Saturday, July 22, 2023

Puerto Rico 2023 Day 8

 Travel day home! 

Our team is scheduled to depart Puerto Rico around 2:40pm and arrive at 6:40pm in JFK. Then we depart JFK at 9:45pm and arrive in Detroit at 11:57pm. It’s going to be a long travel day so please pray for safety and patience for the team. 

-Kelsey D



On Thursday,  we unloaded over 100 storm windows for the church.  After they are installed, every room in the church will be protected from water and wind. 

We also had the distinct honor and privilege to serve a community of the of people who are off the grid, marginalized, left out of benefits like running water, electricity, and a safe roof over their heads. These children of God are homeless, family-less, hopeless. They are addicts who live in abandoned buildings. My job was to greet them and write their names and ages down. We saw 22 people in about 30 minutes. The ages ranged from 20 to 74,  male and female. From now on, when I see an abandoned building, I will wonder who's there and pray for someone to GO and bring them hope. Please do the same. Don't spend too much time blaming them for where they are. Please pray that more organizations like https://www.estanciacorazon.org/ which is part of First Baptist Church of Rio Piedras, raised funds, earned their trust to be allowed in their space would be ready to GO and serve like Jesus would. 

Yesterday, in our leisure day, we had a tour of the governor's mansion, La Fortaleza. It's been housing governors in Puerto Rico since the 1500s. Soldiers and politicians, Spanish, North American, and Puerto Ricans, all men except for two women governors. It was architecturally beautiful and full of history. We even went to the room where Charles Lindbergh and President Kennedy with wife Jackie, the the king and queen of Spain in 1987 and our queen Miss Puerto Rico who won Miss Universe in 2006, Zuleika Rivera.

It was a phenomenal tour! Thanks to Francesca, our tour guide, and Zulma Zabala, our hostess, who used her contacts to get us there.

Lastly, we visited my mom before going to the bio bay (https://www.ecoadventurespr.com/).

It was so moving and special to have my fellow team members pray for my mom and auntie and caregivers! I will always be grateful for that moment. 

This trip was precise. We accomplished what they wanted us to do. We left cash and Home Depot cards so that they can continue the work they've begun. 

Our team laughed, cried, got tired, rejoiced, prayed, sang, sweat, oh the sweat, and loved a lot! I pray God continues to bless each and every one of them and sustain them in Christ Jesus, Amen.

-Dolly T

Friday, July 21, 2023

Puerto Rico 2023 Day 7

On day 7 God rested and so we also did from all 3 of our missions complete( Doña Maria house painted outside house, cleared overgrown landscape and sealed roof; Lucila's house which we scraped and painted walls and ceilings; also loaded windows by size from truck to 3rd floor of church for Con tractors installation). On our leisure day we an amazing and entertaining tour of governors mansion, learning the history of  all the leaders and their wives' decisions made for the best of the Puerto Rican people. Stopped one last time to the beach where brother Chuck Mosher actually joined us in the water. Had dinner at the best mansion ever Dolly's house, where she is the original Dolly and her daughter, our leader of this mission trip is called Dollysita (which means little Dolly 🤓 ) her sister Mary was there to meet us with open arms, what a greeting. We ate a delicious home made dinner, finger licking good, yummy. With sunsetting enjoyed kayaking Bio bay at Fajardo. packing and sleeping. 

Flying back to the main land Saturday morning. 

Debora Gutierrez

Faith Temple COGIC







Thursday, July 20, 2023

Puerto Rico 2023 Day 6

 Service, Sacrifice, Sentiment


My observations on Service, sacrifice, and sentiment. While on our mission trip to PR; where we are the hands and spirit of God, doing his good work. Doing his good work to help the most needy and those deserving of His graces.

As we are helping our brothers and sisters individually, the whole community must be helped by our actions in thy God’s name. Our service is not only to God and our patrons, but to our fellow missionaries and to our selves. While serving God we can help our fellow missionaries grow in their spirit and father and sense of worthiness in serving. This same growth is experienced by us as individuals. We can see the service rendered and received.

In our service to God we might experience sacrifices. These sacrifices might be time away from…, or sacrifices of comfort. During our time of service we have to sacrifice our time with our dear family and friends, both our 2 legged and 4 legged!!! Modern communications can only go so far. Traveling outside our state and country into the unknown and into different cultures can be daunting. Additionally, the forging of fellowship and the sense of accomplishment we experience at our work/jobs can be stressful. 

