Rick and Suzanne York, Missionaries

Dominican Update
This issue:
Change in Ministry Plans . . .
Eastern Dominican Plans Up
dated ... Leadership Informed
of Plans.. .Three Projects Still
Unfinished ... Family News
March 2001 / Volume 29. Number 1
Dear Friends in Christ,
Greetings from chilly southern Ohio. Here it is the last week of March and it's still below freezing!
Suzsinne and I have enjoyed our furlough except for the colder weather, one of the coldest in Ohio in
several years. We've been on the go almost every weekend and have now put about 28,000 miles on our
car since August 2000. We appreciate your prayers for our travels and it's been a blessing for us to visit
with many of you on this furlough.
Exciting Change in York's Plans For Ministry!
Someone asked me several years ago if we
would stay on the mission field imtil we retired
or died and I replied that the only reason we'd
consider leaving the field would be to go back to
Johnson Bible College to teach missions. I
always said it halfjokingly, not knowing that
those were the Lord's exact plans for us.
Suzanne and I visited the campus in November
just before the Missionary convention in Knox-
ville and I spoke in chapel. I was informed by our
good fnend David Wheeler that the college had
just begun discussing adding another missions
position in the near future and David encour
aged me to speak with Dr. Rick Beam, Academic
Dean. I did so just before we left JBC to continue
traveling and then talked with Norm Dungan,
Missions Professor there. We were all interested
in further discussions and we went back the first
of February and had two more days of meetings
and interviews and I was offered the position as
professor and coordinator of the missions pro
gram.
We're feeling a lot of different emotions at
the same time right now. We're absolutely
thrilled at the opportunity to impact young lives
for missions and to enable enthusiastic young
students to get to the mission field and become
successful missionaries. We feel that we can
significantly multiply our ministry and impact at
JBC. We're excited about living on campus and
being reunited with several friends that are now
working there. Johnson will provide housing and
we'll have a duplex right on the edge of campus.
Living there should be very comfortable. We'll
also be able to be closer to Emily and Laurie and
we're thankful for that.
Of course, we're torn by not being able to be
in the Dominican Republic full time. We will still
have a significant role in the work there and,
with Johnson's schedule, we'll be able to travel to
the Dominican on a frequent basis, especially
during the summer and winter breaks. We have
informed all of our supporting churches and they
are excited about this great ministry opportu
nity. The need for continued financial support is
real and I believe that most of the churches will
continue to support the work there as they have
so faithfully done for the past several years. We
will still have some mission expenses for our
travel but the vast majority of the mission
income will go for the work there, just as it has
in the past several years while we were on the
field.
Plans For Eastern
As you know, our plans had been to go back to the
Dominican Republic to start a new church planting
venture in the eastern part of the country, where the
Christian Churches/ Churches of Christ have no estab
lished works. We had planned to form a team to go with
us and we're thrilled to say that the plan is still on.
Benito Martinez and his family will be leading the team
that will plant new churches in the east, most likely
basing the work in La Romana, as per our original plans.
Carlos Diaz and his family from Santo Domingo along
with Michel Marte from Santiago will also be joining the
team and we're excited to see what the Lord will do
through these families. The Northeast Christian Church
in Louisville is joining forces with these church planters
to get this work going in the eastern section of the coun
try. They are planning to help in every aspect of the
ministry over the next few years and we're excited about
their commitment to help raise up large and strong
congregations there. The Plum Creek Christian Church
in Butler, KY has also committed to support Carlos and
his family and we're thrilled with their involvement also.
They're sending their first team toward the end of June
and we're looking forward to having them. The Lord has
worked all of this out so well that we're again amazed at
how His hand works in all of this!
Dominican Leadership
informed of
York's Change
As always, the Lord works out
our plans even before we know what
is going on! I had made a commit
ment to the Northeast Christian
Church in Louisville to accompany a
leadership team down to the Do
minican in mid-February well
before we knew anything for sure
about the job at JBC. Three of the
ministers. Bob Cherry, Ron
Hastens, Randy Gordon, and one of
the Elders, Cary Frame, met me in
Miami on Feb. 14th and we traveled
to the island and they met several of
the leaders and saw several differ
ent projects including the work in
San Juan de la Maguana and the
camp in Salcedo. We spent two days
in the La Romana area also. This
trip provided me a chance to speak
with some of the leaders there about
our plans and they met February
23-24^'' at the camp for a CIY class
on Youth work and all of the leaders
will be informed of our change.
