Summer Newsletter - Missions Beyond the Beyond

John and Velvet want to take a moment just to say THANK YOU for your continued prayers and financial support.

Truly, we are just an extension of your own heart for Missions. 

Should we need to change any mailing or email address information that we have for you, or if you prefer us to use a different email address, even a wish to add another name, a friend or church/group to our newsletter contact list, please let us know!

 As the Sommer family draws closer to January’s target fly day date, all of you come to mind. How you’ve sacrificed money from your salary, time from your schedule to pray for us and Missions Beyond’s Haitian school outreach, and even given us your blessing to move far away from you to the other side of the world (here’s looking at you especially Mom Alda, Dad Charles & Mom Joyce) to join in what God invited us to do.

Several friends and churches have committed to joining with Missions Beyond (John & Velvet Sommer) in partnership through monthly contributions.  Thank you.  We are a few partners away from meeting our monthly living expense budget as well as budgeting towards reliable vehicle to use in the Dominican Republic.  Our monthly budget will stretch further once we no longer need to hire transportation for outreach to the schools.

John is eager to learn what it is like driving in a foreign country.  Velvet would like four wheeled transportation but John says two to three wheels would be more adventurous! 

Skylar (the Sommer’s trusty companion) is packing for the journey.  John and Skylar will join Velvet in the Dominican Republic this coming January.  The first stay will be for three months so that John and Skylar can acclimate to the warmer temperatures and culture, as well as learn to live and work without air conditioning.   It will be a time of making connections and building relationships.

We are currently in the planning stages for our upcoming Christmas in a Box outreach during December 2017.  Many of our students do not receive any other gift during the year.  This is an opportunity to partner with Missions Beyond and show each child enrolled that they matter and are loved.  With your help this can happen.  Would you consider sending a Christmas box to a child?

Our Cutupu school location has approximately 65 students.  This would be a great project for a church group or scout group.

Item ideas: toys, candy, gum, snacks, personal hygiene items, school supplies, card games, socks, hair items, washcloth/hand towel, bar soap, water bottle, doll, cars, sunglasses, watch, etc.

For more information please write MissionsBeyond@gmail.com or contact us via our website www.missionsbeyondthebeyond.com. 

This lovely family has expressed an interest in becoming missionaries to their own country of the Dominican Republic.  

Meet Delvi, Jomarly and their sons Maxwell, 9 and Jackson, 6. 

What a joy to partner with them in reaching out to the community of La Vega.  

Both Delvie and Yomarly are talented musicians.  

Delvi plays guitar/bass and Yomarly is a vocalist.   

Maxwell and Jackson enjoy collecting HotWheels.

Building and developing relationships is a huge portion of what Missions Beyond is about.  

These relationships enable us to move about the country, opens doors, introduces us to the culture and gives us a glimpse into what family and community means to the people of the DR.  

We are grateful for their friendship and willingness to teach us about this beautiful country they call home.

Missions Beyond began in 2010 when a group of people from different churches desired to travel as a mission team reaching out to children and families.  We became unified through a common cause of putting our faith in action.  As Missions Beyond grew, it was seen that we needed to take it to the next level of becoming an Educational Humanitarian Effort. We started as Missions Beyond and grew into Missions Beyond the Beyond (a 501c3). Missions Beyond began serving locally and has now served abroad to four different countries: Kenya, Venezuela, Haiti and the Dominican Republic.  

What began in Velvet’s heart as a child and her dream of a future working with children, has become a daily life for John and Velvet.  They have walked through changes in family size, church and pastoral changes, through challenges and victories, building relationships.  While in Haiti, John and Velvet began to see that education and compassion were vital to impacting the future of Haiti. As we show Christ's love and enable students to see a brighter future through education and learned skills, we are reaching out and offering a hand up.  Hand outs come and go, but a hand up helps one get on their own feet.  Once on our feet, we can walk alongside one another, partnering in the journey.  Teaching each other and learning together.

