Ryan and Caroline: Holloway Visit

A couple weeks ago my parents came to the DR. It was the first time out of the country for either of my parents.

I asked my mom if she'd like to write a blog post about her week and she agreed:

Ryan made sure that our Dominican Republic trip was full of adventure as well as getting to know his ministry site. We rode motorcycles, climbed mountains, saw the waterfalls, experienced the beach, ate Dominican food, and most importantly, met the women and children that Ryan and Caroline minister to every day.

My husband Greg and I spent one day with Ryan visiting the SI Base and learning about the work Ryan does and the preparation that takes place to make his ministry successful. We went to several bank sites and actually attended a bank meeting one evening.

It was there that we had the privilege to meet Miriam. Seeing first hand how she cares for the women and praying with them and teaching them Gods word really blessed my heart. I’m so thankful for her and what she does for the ministry.

Visiting with Caroline and participating in her ministry was the following day. The original meeting with the girls had been canceled but Caroline decided at the last minute to have the meeting. With little notice and a short amount of time Caroline told a few girls, “the meeting tomorrow is on, tell the others.” That they did!! The next morning 20 girls were bubbling with excitement and so happy to be together and especially excited to see Baby James. Caroline led the girls in prayer and singing and a study of

Proverbs 22:6 - Train up a child in the way he should go and even when he is old he will not depart from it. They were delighted to talk about God and share pictures with Caroline on how she and Ryan should train Baby James. What they didn’t want to do was…Go home. You could tell how much they loved her and wanted to stay. This too really blessed me.

I am so thankful for the time we had and all the different things we were able to do and see during our trip. What the Lord is doing through this ministry is amazing. The love I witnessed not only among the people but among the other site workers was truly phenomenal. Ryan’s colleagues were loving, giving, and very willing to sacrifice if it meant being a blessing to one another. It was refreshing to see the love of God in action through each one of them. This was a trip I will never forget!