Beginning of Year Newsletter

Dear Prayer Partners,

The beginning of 2026 has been a busy season. January was mostly full of getting back into the routine of things after our Christmas break. It is always a blessing to be able to go home to the States to visit family for Christmas, but I am grateful that coming back to the DR always feels like coming home as well. February held some special holidays and celebrations as well as a big decision for my roommate and I (more on that below). I am excited to share with you some updates and ways you can pray for me in the coming weeks.

Updates

IBEM Meeting

On January 25th we had our annual business meeting for church members at IBEM. More than just a meeting, this is a special time of worship and celebration we get to spend together as a church family each year. We share dinner together, we lead the church in a time of worship, and our pastor and deacons share about what the Lord has done in and through our church in the last year as well as plans the church has for the year to come. I want to share a few of the highlights that our pastor shared of the ways God has worked in our church in the last year. In 2025 IBEM:

1. Celebrated 13 baptisms.

2. Had 7 new members join the church bringing our current membership to 195.

3. Launched the Discipleship 1:1 program which has equipped and encouraged many members in the church to participate in one-to-one discipleship.

4. Completed an expansion project in the sanctuary and added 100 new chairs.

In this meeting we also took time to pray over a man named Andry who has been a deacon for several years at IBEM and is now stepping into the role of being the INVI chapel pastor. Although my roommate and I have decided to step away from serving at the chapel for now to focus on other ministries, we are continuing to pray that God would use this chapel to reach more people with the Gospel.

Las Palmas

Starting back at school after Christmas break proved to be a little challenging for me this year. Since we had so many days off school and celebrations throughout the month of December, I had a hard time getting back into routine with my students. Thankfully in the last few weeks I feel like we have found a rhythm again and I have had a lot of sweet moments with my students which I'm grateful for. On February 13th we celebrated the 100th day of school, which is always a fun day to dress up and celebrate with the students. Last week we had a special Independence Day program at the school since Dominican Independence Day is February 27th. It is so fun to see all the students dress up and preform in this program.

In my class devotionals I have been focusing on different verses that clearly explain the gospel over the last month. A few weeks ago my students were learning about and memorizing John 3:16 and spent the week talking about God's love and his great gift to us in Jesus. On that Friday we had chapel where our campus pastor happened to be teaching on John 3. He presented a clear message about what it means to be born again and ended the chapel by reading John 3:16. After chapel I had a discussion with my class about being born again and I felt that ears were open to hear that day. I am always thankful for little moments like those that God orchestrates in the midst of the day-to-day school schedule. It is a blessing to get to pour into my students day after day and watch them slowly comprehend more and more God's great love for them.

Moving

As many of you have probably heard, my roommate and I are currently in the process of moving to a new apartment! We have lived together in the same apartment since I moved to the DR almost four years ago now. The apartment is very close to the school and has been a great blessing to us, but it is not in the best shape. We have had some issues with floor tiles starting to pop up, molding falling from the ceiling, doors and drawers not opening and closing correctly, mold growing, etc. The apartment is also partially furnished but the appliances and furniture that the landlord left us are not in good condition. Because of these things, my roommate and I have been considering a move for the last year or so. Over the last few months, we have been apartment hunting. We were searching and praying for an apartment that was a little further from the noise of the city, had some outdoor space, and that was on a higher level of an apartment building. The Lord provided just that! On February 7th we put down a deposit on an apartment in a brand new apartment complex about ten minutes away from the school.

We are now in the process of raising support, purchasing furniture and appliances, and packing up our apartment. This move will include some larger expenses since we are moving from a partially furnished apartment into a new, unfurnished apartment. We will be purchasing many appliances and pieces of furniture including a stove, fridge, water heater, air conditioner, table, ceiling fans, bed frames, etc. To help with these expenses and other costs associated with the moving process we set a goal of raising $5,000 in the months of February and March. So far, we have raised about $2,000 of our $5,000 goal. If you would like to give to help support us in this move you can give a one-time gift here. Just click one-time gift, select my name from the drop-down menu, and write "Moving Expenses" in the notes box. We are so thankful for all the support and encouragement we have already received, and we are excited for what God has in store for this new chapter!

Prayer Requests

• Please pray for my roommate and I as we prepare to move. Please pray for the financial support that we need and for the logistics of navigating purchases, installations, and packing on top of our ministry commitments.

• Pray for Andry and his family as they take over the responsibility of leading the INVI chapel. Pray the chapel continues to grow and make and impact in that community.

• Pray for opportunities to share the Gospel with my students and their families.

• Continue to pray for my health. Over Christmas break I was able to do some additional testing, and my doctor believes we have discovered the root cause of my symptoms. She made a new treatment plan for me which I started last week. Please pray that my body responds well to the treatment and I am able to see improvement in my health.

• Pray for our praise team at IBEM as we begin to plan and practice for our Easter program.

Thank you so much for all your support, prayers, and encouragement. I am grateful for each one of you that takes the time to read these updates and lift me up in prayer.

Blessings,

Natasha