Buehlers on Mission

Five days, 60.6 km of hiking, 6,486 feet of elevation gain to a maximum altitude of 10,127 ft, all while keeping 19 teenagers moving, injury-free and cared for while dealing with weather issues, dodging donkey poop and mosquitoes, and navigating incredibly rugged terrain. Sounds like a great vacation, right? Well, even with all the challenges, the trip to Pico Duarte with the 10 graders is one of my favorite ministry opportunities I have gotten to partake in over the last 6 years. The variety of gospel opportunities over our time together was truly unique.

Structured Struggles

This trip is HARD. I have hiked Half Dome, Angel’s Landing, parts of the Oregon Cascades, as well as hiked in many other Stateside National Parks, and this hike is by far more difficult than any of them. With that, every year, there are students, parents and even some staff that question, “Why do this trip?” One of the main reasons is to ingrain the accomplishment of persevering through suffering. We know that life is hard, and that the Lord empowers those who believe in Him to make it through trials and suffering. Through this trip, students see that they can accomplish hard things and that they can persevere through what seems to be impossible. In an age where many aspects of society try to prevent the “hard” of life, we try to prepare students for it through these types of experiences to give them “anchor experiences” to look back on.

Unconventional Gospel Opportunities

More importantly, this trip provides ways for Jesus to shine in ways that students don’t tend to see in the normal day-to-day routine. Some of the various ways that students experienced the Lord were through:

Intentional Prayer

The four other leaders and myself strived to demonstrate various spiritual practices throughout this week. One of them that we modeled was that act of praying through scripture. At each rest stop, one of the leaders picked a specific scripture that we have memorised and that we use when talking to the Lord. I chose to pray through Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Many of the students don’t have parents that regularly implement spiritual practices, so this was a great way to model the use of scripture as prayer in everyday life. 

Multiple students spoke about their reliance on prayer through this journey. Some students shared that they were praying constantly throughout the hike: for strength, to keep them going, praising him for the scenery and the sunshine, and many other aspects. 

The Power of Stripping Distractions

We hiked for four of the five days, and they were long days where there were hour upon hour of just hiking. There were no phones allowed, meaning that there was no music nor technological distractions, so it led to a lot of discussion. Some of these conversations were about regular teenage topics (Marvel VS DC, how long Taylor Swift would stay married to Travis Kelce, etc…) but there were a lot of times for the leaders to ask Gospel-Centered questions to students, for students to inquire of their leaders, and to discuss them with each other. One example was when I was hiking for the last two hour stretch of day one. I was hiking with a student who is about my size, and therefore was going about my same pace. We were able to talk about the beauty of God’s creation and how He can empower us to persevere through tough things. This student comes from a family that is on the more affluent side, and is one that would say they culturally “know Jesus” but there is no true relationship. It was great to have the opportunity to share Gospel Truths with him as we were trekking our last few miles of that day. Many other chaperones shared different opportunities they had along the trail to talk with kids through a variety of topics and ultimately point them to Christ. 

Modeling the Light through the Hike

It is easy for the students to see the chaperones in the day-to-day and not notice how they are image-bearers of Jesus, but this trip truly highlighted that. There were questions that they had for the different chaperones like:

• “What do you do with all that silence while you hike?”  Well, it’s a great time to pray and just have a conversation with God.
• “How are you still in a good mood? Seriously, like you can’t be happy after hiking for 11 hours.” Yah, I’m tired, but also am thinking about how good God is and how he has taken care of this class on the trip. How could I not be joyful for that.
• “You teach 4th grade, why would you want to spend a week with high schoolers?” God just impressed on me that I was to go on this trip and my goal is to be obedient to him, even if it does not make perfect sense. 
• “Man, I wouldn’t want to have to be a chaperone with all these teenagers.” Well, we know how God works through these types of experiences and we want to be able to show His love to you.

There were many more of these types of questions and experiences. The five of us all modeled Christ to these kids in a variety of ways just through us being the light of Christ in our everyday actions. 

Application of the Gospel

Each evening, we also had a devotional time around the campfire. Perseverance was the overall topic of the week, using the aspects of the trip to dive into God’s word. On our last night, I focused on 2 Corinthians 4. I related the different adjectives (afflicted, perplexed, struck down) to elements of the hike and how the students experienced, and yet overcame, these descriptors. I emphasized how Paul shares that this overcoming power is not our power but God’s. And I explained how it is only those who proclaim Christ as Lord who receive this power. That yes, there are universal blessings and that they could “technically” overcome some challenges in life without God. But, there will come a time when everyone will have a mountain so great in their life that they cannot climb it on their own; the only way will be for those who have accepted Jesus as their Savior and Lord and have access to His overcoming power.