There are things that we miss while on our mission trips, but there are also things that we sacrifice on our mission trips; things that we sacrifice but we can over come through God’s graces. We have to, at times, give up our quiet enjoyment and personal space. A lack of sleep can also be a challenge. The warm / hot temperature can help to overcome the typical cool / cold shower, LOL 😂

This mission trip has had the whole spectrum of emotions, sentimentalities and feelings. The first emotion that I felt to express about is wonderment. Wonderment in prayers to and spirit of God. It is amazing to see the faith of our fellow missionaries in action, in spirit and in deeds. Nightly devotions allow for growing our faith in God’s powerful message of love. The powerful stimuli that is presented on an hourly / daily basis makes for an unsettling yet positive opportunity for personal growth in God’s love. There is a level of excitement in experiencing the unknowns of mission trips which require patience, love and faith, all culminating in a level of exhaustion that we have done God’s work to its fullest. God bless all who read this, and all that made our mission trip happen. 

-John Green (aka Juan Verde)

Today was an exhausting day. We started off unloading tons of windows for the church. We had to organize them by size and then set them on pallets, in an elevator, and send them upstairs. We finished that and went to visit the homeless community and pass out care packages with a local organization. When we got back to the church, the second load of windows was here and we unloaded those, too. I got to go for a walk around the streets of Puerto Rico and was blessed by its beauty. 

-Kelsey D










The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., once said, "We must use time creatively in the knowledge that the time is always right to do right." This is what Jesus desires for all people - to love the Lord God first and to love our neighbors as ourselves (Matthew 22:36 -40).
When we love God, we can love others (neighbors) irregardless of race, creed, or economic status. SEE the person, not the condition! Case in point: see the PERSON and their need, not that they are living under a bridge in poor conditions. Everyone has value! 

As a Servant/Leader, God through Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit, called and gifted me as an Evangelist, Pastor/Teacher (Ephesians 4: 11, 12). Through ministry opportunities, I have eulogized at Home-going Services, officiated at weddings, lead missions teams domestic and foreign, evangelized the lost, and authored 11 Christian books to promote spiritual growth and development. 

God moved in a mighty and miraculous way when I was assigned to lead Devotion/Bible Study on Tuesday night, July 18th. The Holy Spirit's presence was felt in that place and we all felt the anointing fall down afresh as we discussed God's plans for our lives (Jeremiah 29: 11) and to trust God (Proverbs 3: 5, 6) no matter what!

We serve an awesome God! There was healing and breakthroughs as I gave my testimony of being wounded and broken at the young age of 16.

God calls us to be obedient to His will and His plans for our lives and to trust Him. He is our Wounded Healer.      "The time is always right to do right." Let God lead us and He will reveal what others need for we don't know what they are going through. Let the Lord Jesus use you to be a blessing to others!

-Dr. Ruby J. Bowens 

Wednesday, July 19, 2023

Puerto Rico 2023 Day 5

As we slowly trickle into the dining area for breakfast I see the faces of people I have the honor to serve with on this trip. We are all feeling the change of climate and the work. But we are in good spirits.

After talking with my wife, Lori, on the phone last night, I realized how much I depend on her wise counsel everyday. We talked about some of the events of the trip. We confirmed that my job here in Puerto Rico is clear. #1 - my job is to love above all. As with any diverse group of people, there are things that someone in the group may say or do that might “rub” me the wrong way. I am commanded to love one of the best ways I can show love is to work towards unity. I have found I disagree with some on their beliefs and politics. It doesn’t matter. None of those things have anything to do with why we are here to serve the people here. I pray to the Lord that I won’t be an embarrassment to Him with anything I say or do.

As I looked at my devotional this morning I was struck by God’s perfect timing for my life. God knows what I struggle with everyday. I thank you God for Your perfect timing AGAIN!

As we wind down our morning project of painting Brenda’s sisters ceiling, we are all working together. We give and take. We work with a purpose. I pray that we all keep in mind that it is for God.

From time to time I find myself thinking things about people and starting to make judgements. Then I am reminded that we are here to love. 

Loving is not always easy. We are not called to like one another. I can dislike how someone acts. But I must love them. My dislikes are my business and my problem. I own them and recognize they are mine. I gave them to God and ask Him to allow me to love in spite of my petty human faults, judgements and missteps. God grant me the peace and comfort of His grace and mercy. 

We finished at Lucy’s house and prayed for her. I felt her deep appreciation for us. It is early and we are done for day working offsite.

We have stopped by the beach for some relaxation. I’m not much of a beach person without my wife. The sun is bright and the waves are melodic and calming. I look at this beautiful beach and if I look close, I can see some pollution and trash. I choose to see the beach in all God’s beauty He created for us.