There was sadness mixed with
joy as we spoke. We have worked
side-by-side with these men for the
past 10 years. We've rejoiced to
gether and also despaired some
times so we are close friends in the
Lord. It was not an easy thing for
me to do and I lost a lot of sleep
thinking about how to present this
change. We are especially confident
of these men's abilities to continue
to lead the work. They are dedicated
and sacrificial leaders and I know
the work will continue to grow and
prosper. Please be in prayer for the
leadership there.
Three Projects Still Unfinished!
In my visit to the Dominican Republic in February I was
able to visit and got some pictures of three of our unfinished
projects. The first is of the church building in San Juan de la
Maguana. We're hoping
to add aparsonage ,j| i| j ; |
along side of the build- jlt; - '
ing for Santos Orgando Jjl. jf yjj S
and his family. Santos hH V | |B
has been such afaithful " I
worker and we're hoping ^
in the next two months,
Lord willing. Our esti
mated cost to finish the church building is about $8000 and
the parsonage will cost about $3000 more.
The second project is the third floor roof on the medical
clinic at the camp project in Salcedo. Getting the third floor on
means that we'll be able to have 10 more dorm rooms for the
nice breeze. The prepa
ration and concrete for the roof will be about $12,000 and then
the thatched roof and railing and stairs will be another
$10,000-12,000.
The third project is finishing the church in Los Robles in
Santiago. The roof on the second floor needs to be poured and
then the plastering and finishing of the second floor interior,
which will be the sane-
estimated $20-25,000 ^
the church there and
we're really proud of their sacrificial spirit and willingness to
give.
.sy
Family News
Emily and Laurie are both
doing well at Nyack College in
New York. They had their spring
break a couple of weeks ago and
Laurie was able to come home and
Emily went with two of her
housemates to Virginia Beach,
where one of the girl's uncles had a
very nice condo on the beach. They
enjoyed that and we enjoyed
having Laurie here for a week.
They both will be working at Little
Galilee Christian Assembly in
Clinton, XL, where Ken and Jan
Rutledge, our forwarding agents
live. Ken is the Camp Manager
and we're really pleased that the
girls will be able to work there.
Laurie will be there all summer
and Emily will be there until the
first of July when she starts her
internship at Restoration House in
Manchester, New Hampshire.
Restoration House is dedicated to
cross cultural church planting in
the Northeastern part of the
United States and Emily is excited
about helping and learning there.
She's also thinking now about
graduate school so we'll see where
the Lord leads her in the next year
or so. Laurie is leaning toward
communications and political
science, thinking maybe someday
working for the State Department
if possible.
Suzanne has been extra busy
thinking and planning the decor of
our house at Johnson. Well have a
nice duplex house on campus with
a pretty, wooded area right next to
our house. We'll have room for you
to come visit so please plan to
come. Now you won't have an
excuse about us being too far
c
Financial Support For Work Stiii Needed
5
We've been able to contact all of our supporting churches about our move to JBC and the need for
continued financial support of the work and workers in the Dominican Republic. We're very pleased
with the very positive response that we've received from each of our supporting churches and they have
agreed to continue supporting the work. In actuality, Suzanne and I have not received a salary from
mission funds for the past five years, as we were also working at the Santiago Christian School. All of
the income has been going directly to the work anyway and this change will not affect that. The only
funds we'll use will be for our travel and expenses there when we are there during the summers and
also at other times of the year as our schedule at Johnson allows. Our schedule there will be fairly
flexible and we should be able to be there at least two other times during the year and around 6 weeks
during the summer. Lord willing. Since most of our supporting churches have been down and seen the
work and met the workers it makes it much easier for them to continue supporting this very worthy
work. Pl^seTeel free toncatrus at 740/886-0919 if you have anyiprestions.
All mission income will continue to go through our forwarding agents in Clinton, Illinois:
York Dominican Mission
Rt. 2 Box 266
Clinton, IL 61727
Please be in prayer for us as we prepare to make this big change. We're excited and humbled by
the chance to influence so many young lives. Please pray for a smooth transition and safety as we move
to Knoxville and continued guidance of the leadership in the Dominican Republic.
Thank you for your continued support and prayers!
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Rick York, 04:59 PM 8/3/01 -0400, Super Summerinthe Dominican Republic
Delivered-To; missionz@usit.net
For <msa@missionservces.org>
From: "Rick York" <ryoik@jbc.edu>
To: "Barry Bumett" <bsbumett@lwoi.com>
Subject: Super Summer in the Dominican Republic
Date: Fri, 3 Aug 2001 16:59:14 -0400
X-Mailer Microsoft Outlook Express 5.50.4522.1200
Dear Friends in Christ,
Greetings from Johnson Bible Coiiege! Suzanne and 1 are both back from the
Dominican Republic-Suzanne came the last part of June and got our house ready
before beginning work here on campus. 1 got back yesterday and have spent the
morning halfway getting my office set in the new Global Tech building here on
campus.