Within the general Dominican culture, there is often a very false narrative that all the blessings of Christ go to everyone. So when sharing with students, the Lord often impresses upon me the importance of emphasizing the truth of scripture that a genuine disciple of Jesus looks and acts differently, and experiences God in a way that a non-believer cannot. Jesus changes people, and then uses them as His agents to change other people to ultimately bring glory to His name and advance His kingdom! 

God was truly present and provided ample opportunities for His glory to shine through the Dominican mountains. Thanks for all of the prayers for us, especially with the health issues Ava had with Dengue leading up to the trip. To preserve her energy, she spent part of the day hiking and part of the day riding. The school rents a few mules in case there are health issues or injuries on the trail, so she did get to be friends with “Diego the Mule.” We were so glad that she was able to go on this trip with her class and be a part of these special five days.  

Thanks again for your prayer and care as we are God’s servants in the DR. 

God Bless,

Mike

As we were sitting around our dinner table on the 31st, sounds of roosters, merengue music and fireworks resonating from the background, we spent a good amount of time reflecting on the blessings and challenges of this last year, as well as our excitement and hope for next year, and the goodness of God through all of it.

2024 for……

Brennan… is midway through his junior year. He is currently in the initial stages of planning for university and narrowing his focus for what schools and scholarships to apply for. This year really allowed for him to step up his community service in a variety of ways.

He continued his role as one of three Executive Members of the Doulos Student Leadership Council. This group is a voice for the students with school leadership and also plans and organizes events. Brennan also went on two different Medical Missions trips as a translator for groups of doctors and nurses from the United States as they provided medical relief and evangelism for some of the poorest Dominicans and Haitians in the country. He also serves as a Junior Leader for Young Life. This role allows him to help lead the younger high schoolers and assist with programming at weekly Young Life events.

High school life has provided some additional fun opportunities for Brennan. He was able to take a beginning guitar elective, which he has thoroughly enjoyed. It has been really fun to see him pick up a new hobby and learn to strum some new songs as he practices at home.

Additionally, he got to be the coach for his class for their “Macha Basketball” (Girl’s basketball) tournament. While his “coaching style” was filled with lots of playful yelling and clipboard throwing, it was also filled with lots of laughs. It was fun to see him interacting and bonding with his classmates in such a silly way.

Mike… continued his role as Teaching and Learning Coordinator at Doulos. This role puts him directly coaching around 20 of Doulos’ teaching staff. Coaching entails helping with lesson planning, strategies for managing classrooms and students, helping with integration of the Gospel in all classes and subjects, providing counseling through the hard of missionary life and teaching students, as well as many other responsibilities. He also plans most of the professional development for Doulos and is in charge of curriculum implementation for all elementary through high school grades. One of the challenges / highlights of this position is working with staff who are all at very different levels in their professional career. Some teachers are in their first year, and are figuring out the ropes of how to be a teacher and deal with all that entails. Some teachers are much more seasoned and are looking to dive deeper within their craft. Mike works to meet all of his teachers where they are at and equip them to grow in their skills so that they can share the gospel effectively and help to provide a high-quality education to the 300+ students at Doulos.

Additionally, Mike got to step into teaching for a few weeks as some other teachers needed some extended leave times to chaperone for medical missions and outdoor education trips.

He really enjoyed the opportunity to connect with some classes of students that he had not worked with as much in the past as well as provide the opportunities for those staff members to pour into students during those trips that they would not be able to attend without someone filling in for their class.

Melissa…does so much to make the “Doulos-lives” of Mike, Brennan and Ava run smoothly as well as have a house that is a peaceful place to live in. She is also such an amazing builder of relationships and has an incredible depth, openness and boldness that endears her to many different groups of people.

One specific group that she is in community with is a group of Dominican moms (most, but not all from Doulos) who jokingly call themselves “Las Picaderas.” (Picaderas are little snacks, because when they get together, they always like to eat!)  Many of the times that they are together are simply to do life together – birthday gatherings, ladies nights, etc… But being there in all of these moments of life allows for her to share our faith in Christ when the hard of life happens.

In October, one of these ladies unexpectedly lost her mom. Having recently lost her own mom, Melissa was able to empathize with her, grieve with her at her house, the viewing, and the mass, and be a Christ-Centric support when many of the other people in her life were not believers. Being able to be the light in the darkness at such personal, private events would not have happened without the hours of intentionality that Melissa puts into this, as well as so many other relationships on this island.