Haitian children face three main barriers to attending a public school in the Dominican Republic. 

• One, the children are often undocumented legally and cannot attend. 
• Two, there is a difficult language and cultural barrier to cross. 
• Three, often the costs for a public school uniform, shoes, and school supplies is not within economic reach of these families. 

How to help:

1.   Cutupu School Christmas Shoeboxes.

2. Financially through a one time or recurring donation to Missions Beyond.

3. Come and serve as a short term missions volunteer.  

4.Pray for Missions Beyond and the Sommers.

Donations and contributions are tax deductible and can be made via mail, through PayPal, through Missions Beyond’s website, or by direct debit/deposit through your bank. 

PayPal: missionsbeyond@gmail.com

Website: www.missionsbeyondthebeyond.com/donate.html

Mail: Missions Beyond * PO Box 1029 * Moberly, MO 65270

Your bank –  email MissionsBeyond@gmail.com to request form.

Christmas in a BOX?

We are already thinking about Christmas - would you like to help make a child smile with a Christmas shoe box ? We are needing a few partners to help us with shoe boxes for the 10 schools.  
Needing ideas of what to put inside a box? Don't forget they like gum, fruit snacks, granola bars, crackers and yes, candy too!  With candy we ask that it not be chocolate (tootsie rolls are okay)  and if possible place it inside a ziplock baggie so that it will not melt on items in the box during cargo transport overseas.

Recently Turning Point Church in Chillicothe, MO took on a project during VBS to help with our Christmas in a box program for TWO SCHOOLS!!!!  The children and leaders adopted Limoncito and La Laguna schools and began buying Christmas gifts and hygiene items.  

The difference this box makes can be seen in the faces of the students and parents. 

If you would like to know more or adopt one of our school locations as a Scout Project, Church Outreach Project, Organization Outreach, connect with us at MISSIONSBEYOND@GMAIL.COM. 

Exciting things are happening with Missions Beyond. 





John and Velvet Sommer along with their trusty companion Skylar, will be living in the Dominican Republic together beginning January 2018. 


Housing is in place but they are still in need of transportation. Will you believe in prayer with us regarding provision for transportation needs?

HOW DARE GOD INTERRUPT MY PLANS????

Sometimes we want to get upset when God interrupts our plans. It could have been that way for us today. We were on the way to English class in Barranca. We are traveling down the highway and suddenly the car's engine dies. Doug directs the car to the side of the road. He looks under the hood. We can't figure out why it would stop running.  We have plenty of gas.

He looks up and sees that the car broke down right in front of a shade tree mechanic shop. Across the street is Pollo Titan, up the street a fruit stand and Esso gas station. We go visit with the lead mechanic of the shop and he comes with us to the car. These young men in the photo push the car off the road into the drove of the shop. Another mechanic goes and brings us chairs and places them under the shade tree out of the way of traffic. We begin to watch. We are thanking God for letting us break down here and not out on the highway to Barranca. We are thanking God for the shade. We are relaxing and watching God at work.

We see the head mechanic take a swig of some kind of liquid from a used soda bottle and then spit it on the the part he is testing. There's something you don't see every day! I was shaking my head and smiling. It was determined it is a fuel pump/part that isn't working properly. They need $200 pesos for a gasoline from the gas station up the road. They just happen to have the needed part in the shop. I just happened to have with me on this day $30 in US dollars for a wifi bill, and $1900 pesos. I don't usually travel with this much cash on me and most always with no more than a few hundred pesos. We hope I have enough to pay the mechanics.

Do you see God in all this yet? We sure were seeing Him. The car broke down in front of a mechanic shop. They were busy but not too busy for the Americanos who had a car problem. In less than an hour, the car is fixed and running. Now for the bill. $2000 pesos. That is roughly $44 US dollars. 

