fall into place to be able to move into the community and make a difference in this way.

Are you interested in a 2019 Medical Impact Trip or know someone who might be? Let us know!

Prayer Request: Coach Robert (middle) was in a car accident a few weeks ago. After spending over a week in the hospital due to risk of bleeding in his brain he is home now but continues to need to mend. Please remember him and his family in your prayers for quick and full healing.