I Didn't Know They Had Tornadoes Here

The quiet peace of Sunday afternoon was shattered yesterday when tornadoes swept through our valley. Hundreds of people were forced to seek temporary shelter when three separate tornadoes destroyed 140 homes, toppled power lines, injured 18 people and killed several others. One 64-year-old woman died after winds blew a telephone antenna tower on top of her house. Power is still being restored and the roads are littered with trees, light posts and broken glass. Officials are reporting major loss's to crops, including pineapple, rice and the plantain field. Unfortunately, this is only going to make the high prices on food go higher. So far this year we have suffered hurricanes Noel (Here is a video from Agape Missionary Flights - they bring in our mail) and Olga, the Tavera-Bao Dam debacle (someone out of fear opened the flood gates to the dam releasing more than 5,000 cubic meters a second into Santiago) that destroyed several thousand homes and now - three tornadoes.

A Cool Breeze Blows In From the North

Regina and I really appreciate pastors and churches that send groups to the field. Small to large it seems that each group has a unique niche traceable to the talents and gifts God has given them. This week Ben Feldott's group left the cold behind from Cape Cod to spread a bit of warmth this Easter in the Dominican Republic. We had a lot of fun working together from painting, lifting, cleaning and passing out invitations for a 3 day Evangelistic Campaign. We had special music, films and good preaching. AmAZiNgLy - the church had 77 adult (120+ with children) first time visitors and 12 received Christ as their personal Savior. The church and pastor were very very encouraged by the results and this Friday night we will have a follow up dinner for the visitors to attempt to enroll them into two new 7 week Sunday School classes. We have posted a couple of the Post-Trip Debrief's below and hope that a few of you will look them over and consider bringing a group down real soon. Thank you Cape Cod Baptist Church and Pastor Ben for sending Jean and Company - they were a big blessing, a lot of fun and worked hard all week.

"The Before"

Julie, Pastor Victor and Jean

"Work, Work, Work"

"Guns and the Gospel"

"Tyler and Julie Passing out Tracts / Invitations"

"The After"

Tom, Wilson, Juan, Fermin & Thelma

"Full House"

The top floor still needs work - Will you pray about visiting and help finish the Sunday School?

