First of all, HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Isabella and I are honored and humbled to be called of God to share God’s love and light with the world.
I would like to take this opportunity to tell you about some of what we were able to do this year.
Online:
In addition to sharing Today’s Word via email with over 3,000 people each week day (M-F), in the past year Rick Piña Ministries online sites have been visited over 60,000 times (up from 30,000 last year), by over 40,000 people (up from 22,000 last year), looking at over 102,000 pages (up from 62,000 last year), and our videos were watched over 28,000 times (up from 7,500 last year). And get this… the visitors came from 168 countries. Praise God!
Missions:
In August Rick Piña Ministries was blessed to give 150 children in the Dominican Republic backpacks and school supplies; things they very much needed. These children did not have the means to get school supplies any other way. Their parents are facing difficult times and they were thankful that we were able to be a blessing to their children. Isabella and I both understand the importance of education. I was raised on Welfare in Brooklyn and Isabella was raised in abject poverty in Dominica. Education and God’s grace has afforded us a better life and we hope to instill the importance of education in children all over the world.
In October we were able to support the beautiful people at a Nursing Home (Hogar de anciano San Juaquin y Santa Ana) in the Dominican Republic. This nursing home does not receive any support from the Government of the Dominican Republic and many of the beautiful people who live there don’t have family member support. Sharing the love of God is very important to us. Preaching and teaching is great. God’s love can surely be heard through our teaching, but God’s love should also be seen.
In November we helped an orphanage (Hogar de Niño Padre Fantino) in the Dominican Republic. We are thankful that we were able to put a smile on these kids’ faces and share the love of God with them. It hard to imagine the challenges they face in life, living in a third world country, without loving parents to help train and nurture them. Our prayer is that we become conduits of God’s love and light in a dark world.
I am excited to inform you that right now we are preparing for our next event. While many of our children have already enjoyed and maybe even grown tired of their toys, there are countless children who are still hoping to get a toy on January 6th. Unlike our tradition of giving gifts on December 25th, many Caribbean countries observe the Day of Three Kings (Día de los Tres Reyes) as the day where gifts are given in remembrance of the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. Like the U.S., this is a great day for the children who receive gifts, but a sad day for those who don’t. So on January 6th Rick Piña Ministries will give out toys in the Dominican Republic to children who would not otherwise receive them. Additionally, we will give out groceries to many impoverished families who are looking to celebrate this day with a simple meal.
To all of our partners/donors, a million thanks! You are helping us make a difference.
Lastly, Isabella and I believe 2015 will be a Year of Great Grace. In preparation for this year, I will be teaching on God’s Great Grace for the entire month of January (starting on Monday). Get ready! If we surrender to God and embrace His grace, 2015 will be the best year of our lives!
We love you,
In Christ,
Rick and Isabella