Ava… The first half of the year brought a tough season for Ava, as she dealt with her grief of her grandma’s death through an unhealthy relationship that involved lots of deception and unwise choices. We are glad to say that God has done a great work in revealing those issues and providing opportunities for her to work through those sin issues. Another missionary is a counselor and has been meeting with Ava, and we have been doing lots of heart work with her at home. She has been making much healthier choices and has even worked this tough season into her Christian testimony.

God was able to use this redemptive story to further his kingdom to a group of children who are truly with little hope. In November, her class was doing some service work at an Orphanage in Santaigo (A major city 45 minutes from us.)

During that time, she was able to speak to the entire group of orphans about how how she had a faith in God, but during her mourning and processing her Grandmother’s death, the enemy worked his way in during a dark time. She finished with how God was able to do a redemptive work in her and how she does not want to go back to that path.

As parents, it is such a blessing to see her living out her faith and to see Romans 8:28 in action in working this situation to be used as a part of Ava’s witness to others.

The four of us are deeply grateful for the love and support you’ve shown us over the last 4.5 years, both financially and through your heartfelt prayers. Your generosity and faith have been a source of strength and encouragement, and we are truly blessed to have you by our side as we are the Lord’s hands and feet the D.R.. Thank you for your continued love, care, and belief in God’s work—it means more than words can express.

Con MUCHO amor,

Mike, Melissa, Brennan (16), Ava (13)

Last week was a busy week for the Buehler Family. I (Michael) was at leadership conference for Christian School leaders through the Association of Christian Schools International. At the same time, Brennan was serving again with Medical Ministry International as a Medical Translator. He was able to go with three of his classmates and two chaperones to serve for a week on the North Coast. Proud of him and all the ways he loves to serve. Here what he has to say about the experience below…

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Three weeks ago, I was given the opportunity to apply to go on another Medical Missions Trip, similar to the one that I went on last year. I knew that God was calling me to volunteer for it again, so I applied, and was accepted. So, about a week ago, I left Jarabacoa, and ventured over to Puerto Plata, a town up north, along the coast, where I would be serving. 

In the area we were staying, I was blessed with a ‘super’ comfy mattress located on the floor. Even though I didn’t get the best sleep, I just always tried to look forward, and I realized that this trip isn’t for my comfort, it’s to help others in need. Last year I was translating at the small clinic, moving from town to town, but this year I got to go the hospital, where I would be translating for surgeries big and small.

Over the six days that I was translating there I saw many interesting things such as, hernia removals, gall bladder removals, and many other smaller surgeries. I really enjoyed be the bridge for the doctors and patients as they tried to communicate with one another. It was so cool to see how so many people that could never have afforded these surgeries, were getting healed for free. This reminded me of how Jesus healed people in the Bible that thought they couldn’t be healed.

During the trip I also met so many cool nurses, doctors and surgeons, and got to hear how some of them had been serving for over 40 years for MMI. I am really glad that I got to go on this trip, and I am glad that God is continuing to use my gifts and skills to help those who need it the most.

Brennan got many compliments from the patients and the team from the States. One of the doctors even stated, “I’ve been coming on these trips for 15 years and you (Brennan) were my best translator ever!”

Thanks for those of you that kept him and his team in your prayers. This is such an incredible experience and way for Brennan, and other teens from Doulos to serve others and follow God’s daily calling on their lives.

Our God Still Moves Mountains

We live in what has been called the “Caribbean Alps,” which means we are daily surrounded by mountains. I look out my barred windows every day while washing dishes and see the southern mountains. Here we say things like, “I went down the mountain today…” when we leave town. The mountains are a real, physical presence in our daily lives here, which often keeps God’s ability to move spiritual mountains more present in my mind. 

A few weeks ago on a Tuesday morning I started my quiet time with the Lord in 1 Samuel chapter 3 using a devo from My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers. Samuel is being called by the Lord and Eli teaches Samuel to reply, “Speak, Lord, for your servant hears.” In this devo, Oswald says, “Get into the habit of saying, “Speak, Lord,” and life will become a romance (1 Samuel 3:9). Every time circumstances press in on you, say, “Speak, Lord,” and make time to listen.” Little did I know, this would become the pattern of my week over some unique circumstances I was petitioning the Lord about. You speak, Lord, I listen.  