Post- Trip Debriefings

Debriefing triggers the reentry process. Reentry is both an end and a beginning. • an end to a foreign experience, but the beginning of feeling foreign • an end of a trip, but the beginning of another journey • an end to being/feeling special, but the beginning of being ordinary with a special heart for God and for the people of the Dominican Republic • an end to being stared at, but the beginning of looking at people and the world through different eyes • an end to simple living, but the beginning of a different lifestyle • an end to crowded housing, but the beginning of having more space for God and for people • an end to eating foreign food, but the beginning of friendships with International students, immigrants, refugee’s and ethnic minorities EXERCISE 1 FOR RETURNING SHORT TERMERS Complete the following sentences. Jean Durgin - www.JeanSoldMyHouse.com LEAVING 1. When I think of leaving, I feel . . . excited to see my husband and daughter Sheri again. 2. My experience here has been . . . awesome, more than I anticipated 3. For me the Dominican Republic means . . . a country where people are “faceless” Missionary Note: In the Dominican Republic due to a multiplicity of ethnic races and backgrounds the “faceless doll” represents the people as a whole 4. The people I will miss are . . . the families that took time away from their busy schedules to show us a perfect mix of the island 5. The things that I will miss are . . . papaya, pineapple and coconut 6. The things I will be happy to leave behind are . . . dangerous driving 7. When leaving a place I usually . . . write about my experiences so that I can reflect on the visit 8. The easiest point of leaving for me will be . . . 9. Before I leave I really want to . . . enjoy the warm sunshine 10. I feel that my goals/expectations have been . . . met plus more 11. The most stressful part of leaving will be . . . flying EXPECTATIONS 1. I think the return home will be . . . welcoming 2. I expect the reception from my family will be . . . joyful, loving 3. I anticipate my church to be . . . involved with Easter and inquisitive about everything on the trip 4. I picture my friends to be . . . ready to hear my stories 5. I expect my family to . . . continue to grow in Christ’s love, strength and courage 6. I hope my church will . . . plan a mission here 7. I think my friends will be . . . amazed that I took this journey 8. I am looking forward to . . . seeing my family at home RETURNING 1. When I think of returning to the United States, I feel . . . excited and happy to see my husband and daughter Sheri 2. I will be going back to . . . reality - foreclosures and devastated families Missionary Note: Jean is a realtor and the U.S. economy has effected the market on the Cape very much. 3. Going back will enable me to . . . have a bigger heart 4. Regarding money, I will be . . . giving - knowing where my mission pledge is going! 5. I think the hardest part of going back for me will be . . . trying to explain all I’ve learned 6. I think the easiest part of going back will be . . . driving w/o looking for cars without headlights at night 7. I cannot wait to . . . talk to Pastor Ben to share the experience COUPLES AND FAMILIES 1. When I talk to my spouse about leaving he . . . said “What could you do there?” 2. When I talk to my children about leaving they . . . were surprised - luckily one decided to join me 3. I think for my children, leaving will be . . . open to anything Julie Durgin - Jean's daughter LEAVING 1. When I think of leaving, I feel . . . accomplishment - knowing what a life changing experience this was 2. My experience here has been . . . absolutely amazing, an eye-opener as to how many beautifully different people are in other places in the world 3. For me the Dominican Republic means . . . important relationships with families and friendly people 4. The people I will miss are . . . all the Franklins, Wesley and especially the children. I will miss Pastor Victor and Wilson also. 5. The things that I will miss are . . . the mountains, the views, working for the church here 6. The things I will be happy to leave behind are . . . the relationships with the people I connected with, yet I will miss this also 7. When leaving a place I usually . . . feel upset when I am on the plane, thinking how I will miss everything, but then I think how it will change me when I return home 8. The easiest point of leaving for me will be . . . knowing I;m leaving with a positive change in my life 9. Before I leave I really want to . . . take in and enjoy the atmosphere 10. I feel that my goals/expectations have been . . . accomplished, but I tried coming with no expectations 11. The most stressful part of leaving will be . . . getting through security and waiting for the plane to arrive EXPECTATIONS 1. I think the return home will be . . . enjoyable to see familiar faces 2. I expect the reception from my family will be . . . a fun easter day 3. I anticipate my church to be . . . taken even more seriously, I think I will try and make more friends there 4. I picture my friends to be . . . different, most of them, I won’t see till summer 5. I expect my family to . . . very happy 6. I hope my church will . . . plan a big mission here 7. I think my friends will be . . . very different from me 8. I am looking forward to . . . seeing if things changed or not RETURNING 1. When I think of returning to the United States, I feel . . . uncertain of the mixes of changed lives after a week of being away from everyone 2. I will be going back to . . . cape cod for a day and then back to Bridgewater State College 3. Going back will enable me to . . . be a more loving person 4. Regarding money, I will be . . . more conservative 5. I think the hardest part of going back for me will be . . . missing here and the people here 6. I think the easiest part of going back will be . . . reuniting with family and certain friends I am comfortable with 7. I cannot wait to . . . get off the plane

Emergency: Cuba needs Prayer

Today in conjunction with Fidel Castro's official retirement I received a call to prayer from one of our pastors in Cuba. Last year was our last communication regarding Cuba, of course we are now in the Dominican and have been very focused on our work here. We continue to faithfully support the work in Cuba and have been able to reduce that significantly over the last 3 years. Everything has been great and God has been blessing in incredible ways and there has not been any reason for alarm until today. I fear the worst for our loved ones in Cuba. But at the same time I KNOW THAT OUR REDEEMER LIVETH and He has an incredible plan for these men and women. You and I having been a part of that plan need to pray for these Giants of the faith. Would you join me in prayer through Wednesday February 27 for the Pastors, leaders and sheep in the last communist country in the Western Hemisphere?

Dominican Born - January 19, 2008

Sure has been a great week! Of course, on the way to the hospital Saturday night - I thought I would faint - but my wife and mother-n-law where there - to get me through - Whew!














My father-n-law has been spending quality time with the grandkids and I thought it would be wise to leave him at the house - but














he insisted that the stork was going to bring the most beautiful Dominican baby girl into the world that night - AND HE WAS RIGHT!!














I told Tiffany that the stork worked very hard that night - because its not easy carrying a 7Lb 12 oz baby sister over the ocean.