Our summer in the DR was super with 11 work teams helping us get a lot done on the
camp project. We prepared and poured the concrete roof on the third floor of the
clinic building. We also got the footing dug and poured for the new boys dorm, that will
also be a 3 floor building. The teams also dug and poured the concrete footing for a
fence around 1/2 of the property-so as you can see there was a lot of work done and
we want to thank the teams for that.
A couple of highlights that stand out- we had our first team visit the new work in La
Romana. Carlos Diaz and his wife Yvelise, and their femiy moved over to La Romana in
May. There house is right next door to the Police station-so it's both the safest place
in town and also very easy to find. We had a team of 26 from the PlumCreek Christian
Church in Butler, KY spend four days there. This church Is partnering with all of us to
get this work started. They did a great Job with VBS programs and Carlos organized a
concert to introduce the newwork to the local evangelical community. Almost 1000
people came to the concert and it was a great experience.
We also spent 3 days with a team of leaders from Northeast Christian Church in
Louisville, KY. Senior Pastor Bob Cherry, Randy Gordon, Missions Pastor, Rob Kastens,
Administrative Pastor, and one of the young men from the church Josh Kinlaw. Carlos,
Michel Marte, Benito Martinez, and myself met and planned and prayed with the team
from Northeast. We prepared our mission statement, a vision statement as to what
kind of church we wanted to plant in La Romana and a set of values that will help the
team there guide this newwork. What a wonderful experience for all of us .
The first evening the leaders from Northeast asked us what our vision was for this
church. They had met for a couple of days prior to our arrival and came up with their
vision-both of our teams were thinking along the exact same lines-we want to
establish church-planting church that will have a significant impact on the lost in the
eastern part of the country.
Please pray for additional funding for this project. We're hoping to have Michel moved
by September and Rosa and Benito by the end of October, Lord willing, but funds are
Printed for Mission Services Association <msa@missionseryice...
Rick York, 04:59PM 8/3/01 -0400, Super Summer in the Dominican Republic
still needed for that to happen. 1can't think of a better investment right now in the DR
or iatin America-hut then again I am a little biased!!
Suzanne and I are thrilled to be here and we really feel God's guidance in our move
here-it's so good to feel you're in the right place at the right time-just like we felt for
the 10 years we were in the Domincan. Please keep us in prayers as we get settled in
here. Our oldest daughter Emily just began her internship at Restoration House in
Manchester, NH, a cross-cultural church planting work there. Laurie is finishing her
summer work at the Little Galilee Christian Assembly In Clinton, IL. Both are doing
very weli.
Our home phone is 865/251-3487
My office number is 865/251-2392
Suzanne's office number is 865/251-2348
Our address is 7900 Johnson Drive
Knoxville, TN 37998
Take care.
Rick and Suzanne York
Printed for Mission Services Association <msa@missionservice...
Rick and Suzanne York, Missionaries
Dominican Update
November 2001 / Volume 29. Number 2
This issue:
Yorks Settle in At Johnson Bible
College... Summer WorkTeams
. . . New Church Plant in La
Romana... Existing Works Con
tinue To Do Weil... Family News
Yorks Settle in At Johnson Bible College
Greetings once again, this time from Knoxville, TN. Suzanne and I
have been in a whirlwind since May but things are finally settling
down, at least for now! We left southern Ohio toward the end of
May, after packing and down-sizing in a real way! We got to
Johnson and had a lot of help unloading and arranging furni
ture and storage crates. We were here for about five days and
then flew to the Dominican Republic via Philadelphia, where
we met up with a work team from Erie, IL led by Terry Green.
This was Erie's fourth trip since 1994 and what a blessing they
I have been for the missions work. They have worked at the
y camp project and it always seems that they get the hardest
jobs " digging the footings for buildings! When we arrived
^ in the DR, we found out that we had another footing to dig
for the new boy's dorm!
Summer Work Teams
The team from Erie was just the first of several teams
that we had over the summer and we were able to accomplish
a lot! We dug and poured the footing for the new dorm, which
will house about 200 when it's done, one hundred on each
floor. That was a lot of work in the very hot sun and the team
did a great job. We got the walls up to floor level all around
the building and the fill dirt hauled in, one wheelbarrow at a
time!
We're already scheduling teams for 2002 and several are
planning to go. Let me know soon if you'd like to lead a team.