Just like people, I can choose what to see. I can choose what to focus on. Scripture tells us to focus on what is pure, what is good, what is helpful and uplifting. Thank you God for this time away to reflect and focus on you.

“The value of our lives is not determined by what we do for ourselves. The value of our lives is determined by what we do for others”.
      -Simon Sinek
-Chuck M










Hello,  from Puerto Rico, another great day the Lord has given us. It is a beautiful day to work for the Lord with God’s people.  We have such a good group to work with today we went to another house to help with some repair, it is the sister to the one we finished yesterday.  Today we was able to help by scraping and painting the ceiling and some of the walls and most of the paint went where it was supposed to but of course some ended up on our shoes and hair and of course our faces when we finished for the day we got to go to the beach and swim, about an hour was very relaxing and a perfect way to end a good workday had a delicious supper of pork chops, rice, and fried plantains.

-Julie D

Tuesday, July 18, 2023

Puerto Rico 2023 Day 4

What a Day! Wake up feeling fresh and cool than Bam you walk out of your room and your glasses fog up from the heat and humidity. Such is the norm here. We start working later in the morning than I would like when it’s hot but it’s a good work day and fun when you see the home owner sneaking out to see what it looks like. In 2 days we took out over a truck load of debris scraped and painted the house and sealed the roof. Her family bought all the materials but the team supplied the effort. Thanks to you the prayer warriors who supported us to do this. We had to stop a couple times because of rain but only a few minutes then the sun is set on fast dry. The team members don’t hesitate to help each other so work is actually getting done. I closed is a picture I took as she snuck out to look around before they caught her and rolled her back. She was excited and happy. That’s what it’s about to help our brother or sister in need

-Tim D










PR has been experiencing record heat. High temps this year at 5:00am it was 85 degrees but felt like 95 degrees! There’s always less than 10 degrees between the days high and low temps. Today we were scraping and painting the other 1/2 of the house that we started yesterday. I saw God in all my friends today as they toiled without ceasing and without complaining. They seamlessly filled in for each other if one stepped away - 9 bodies working as one unit! It was so awesome to watch! We stopped at some place where we could swim, or at least cool off! I went for a walk and saw some very interesting rock formations. Dripping and tired we all climbed into the van for the drive back to church for a great dinner and devotion and much needed slumber.

-Treasure S

Monday, July 17, 2023

Puerto Rico 2023 Day 3

As I start this day, my daily devotional mentioned that we should be content with what we have. God will provide all we need. We are a diverse group of people for sure. 

But what about being content with our different personalities and quirks? We are called to love even those people who irritate us. I wonder, how many peopleI rub the wrong way.

I pray for peace, love, and unity for the group. I pray I won’t get on people’s nerves or become judge mental. I have a 46 year career that has been marked with events where my judgements have about people can mean the difference between life and death. It’s hard to always pull that back and just love. I pray that God will allow me to just love and open my heart to the people I am serving and the people I am serving with. God has a reason for us being here.

As I take a break and work, I think…that person didn’t paint the way I would … and then I think how many people are thinking the same way about my paint job. It dawns on me that we are all working to do our best…whatever that level is for us. I think, Lord, help me do my best for you Lord. Lord help me get out of your way……

Well, the painting has continued and my shirt is wetter than the walls we painted …

We keep working but the heat and working conditions have slowed us down. Most of us are just waiting for lunch to be served. There is a breeze from time to time that feels good. As anyone who knows me, knows I tend to work at max capacity … the people of Puerto Rico are wiser than I am I understand what they mean when they say to learn the Puerto Rican way…the people are kind and gracious and I feel at ease about today.

Lunch was served and Dolly had fed Lori and I Puerto Rican food for years. There is no surprises. Brenda was warm and energetic as a host. Now I am ready to take a nap.

My Fitbit says I have 5237 steps in today and it feels like 15,000 steps. Everyone seems to be settling into a working groove with one another. It feels good.

After a short but very taxing workday, we are stopping at the beach on our way back to the church. People are getting their feet wet, some their whole body. After the first day of work together, the group seems to be jelling a little bit better. It’s not easy to put such a diverse group together and have them work in unity. But the Lord is always good.

 “I put all my hope on truth of your promise and I steady way heart on ground of Your goodness. 

When I’m bowed down with sorrow, I will lift up Your name. And the foxes in the vineyard will not steal my joy. 

Because you are good to me
Good to me
You are good to me
Good to me
You are good to me!” 
           -Aubrey Assad

-Chuck M









Where did I see god and how did he help us to resist the devil.