I don't know what the boys thought about the stork but I know they were sure happy to see there Mama!














Thank you so much for your prayers, support and love - they truly mean a lot. JuliAnna Truth is at home and Regina is recovering well. Today we are having special services at the church with Bro. Barnes as the special speaker. Please continue to pray - we are looking forward to celebrating several spiritual births a long with JuliAnna's.

Decembers Interactive Missionary Letter

His Timing is Always Perfect!

Last month my mother suffered a heart attack and was rushed to the hospital were she needed quadruple bypass surgery. Amazingly, a couple of weeks before, I had been asked to fill in as speaker at a missions conference in Massachusetts. I praise the Lord for His perfect timing and that I was able to return to the States for a few days to be with my mother. She is now recovering at home and doing well. The conference was great and we continue working on raising money for church property here in Santiago. The total price is $136,500. We are very excited about this and ask that you pray that the funds would come in - in His perfect timing.

Surprise, Surprise

SHOCK! GASP! The first thing Regina thought when she entered the church was “Why in the world would you decorate everything in pink on Thanksgiving day?” Little did she know that the ladies had been working secretly to surprise her with a special baby shower for JuliAnna. Regina spoke on having an “Attitude of Gratitude” and truly our whole family is grateful for having been apart of this wonderful church that has been a blessing to us in so many ways.

Property, Vision and Plans

Please keep us in your prayers, Regina is due in January and Hurricane Noel has left thousands homeless. We are trying to communicate with all our churches about our vision for our first work here in Santiago. We have already had $39,720 come in - the Lord is good. We are very excited, however, all we have with the owner is a verbal agreement and in order to make this into a contract over a 1 or 2 year span we will need to obtain at least 50% of money over the next few months. Briefly, the property (Aprox. 1 Acre) represents by far the best price and location we have found in Santiago. It has great access and several housing developments around it. I estimate that 80,000 of the 1 million residents of Santiago live within a 2 mile radius of the property and it fronts a major street that goes through a sub division entitled Alto Mayor. I don't want to get too far ahead of myself here but below I have also attached some preliminary drawings (needed to do these so the city would approve our building plans) and I wanted everybody to see them so they can see what our long term goals look like.

October's Interactive Missionary Letter

INCH BY INCH, ROW BY ROW Our vision is quickly becoming a reality in regards to the purchase of property for the church here in Santiago. Meetings about the property with our association members (Taxes), lawyers (Legalities), zoning commission (Permissions), mayor (Support), missionaries (Insight), friends (Encouragement), family (Experience) and national pastors (Location Information) have been very profitable. All have come and seen the property and have left impressed with the opportunity, price, and location. We have seen almost 20% of the money come into the missions office with us having only made a few phone calls. In addition the price has come down and is currently $151,500. We are very excited, however, all we have with the owner is a verbal agreement and in order to make this into a contract we will need to obtain at least 50% of money over the next few months. Please pray for the funds to complete the purchase of the land as well as the salvation of the property owner.
IN THE NEWS!! We have been very involved in ministry activities the last few months. Pastor Victor traveled to the States for a couple of weeks to attend a counseling seminar and asked Tom to take over the preaching duties. Tom did a series of messages on David and Colossians that the people responded to very well. Last week we traveled with the church to Vani (3 Hours from Santiago) to help another church raise money for its building fund and during that time we celebrated 5 baptisms in the Ocean. A lady in the church who we have been working with named Dinora was baptized and is pictured below. After our return, Tiffany’s 19 year old Sunday school teacher was admitted to the hospital with Dengue and is in intensive care. Please pray for Lisanet and her whole family who have been a tremendous help to us during our search for property.
FRANKLIN'S BELIEVE IT OR NOT As another season of Major League Baseball comes to end, the Dominican presence in the sport has been consolidated even further. Pitcher Fausto Carmona of the Cleveland Indians is this year's front-runner for the AL Cy Young Award, and he was named pitcher of the month for September. Big Papi David Ortiz was named player of the month for September and Yankees star Alex Rodriguez is the odds-on favorite to win this years MVP award in the American League. Carlos Pena of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays broke club records this year in homeruns (46) RBI’s (121) and Walks (103). In the National League Alfonso Soriano led the Cubs drive into the post-season. All of the eight Major League teams in this year's playoffs have at least two Dominicans on their rosters - Believe it or Not.
REGINA'S CORNER We’re tickled pink and happy to say our baby girl is on the way. January 2008 Julianna Truth will complete our family. We are blessed! Tom and I are also celebrating 15 years of marriage today and 10 years ago this month we entered the ministry full time leaving the States to become missionaries.
JOAN STEWART Regina and I are very blessed to have the greatest supporting churches, friends and family you can imagine. Uncle Bob and Aunt JoAn are no exception and have always been very encouraging to Regina and I even before we were married and in the ministry. In September Aunt JoAn went home to be with the Lord and this week our family is having a memorial service for her in Snyder, Texas. We will miss Aunt JoAn very much, she and Uncle Bob came to hear us present Cuba and the Dominican Republic at several different churches over the years in West Texas. After preaching, Aunt JoAn would come up to me and give me a big kiss and tell me that sermon was the biggest and best blessing she had in a long time. Her sweetness and sincerity uplifted and encouraged us like you wouldn’t believe and it seemed to always happen right when we needed it the most.