We may have missed the morning English class, but we made a new friend today. He is wearing the lighter shirt in the photo and he was gifted 50 pesos today for being a runner to get the gasoline. We left out with a functioning vehicle, $10 in US and $500 pesos. God showed up. It may not have been our plan, but it was His plan. We knew this was going to be a God appointment when it happened and we saw all the evidence pointing to it. God received glory. He provided for a young man. Doug, our friend, gets to teach his afternoon class. Doug and I had a shady rest and even made it back in time for lunch.

You may not believe in God, but this is proof He cares, He provides, and He shows up in a perfect way right on time ... and pays attention to the details, such as how much should be in a wallet, before it is needed. I find it way easier to believe there is a God, than to spend all the time and effort to say there isn't. We hope you will make time to see a God appointment in your day.

INTRUDER ALERT!!!!

Woke to a rather unsettling feeling this morning. There was an intruder in the house!

Last evening I had alerted my neighbors that I wasn't feeling well. I retired for the evening earlier than usual. This morning I was still sleeping attempting to get over this virus bug when I heard the front door close. I reached for my taser. I lay listening for foot falls to know how to respond. Nothing. I cautiously got up and left my bedroom heading towards the door. I am in my jammies, hair all a fright, trying to wake up and handle this intruder, praying for God to give me the strength to do what needed to be done.

I quietly investigated. Finding no one downstairs in the house and the front door securely locked, I began questioning what I had heard. Yes, I did hear a door close. Yes, I did hear someone. As I went upstairs to check further, I heard a vehicle's engine start. I hurried to the window to confirm it was outside the house. Someone had been in the house! I had heard correctly. The person after not receiving a response, had let themselves into the home with a key. Luckily this person didn't stay long enough to be scared out of their wits. Remember, I was in my jammies, hair all a fright, wearing the imprint of the pillow on my face, carrying a taser and ready to absolutely do whatever was necessary to defend myself.

Here's an important lesson I learned from this happening. I must not assume that people will know my expectations. I expected to be safe. I expected that when someone came knocking, they would wait for a response. I expected that if they received no response, they would leave. I expected that anyone not wishing me harm, or desiring to steal from the home, would show respect and not enter without invitation. I expected the key would not be used without my knowledge.

Here is the problem with those expectations. The person didn't want to wait. The person wanted to do what they wanted to do with or without a blessing to enter the home. The person felt since they possessed a key they could enter as they wished. The person hadn't received a response so they assumed no one was home and entered.

How many times have we been THE INTRUDER on God's plan for us? We hold the keys and when we don't get a response from Him, we proceed forward. It was wonderful recently to have a veteran missionary state they knew we would not recommend anyone doing what John and I are doing currently. There must be a solid foundation. It take immense amounts of dedication, sacrifice, strength and trust to step out. To go for periods of time separated talking via texts and facetime, to take on more responsibilities and shoulder a heavier load when you go alone instead of together. We didn't put the key into the lock. We didn't enter without knowing God's blessing was on this venture. To proceed without His blessing would make us an intruder. Our wish is to be asked, to be invited, to receive His blessing as we proceed forward. We set boundaries, talked of expectations, discussed the length of separation, gave each other passwords to accounts, opened ourselves and our life to accountability, put as a priority our spiritual and marital relationship. Then we waited, we stilled ourselves. We didn't want to hear our voices, we wanted to hear His.

So we wait each and every time before proceeding. We aren't getting into a hurry because of what we want, we desire, we need. We wait expectantly. We have knowledge of when it isn't good to knock or ask to be invited. We know His voice in such a way that we don't go forward until we hear that familiar sound.

You may be holding a key today, you may be tired of standing on the doorstep, you may be weary with waiting, you may even have your bags packed and ready - wait for the invitation blessing to proceed forward. Let Him go ahead of you preparing for your arrival , let Him unlock the door and usher you through to what He has prepared for you. You can expect His best, His blessing, His provision, His protection. No tasers will be needed when He goes before you.