Being that this was our first full day of helping our host family, there were many opportunities for the devil to prevent our group from fulfilling God’s good work.

Some of the challenges we faced were; the team being hot and tired, the challenges of the “team building” process. Also, the unknown factor for us all, especially the members of our team that are first time missionaries.

I saw God in our team leadership setting expectations of immediately forgiving or ask for forgiveness for infractions. I saw a level of patience and understanding that helped to guide our way to success. 

I feel that the newer members of the missionary community was shown God’s Grace by the more experienced members. 

I saw God’s hand in subsistence  that we received in breakfast and lunch and with drinking water. All was prepared by the loving hands of our volunteers. 

All in all I feel that we are well on our way to having a successful mission trip using God’s will to resist the devil.

-John G


Sunday, July 16, 2023

Puerto Rico 2023 Day 2

We got here at 6:30 pm, yesterday evening. Our luggage came in alright,   our driver saw everything we brought and was wondering if we were staying for week or a month 😁, the church is just 15 minutes away from the airport, our dinner was ready, but...we were not complete. Our team was missing two valuable members: Julie and Pastor Tim Duffield. They had car troubles and complications gallore to get here. After our devotion, everyone went to their rooms to finish unpacking and getting ready for the next day. Juan Verde, Kelsey, and I were practicing how to open the door for the elevator so we can make sure that when we would go back to the airport at 3 am, we would know what to do. We practiced opening the car gate, the side door, and figured out where to park the van per instructions we got from Adrián, our host, in charge of things during regular business hours. 

Meanwhile, Chuck and John were making Pastor Tim's bed; Debora was making Julie's bed. We figured out the lighting so that she could see, but it wouldn't be too bright nor too dark. We slept a few hours, and at 3 a.m., I found out that the plane was delayed yet a little bit more.  I went back to bed (told John and Kelsey, "30 more minutes," which was precious at that time. Is this going long? Imagine Julie and Pastor Tim's ordeal who left their house around that same time the night before and were still en route. We made it back to the church at 5:30...yes, there were a few more delays, but our entrance to the church was smooth, and we slept almost 2 more hours before we had to start our day.

Do you remember the song about the rock and the sand? There's a part were the blessings were pouring in and wow...they began!! The breakfast was magnificent

We had a meeting at 9 a.m. with our host, Zulma, where she told us about the history of this church, Primera Iglesia Bautista de Rio Piedras. This was the first Baptist church on the island, and the accomplishments they've had in 124 years are amazing! 

Today's worship service was the closing of their anniversary celebration. There were memories shared and lots of praises to God for their many blessings. The President of their board said in her talk about the anniversary, "This church is in the heart of this city, and this city is in this church's heart!" 

Rev. Yamina Apolinaris sermon on Psalm 73 reminded us that when we ask, "What's the point of believing? What's if anything is a benefit of having faith? Why be faithful?" That first, all of these questions come from a place of faith and belief, not disbelief. These painful debates are real for the psalmist and for us today. She continued saying that something happened when the psalmist got to the temple that made sense.  It doesn't say what happened, but there everything made sense, and the psalmist found strength and refuge.

We did too! We went to the beach in Condado. We had dinner and devotion in a restaurant in Old San Juan, and we were blessed with the words Pastor Tim shared with us from Paul "to learn to be content."

So, contenta I say, "night  night 🌙 😴 " Tomorrow we start our work!

-Dolly T







Sunday, 7/16/2023 ( Day 2 ) Early this morning Pastor Tim and Julie Duffield finally arrived at 1st Baptist Church of Rio Piedras  5:30 am. Had a delicious breakfast at 8amserved by the faithful servants of (1st BC of RP) Jeanette and Brenda. 9am Zulma gave the orientation and history of the integrated relationships between the church, we are staying in, and the community they serve San Juan Puerto Rico. Afterwards joined the worship and celebrating 124 years of fulling the "Great Commission" with open doors and greatful hearts serving the city of San Juan and hosting many international teams during natural disasters and and pandemic. The daughter of the church Yamina Apolinaris served the word Coming out of Psalms 73.  "What is my Faith for?" Ate Celebratory cupcakes made by Zulma , our host lead missions coordinator here in Puerto Rico. Also lunch prepared by José at 12:30 am. The rest of the day enjoyed old San Juan, took pictures, wrestled with the waves on beach front, walked down blue cobblestone roads and had dinner and devotion by Pastor Tim. Enjoy some memorable pictures and thank you for the prayers.

Servant for Christ 
Debora Gutierrez
Faith Temple C.O.G.I.C
Kalamazoo, Mi.