Thinking of Visiting Us Some Time Soon?

Technicians from the United States Transport Safety Administration (TSA) have praised the high safety standards at the Cibao International Airport here in Santiago. The three officials sent their findings to the TSA and to General Juan Bautista Rojas, the chief of the Specialized Airport Security Corps. The technicians spent more than a week at the Cibao International Airport, and reported that airport security is above the levels set by the International Civil Aviation Organization.

Quick Update on The Comings and Goings

Slowly but surely, after we began moving towards Los Prados, it looked like we might get a free piece of property from the mayor. However after doing some surveying and having some people with knowledge look at the property, it had some major draw backs - 1.) We needed 50,000$ of fill and 2.) No guarantee that the city would approve our building plans for that particular site , even with the Mayor on our side. Sooooo, back to the drawing board and during the time investigating and moving through the municipality to get in a position to obtain another free piece of property (were asking for another location, but it will have to be for a second church because it will take too long before another comes available) a larger more inexpensive piece of property came available, and that is where we are right now, doing homework, investigating titles, checking out if we can build a gym type facility on the sight. Please Pray.

Regina Blurb

Well we are having our 4rth and last child Lord willing. It's due in January and the Doctor (which is a 2 hour drive away) is saying it's a girl, but we will wait a little longer to make that official. We are very excited! Tomorrow we present the plans for our church building to the mayor of the city of Santiago. Lord willing this will bring us one step closer to obtaining a piece of property donated by the city. We have been praying for this for some time. Tyler and Jordan are getting ready to start school and joined a swim team. Tiffany is pushing her chair around in order to climb onto everything. Everyone’s Healthy - Praise the Lord.

A Couple of Early Release CAD Drawings

The Franklins Field Video Report

A big thanks to Randy Wehner and Glendale Baptist Church in Kansas City, Missouri for taking the time, caring and puting this together for us. Enjoy!

June's Interactive Missionary Letter

Los Prados Project

Since March we have been working hard to purchase a piece of property. Recently, Bienvenido (the man we have been dealing with) came down $30,0000 on this piece of property (Aprox. 1 Acre) which represents by far the best price and location we have found in Santiago. It has great access and several large housing developments (Los Prados). We need your help. Will you pray and help us raise the 194,554 needed?

Blessings

Psa. 127:5 says - Happy is the man that hath his quiver full. . . - Tis True - Smile - We are expecting our fourth child in January. How exciting! Ministry wise, I have been preaching both morning and evening services at Congregación Bautista. Recently two surrendered for full time service. Sadly, I had to do a funeral for Luis’s (March letter) family; however, happily, we are now discipling him.

Proceedings

Upon arrival last August, Regina and I began jumping through the hoops to become residents of the Dominican. We are happy to report that on May 17th we became legal residents, which means we can now begin our quest to form a non-profit association for the new church. Please pray we can finish this before the end of the year. If you desire more information on this, please see our blog.