That same Tuesday afternoon, news arrived from a Dominican friend (“Manuel”) that his mom’s right eye had been severely damaged by out of control arterial pressure induced by diabetes and was operating at 10%, and the left eye was being impacted as well. Without rapid medical intervention, she was in extreme danger of losing her vision. The day before, I had considered joining them at the doctor’s office to offer my support, as I am friends with both of them, but felt strongly that God was telling me to stay home. So here I was at home, just the Lord and I, starting to feel a little panic. What was I supposed to do….if anything?? Mike and I didn’t have the money to help with this need after handling all of my own medical issues with my gallbladder in December and January. And I already knew that this was going to be a pricey situation. And yet I also knew the dire financial situation of my frail, 108 pound, 59 year old friend (let’s call her “Mama”). Mama lives alone in the countryside in a small shack, no running water, pit toilet, surviving on the equivalent of $28 dollars each month and whatever fruits and vegetables neighbors bring her. I began to tell the Lord, “this is YOUR problem (as if He didn’t already know!), YOU are going to have to figure this out….Speak, Lord!!”    

It was in the quiet of staying home that day that He very specifically told me to contact a certain friend. And the incredible thing is, I had only recently reconnected with this friend through the course of my Mom’s death. After almost 20 years of lost contact, she reached out to share her condolences and it was as if we had never skipped a beat. As we caught up on life, she told me to keep her in mind if there was ever a need that arose that we needed help with in our work here in the DR. Though I had completely forgotten about this, the Lord very clearly reminded me as I petitioned Him to “speak.” My friend responded that she was indeed willing to help, and I literally went to my knees and thanked the Lord for bringing something sweet out of the excruciating pain of my Mom’s death. I had a sense that He was going to use this gift to restore sight to the almost blind. It was the kind of thing my Mom would have absolutely loved, especially with all of her own work in benevolence ministries.

The next morning (Wednesday), my friend’s generous gift arrived. I was on cloud nine! Because, you see, what was unfolding was so much bigger than providing medical aid to Mama. There were parts of me that had literally been feeling dead for so long. We had entered the valley of the shadow with my Mom starting in February 2023 at the news that another treatment had stopped working and the tumors in her lungs had grown 20% larger. This was the beginning of one wave of HARD after the other. Things big and small—the scare of my own breast biopsy (cancer free, praise Jesus!!), the oftentimes heartache of full time ministry, watching my sweet Mom slowly dying before my eyes all summer long, a partially torn meniscus, seemingly endless car repairs due to developing world roads, various illnesses, 3 trips to Oregon in 7 months to serve my family, gallstones—I could not escape this valley, no matter how hard I fought for and begged Jesus for higher ground. I had even very intentionally thanked the Lord for ALL He had allowed to pass through His hands into my life, thanking Him it had been THESE things and not other things, thanking Him for the protection over the 4 of us. But after literally 12 straight months of this, and the most recent 8 week battle with extreme fatigue and abdominal issues with my gallbladder, a deep discouragement settled over me. Then a subtle distance slowly developed between the Lord and me. Had He forgotten me? I had trusted Him in everything during the past 12 months, including flying to Oregon alone the day my Mom died, dangerously racing to the airport in the middle of the night when it’s really not safe to do that here, trusting in His sovereignty that I didn’t make it back to her bedside like I always imagined I would. But like a 12 month weary traveler, I had nothing left. I wondered if the Lord cared about what was happening to me and what was the purpose in all of this? Was there something I was not learning that I needed to learn? I had been feeling useless. Sidelined. For SO long.

When Manuel came to our house later Wednesday afternoon, the joy in my heart was already spilling over. I told him, “God is going to move this mountain!” Thinking back to my Sunday school days of singing, “He owns the cattle on a 1,000 hills…,” I shared, “if it’s money that we need, God has a lot of money!” (Dios tiene muchísimo dinero!) He burst into tears.

Like a wilted flower receiving fresh water, I began to feel alive again. God was beautifully reminding me that my heart sings loudest when I am serving. Someone once prayed over me and said, “Melissa, you were made to give your life away.” I believe it. There is nothing that makes me more joyful than being His hands and feet, which is why I had become so discouraged after so much time feeling sidelined. I do know that He never “needs” me, but I’m so very thankful when He chooses to use me. 