New Church Plant In La Romana
It really has been exciting to see how the Lord is lead
ing in the new church plant in La Romana. Chance encoun
ters at the Missionary Convention in Cincinnati in 1998 and
then again last year here in Knoxville at the Missionary
Convention led us to two churches that have partnered with
the work in La Romana. It's obvious that those were not
chance encounters, but the Holy Spirit leading in God's
timing. The Plum Creek Christian Church in Butler, KY
and the Northeast Christian Church in Louisville are sup-
porting and guiding this new work and we're thrilled to
have their support.
Larry Travis led a team of 28 to the Dominican in June and we worked for a few days at
camp in Salcedo and then traveled to La Romana. Part of the team stayed with Carlos and
Ivellise, who had moved to La Romana in May. We were able to pass out tracts and do two
VBS programs that drew several hundred children. Carlos and Michel Marte had been orga
nizing a Christian concert with some of the best contemporary local talent and we were
amazed when over 800 people came for that program. One of the men on the work team
preached and I translated and it was a powerful moment.
Since the summer, Michel Marte, who many of you know, has moved to La Romana.
Michel is a wonderful asset to the work and will concentrate on the youth activities and
ministry of the new work. Carlos and Ivellise will be working with small group outreach
ministry and media/promotional materials. Benito and Rosa Martinez have also moved to La
Romana and Benito will be the team leader and preaching minister for the new church. They
are all involved in small group/cell groups right now and will be organizing the launch of the
church, probably around the first of April 2002.
Please be in prayer for this new team. There are a couple of specific needs we have right now
1.We need additional financial support for this project. We need another $1500
a month for the support of these workers and the office they have established
in La Romana. Please bring this need before your congregation.
2.We need to raise about $3500 to equip the mission office there with a com
puter, copier, desks andchairs, and other furniture. I am going to the Domini
can on December 15 and I hope to take those funds with me to buy the equip
ment there. Any help you can give can be sent to our forwarding agents in
Illinois. Please designate the funds for the office in La Romana. Please find
enclosed a return envelope for your gift.
We're all excited about what the Lord is doing there and the doors that He is opening
and we really covet your prayers for that new work.
c
Back to JBC
D
While Suzanne and I were in
the Dominican Republic, we were
able to organize and pack our
things that we had stored in June
of 2000. We were blessed to be
able to rent a room from a good
brother, Pieter de Vrindt. Peter
and his wife, Trudy, are from
Holland and work with Interna
tional Child Care in Santiago. We
contracted with a shipping com
pany and they brought a 20ft.
container to the house and we
loaded all of our goods on, got it
officially sealed, and sent it off
with a prayer, hoping that we'd
see everything again sometime!
We left the Dominican a
couple of weeks later, flew to
Jacksonville, FL, and had a rental
truck waiting for us. We drove to
the docks and the Lord watched
out for us. We got to the shipping
company and found out the only
way we could unload the container
into our truck was with union
labor! The manager, however, was
really nice and reduced the price a
lot and we just backed the truck
up and the teamsters unloaded it
into the truck and we were on our
way in a couple of hours!
We made it to Knoxville and
unloaded and Suzanne spent the
next few weeks getting the house
organized and started work here
on campus and I went back to the
Dominican for the month of July,
where we received several more
work teams.
Existing Works
Continue to do Well
I've been thrilled with the continued growth and
maturity of the church leadership in the Dominican.
They have assumed complete control and direction of
the work and I know that they are doing a good job.
All the mission income is being used in the work. We
will use only what is necessary to travel to the Do
minican on a regular basis. Your financial support for
this work is still needed and I am thrilled that our
supporting churches have agreed to continue this
support.
Please continue to pray for the leadership. Pray
that they will continue to work together to glorify the
Lord. Unity is very important and nothing harms a
work more than disunity.
c
Family News
D
Suzanne and I are enjoying our work here. I've
been teaching four regular classes plus I took on a
Spanish III class when one of the professors had
some serious surgery. Next semester I'll just have
four classes. First-year teaching is a lot of work! I've
spent a lot of time in my office and reading! I am
really enjoying the contact with the students. We
had over 100 attend the National Missionary Conven
tion in Tulsa, OK ~ a 15-hour trip! The college
leased a bus and we had three vans plus several who
flew. It really impacted our students. We're seeing a
real growth in mission interest on campus and that's
exciting. One of my goals is for the college to be
sending out 15 graduates a year to the mission field.
Pray for that, please.
Suzanne is working in the Education Depart
ment this year and is enjoying it. Her organizational
(continued on back page)
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