Pray Pray Pray

Tuesday morning Regina and I are going to be at the Mayors office and hope to meet with Jose Enrique Sued. The goal is to obtain one of the city's green areas. We are asking for 1 Acre of land and while "we are not counting our chickens until they hatch" we definitely need your prayers. Two weeks ago our residency papers were given to us which allows us to begin work on forming a non-profit Dominican association. We have decided to name the association Familia Avance: Iglesias del Compañerismo Biblico Bautista Internacional. This will save us lots of money on taxes ect. Please keep in prayer the members of the board. Each board member is saved and will hold their position until a pastor that we have trained can substitute for them adequately. You will also notice that both independent Baptist pastors here in Santiago have joined the board to whom we are very grateful. Tom Franklin President Missionary of the Baptist Bible Fellowship International Victor Uraca Vice-President Pastor of Christian Baptist Congregation John Webb Administrator Pastor and Missionary of New Life Baptist Church Regina Franklin Treasurer Missionary of the Baptist Bible Fellowship International Janeiro Pelaez Secretary Lawyer Luis Regalado Vocal Contractor Lorenza Parra Vocal Domestic Worker

Inspiration

June of last year we reported that Arturo and his wife Noris, while starting a new work in Cojimar Cuba, lost there two year old daughter Zulaymi to infection and there six month old (Zamaria) had been hospitalized. Many have requested an update in regards to Arturo and Noris and we are happy to report that Zamaria is doing well and the family is sharing God's word with approximately 80 people and are in the process of organizing a Sunday School. While at every turn they have faced governmental opposition, Zulaymi's memory inspires them to continue on in their work.

March's Interactive Missionary Letter

WATER AND ELECTRIC STORM RISING A tropical storm hit us very hard this month and we had water coming in from every window and vent imaginable. We could not figure it out until we took out the windows and found out that the caulking job was faked! In addition a transformer in our neighborhood was damaged which led the electric company to boost the Wattage to 270. Needless to say several things went BOOM - literally - but thankfully we got a transformer, generator and inverter installed. Through it all our relationship with Luis has really blossomed and he wants to help us look for property and build a church. Please pray with us for all of Luis’s family to be saved.
MK'S ARE SPECIAL Tiffany enjoyed her first birthday last month and we all had a BLAST watching her eat cake and open presents. Tyler and Jordan are preparing to leave this weekend for their first Dominican camp with the local Baptist church we are attending and Tom will take over the preaching duties while the pastor is at camp. We sure are going to miss the boys - they are a BIG help! Please pray for each of our children as they adapt to a new school and culture.
AGAPE MISSIONARY FLIGHTS Recently we were A.P.P.R.O.V.E.D with A.M.F. - Agapeflights.com This means we now can receive just about any box (we just received a 550Lb generator) for ministry or family via a special airplane that comes into Santiago. It is very economical (about 1$ a Lb.) and in the future if you think we could use it please send it to us at: Agape # - SGO 18867 100 Airport Ave Venice, Florida 34285
ENROLL AT WWW.DR4CHRIST.COM In April we have a very special E-mail update planned for Cuba. The only way to receive this for security reasons is to click on Enroll Now on www.DR4Christ.com or E-mail us at Tom@DR4Christ.com

Frequently Asked Questions (Take 2)

Isagani Magbaleta in Cebu City asks the following: Why did you choose (originally) Cuba as your mission field? God called me. A “call” is crucial for anybody in full-time Christian service! It is definitely necessary to have a “call” if you are going to serve Him in a place like Cuba. Paul states that he is an “apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God…”(Eph.1.1); he also said, I am “called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God (Rom.1.1). Moses, Isaiah and many others were able to stay strong and carry on the work because they knew they “were called” for that specific ministry. I strongly believe that when things get difficult, the assurance that you are called by God for that specific ministry and that specific place will be a rock of hope. What burdened you most? Souls Isagani. C.T. Studd sums it up great - “Some wish to live within the sound of a chapel bell; I wish to run a rescue mission within a yard of hell.” How did you win the souls, how did you bring them to Christ and can you please state some differences between here and there? I don't know the differences from where you are - never been to the Philippians. However I can't imagine that they would be that different. We used evangelization cubes, tracts, personal testimonies and videos to bring people to Christ. Most presentations used some form of the Romans Road or variant. I believe if you pray that God will honor your effort (this is the key) and you will see many people accept Christ (this was our experience in Cuba) with any method that honor and glorifies Him. What did you do in the first year of your work? Start 2 Churches - The core of this being National Leadership Training. If I will be a missionary in Cuba . What are the things I should do? If God has called you to Cuba then prepare everyday for that ministry - He will provide the way as long as you stay close to Him through Prayer, Study, Mediation, Memorization and Living His word.