Thursday, Manuel and Mama transferred care from the primary doctor who is generally managing her diabetes to an ophthalmologist and discovered that things were worse than they thought. The right eye pressure was at 70 (normal is 10 – 20), full of broken capillaries and needed an injection immediately or she would lose the eye. This would either be the first of five injections per eye OR a combination of injections with laser surgery. I immediately felt overwhelmed upon learning that each injection is $172. We were now looking at anywhere from $1,500 – $2,000 with procedures, co-pays, eye drops… Yesterday’s mountaintop faith began to falter…Do you really have this much money, God?? “Speak, Lord!” I heard Him telling me, “Espera.” (Wait.) Mike and I felt zero clarity at this point but both knew the Lord was asking us to wait upon Him and take it one step at a time.

Friday I joined Mama and Manuel at the doctor’s office. My heart flooded with compassion as I saw the exhaustion over both of them as I entered the room. We received the good news that the pressure in her right eye had dropped from 70 to 25 overnight from the first injection, so she was now a candidate for three sessions of laser and then injections in the left eye. More praying and waiting.

Saturday I felt God giving me the green light to follow up with a second friend He had placed upon my heart. This friend wanted to cover one of the three laser treatments, thank you, Jesus! 

“And now what, Lord? What do you want me to do now? Speak, Lord, for your servant hears.” “Use your voice.” Gulp. What does that mean? “Lord, you know I don’t like to ask for money, even for someone else. And I’ve already done it twice now. Really??” He just kept saying, “Use your voice.” As I waited for more direction, I went about my day and as the evening drew near, God planted a very strong desire to call my Dad. I even tried to reason with God, as I was in the middle of something, and ask if I could finish my task. “Nope, call now.” I went to text my Dad about calling in a few minutes and he told me that he was at band practice for church. So I said, “that’s fine, we can talk tomorrow.” Then I thought, what was that all about? Why the urgency? And shrugged my shoulders. I continued to think and pray about how God might want me to “use my voice,” thinking maybe I should talk with our local pastor after church the next day. A while later, Mike and Brennan left to pick up Ava, leaving me in a quiet house. God gently urged me to come and pray, getting on my knees before Him. I prayed for several situations, including Mama. God instructed me to reach back out to my Dad and see if he might be willing to be the extension of my voice at his church that night. Maybe there was one or two people there who might consider helping? I almost felt bad asking him to do that, as it was minutes before the service was starting, and I was thinking, it’s probably too late, all the while reminded of just how much I don’t like asking for money. I shared that we roughly needed $913 just for treatments, not including meds, drops, etc. from the updated info I’d been given. Word came back that there would be a special offering taken. My heart leapt for joy and was excited to watch God work again. Mike, the kids and I stopped to pray. We texted Manuel to pray. Before we could think much more, we were blown away to learn that $1,000 had been promised. One. thousand. dollars. I started to cry…“God, you DO have muchisimo dinero.” We called Manuel and he was grateful beyond words. Mike, he and I prayed together, a prayer of thanksgiving to God for moving this mountain, for making a way when it seemed like there wasn’t one, for caring for one of the least of these.

I ended this special week experiencing the very romance with Jesus that Chambers had mentioned in his devo. The Lord knew I needed to be part of this process for my own faith. I needed to reconnect with Him after a year of weariness, to hear His voice so sharp and clear, to move a spiritual mountain in my own life, to be blessed just as much as Mama in this process. Thank you, Lord, that You are Faithful, even when my own faith falters. 

And Mama? Earlier this week she received her third and final laser treatment in her right eye, though this also came with the difficult news that her pressures were back up to 70. She received another right eye injection for these pressures and is waiting to see if she will need to have surgery as well. Laser treatment will also begin in her left eye soon. She still has a very long way to go, but we continue to trust and petition our Mountain Mover for complete restoration of her vision if it is His will to do so. 

During our fourth Christmas in the D.R., we got to engage in one of our favorite ministry activities: Christmas at Piedra Blanca. This is an event where we get to partner with other ministries that provide Christmas gifts, a pizza meal, arts and crafts, PLENTY of candy, and most importantly, the Gospel message to 80+ children living in a Haitian community just outside of Jarabacoa.  

Doing this for multiple years means that we are able to see many of the same smiling faces and reconnect with the kids we’ve seen in years past. In debriefing with our children, Brennan stated that he enjoys this time because it is a cool opportunity to give something special to kids whose families normally couldn’t afford something like this. Putting a smile on the faces of the kids is the reason that Ava really enjoys this tradition.

For Mike, it is the embodiment of the joy of giving. Being able to bless numerous children with a simple gift, but then being able to connect it to the gift of Jesus, the miracle of His birth, and the beauty of His gift to us in terms of eternal salvation is a special time. The reality of the Gospel is always prevalent on the mission field, but takes on such a special meaning at this event.