Haitian Education & Leadership Effort

Greetings,

This past year has been full of opportunities to partner with education outreach in several barrios in the La Vega province of the Dominican Republic. Nelson Mandela has stated “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”  Education is an investment, and one of the most critical investments we can make.  Missions Beyond is partnering with local Dominican Haitian schools to make a difference in a child’s world. 

A mother who can read is better equipped to protect her children from chronic illnesses, from AIDS, and from dying young.  A child born to a mother who can read is 50 percent more likely to live past the age of 5.  Education is a key to eliminating gender inequality, to reducing poverty, to teaching sustainability, to preventing needless deaths and illness, to fostering hope and peace.

In the past year, Missions Beyond has gained 501c3 status and this has opened doors to work with the government and private humanitarian efforts in the Dominican Republic.  During the fall of 2016, a heavy rainy season caused the Camu River to swell and flood many areas in the northern parts of the Dominican Republic.  Because of generous donations, thirteen families received new mattress sets after their homes were flooded out by the river as it overflowed its banks several times in the barrio of Los Rieles.  Food items and other necessary supplies were purchased and made readily available after the flooding. Babies had milk to drink.  Those who were ill received needed medication or medical attention.  Propane and charcoal was purchased so mothers could prepare meals for their children.  School shoes, uniforms and much needed school supplies were given out to students affected by the flooding.

Several people have stepped up to partner with the Haitian Scholarship Program and have gifted monthly scholarships to a child who might not be able to attend school otherwise.  Haitian children face three main barriers to attending a public school in the DR.  One, the children are often undocumented legally and cannot attend without proper documentation.  Two, there is a difficult language and cultural barrier to cross.  Three, often the costs for a public school uniform, shoes, or school supplies are not within economic reach for these families.  There are not government programs in place to help these families as can be found in the States.

We thank you for partnering with us to make a difference this past year.  We invite you to consider continuing or beginning a partnership in the year 2017.  For $25 a month, you will provide funding to pay teachers and staff for a Haitian day school.  Any residual funds will go to provide a morning/afternoon snack or meal for the school children.  Financial help for families is another need.  From time to time various needs are seen that need addressing.  Urgent medical needs, homes destroyed by fire or flooding.  A community in need of a water pump/well.  A parent who has been ill and unable to work, needing food to feed the family.  It is amazing how a little can go far in helping someone here. 

Donations can be sent via postal mail, via PayPal, via automatic deduction.  For your convenience, we have included information on how to forward a one time or monthly donation. 

Postal mail:  Missions Beyond,  PO Box 1029, Moberly, MO 65270

Automatic Deduction: A form can be forwarded to you via postal mail or email.  Please request form.

Paypal:  missionsbeyond@gmail.com

Website: http://www.missionsbeyondthebeyond.com/donate.html

Sincerely,

John Sommer – President

Missions Beyond the Beyond

But I was just getting comfy!

Change. Change can be hard. Some change can be easy, but tossing out, ripping up, moving out, leaving behind ... that is difficult. The ease of change depends on our perspective when we are presented with an opportunity to either embrace it, adapt to it, or fight it kicking and fussing. We can learn from change. We can grow because of change. We must decide whether we are willing throw out the old and make room for the new that Christ is bringing and God has stored up for our future.

I do know that change will happen. I've moved many times - more times than my current age even! I have cleaned up more spaces and made the way for new so often that I get weary from thinking of all involved in preparation for the new. Yet, kicking and fussing won't get me moving forward. I must adapt, embrace and begin to focus on what the new can mean. Fresh coats of paint, clean floors, new decor, new relationships lie ahead. I must toss out the old comfy "sofa in my life", change my attitude, open myself and ask, "God, what do you want me to do here? Show me. Tell me. I am ready and listening. You did this for my good."

In the end, all we can do when change comes is trust the Lord and allow His moving and leading because we know that God always has a plan. He doesn't want us holding on to the old beat up, broken down past that is comfy. He wants us to lay it down and follow. That is what followers of Christ do ... lay down the old comfy zone we know and follow His Son.