Frequently Asked Questions

Priscilla Hoang an eleventh grader from Bethel Baptist Schools asks the following: 1) Do you ever wish that you could go back and continue your work in Cuba? Smile - All the Time. But God has us here (in the Dominican Republic) now and we must complete this task of starting a church before we can turn and look at that door - no matter how closed or open it may be. The Bible says: A good soldier endures hardness - we are obedient. (2) How many churches are there [on average (in a city)] - any independent or fundamental] churches? In Cuba? We now number 6 (from those we organized) and it looks like we may have 7 very soon. In the Dominican there are very few independent fundamental Baptist churches in Santiago - in the entire city of 1 million I know of only 2. Neither are very big and both need to re-locate. But that is the decision of there local church - not mine. I must go about starting a different type of church than has been seen here. One that is large enough to support a full time couple and strong enough spiritually to reproduce itself expediently because there are many cities around Santiago with no Baptist church. There are obstacles - property is expensive, people are focused on money, ect. But God can care for every expense and need. (3) Do your kids go to school there, or are they home schooled? We are testing a Christian school here - only there are not many Christians. Thats O.K. - we are working on fixing that - however there are many factors to prayerfully consider before committing all the children. Tyler is the oldest and has been there now 4 months - it hasn't been easy making new friends but he now has 3. He also has enemies. These enemies have quite a reputation - pretty much - they don't like Christians. This of course is an interesting problem at - a Christian School. Please pray for him. Jordan is still in home school. (4) Does it scare you to be in a place so unlike America? No - we are used to living in politically charged places - The Bible teaches us not to fear - our family has peace knowing we are doing what He has sent us to do. (5) Does it sometimes get hard to rely solely on God and other churches to provide every need you have? These are great questions Patricia - this is one I've rarely answered. The truth is no it is not hard. Thats good and bad in a way. Its good because it testifies to the fact that God has used your church and many other churches to take care of us to such an extent - it is humbling. Its bad only when we take it for granite and rely on what you send us rather than God. Thats not so hard for us because of what God taught us while in prison. No amount of money could help me in that deep dark hole - no navy seals came to pull me out and there was no escape. The only thing you can do is rely on him and know that He is a God of the impossible and has everything under control. While I'd never ever want to go back there - I would if He so desired - without hesitation - to repeat that special time with Him would be awesome - in the words of our generation - it will always be - unforgettable.

Decembers Interactive Missionary Letter

CONTAINER ARRIVES IN TIME FOR CHRISTMAS It truly is amazing how just a few things from home will make you feel. Our container actually arrived late October but it wasn’t until December the 6th until the government allowed us to pick it up. How wonderful that day was, we have been celebrating ever since! We have gone from Ice Cold Showers to Toasty Hot Baths. Processed Cheese Spread to Home Cooked Meals. Air Mattress’s to Fluffy Beds from Heaven. We could go on and on. The home we are renting literally changed over night. The van and car also made it unscathed and - OH - I forgot to mention - we paid no taxes, which saved us over $20,000. Thank you for praying. God is good all the time. REGINA SINGS ANTHEM! In 2002 we began the lengthy process of becoming dual citizens of Costa Rica. Of course the plan was to enter Cuba as Costa Ricans. It was a good plan and we believe will still bear fruit. Regina was awarded dual citizenship on November 17 2006. God’s timing is always perfect. CUBA BLESSINGS! Last month trips were made into Cuba to encourage, supply and train the leaders of the fellowship. The reports, pictures and testimonies we received were AMAZING. Many have been saved, baptized and missions conferences are under way. What a tremendous Christmas gift!! BOSTON BOUND! During furlough David Melton at Boston Baptist College asked if I would teach a blitz course Jan. 8-19th entitled Philosophy of Missions and Ministry. My desire is to instruct the students in “What the Bible Says” about missions and how to have the power of God in their lives, which is the secret to effectual ministry that lasts. Please pray that I will be a blessing.