Fairfax Church of Christ

The Bynums

More on the Bynums and their plans in their blog.  (Please note that views set forth in the Bynums' blog are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of the elders, ministers or other members of the Fairfax Church of Christ).

Tim

I was born in Kansas City, Mo to Ray and Liz Bynum as they were preparing to enter the mission filed. I have 3 older sisters. I was raised in Costa Rica and left to attend college. I graduated from Harding University with a BA, Missions and from the University of Liverpool with a MS, Information Technology. I have been an active member of the church of Christ my whole life and I was baptized in 1977. I have been a Substitute teacher, a Counselor for troubled youth, an Airman, a Computer Programmer and a Project Manager. I speak fluent Spanish. I feel God had provided me with these experiences to prepare me for this mission.

Lisa

I was born in Danville, IL to Herb and Linda Hoepner. I am the middle child of 5. After attending Harding, were Tim and I met and married, I graduated from the University of Texas at Arlington with a BS, Social Work. I worked as a Social Worker for 12 years in homeless shelters, mental health services and hospital case management. In 2000, I left the workforce to home school our 2 children. I came to know Christ through my grandmother and I have been a Christian since I was 11 years old. I enjoy working with children and have been teaching children’s Bible class since I can remember.

Lindsey

I am 17 years old and was born in Fort Worth, Texas. I was baptized in 2000 at the South Gate Church of Christ in San Angelo, TX. I currently work at the Family Christian Bookstore. I am active in the church youth group and frequently volunteer for various, church ministries.

Ethan

I am 15 years old and was also born in Fort Worth. I was baptized in 2006 at Winterfest in Gatlinburg, TN. I enjoy using and working on computers and volunteer in the church office working on computers.

Community Center

We will establish a Computer Center as one of the services offered at the Community Center. The goal of the Computer Center is to develop relationships with individuals interested in developing their computer skills. While developing these skills, we hope to introduce these individuals to Christ and help them develop spiritually as well. The materials used to teach computers will have a basis in scripture. The idea is to meet people in the community by offering introductory and overview courses that last one or two sessions. As individuals express a desire for more intense training, we will offer classes lasting two to six weeks that will allow us to start to develop more meaningful relationships. This will open the door to sharing the gospel. As individuals request more advanced classes that lead to Microsoft Office User Specialist (MOUS) Certification, we will continue to develop deeper relationships and find ways to have these individuals give back to the Community Center by helping to teach introductory and overview classes and learn leadership skills.

We will also establish an Internet Hot Spot for the residence of the community. Anyone will be able to access the internet to browse the web, send and receive email, etc. The internet will be filtered to minimize potential exposure to harmful material on the web. Individuals will be required to register to use the service or to stop by the Community Center to gain access to a password that will change daily. This physical contact with the Hot Spot staff (which may include students volunteering in exchange for computer classes) will provide another means of developing relationships within the community.

There are many other activities at the Community Center that we will participate in. Each day the Center welcomes dozens of street children in to play games, talk and just hang out. It also is the host to English classes. This provides a catalyst for building relationships with the neighborhood residence. We will assist in these activities as time warrants.

The goal for these outreach activities is to develop relationships that will allow us to nurture relationships with Jesus. Through day to day contact and conversation we will share the hope we have in Jesus Christ. Eventually a church should emerge. This congregation will meet at the Community Center.

Bobita Congregation

The Bobita congregation will become our home congregation in the Dominican Republic. We will lead worship, serve communion, teach classes and work with local Christians to grow closer to Christ.

Manna Camp

Throughout the year the Manna Camp hosts several teams of approximately 24, for a week each. During these weeks Brian Wallace works non stop to assure the teams are safe, well taken care of and supervised. We will help relieve this burden by filling in as needed during activities. We will also assist with developing the vision of a Missionary Training Camp. During this camp we will share our experience, training in missions and provide support for the attendees.

Children’s Home

We will use our experience in social services to assist the manager of the Children’s Home in anyway possible. We will also help tutor the children, conduct English conversation groups, provide the residents with computer training and internet access, and increase the residents’ problem solving and creative skills through craft classes and group activities. During times of need, we will also provide respite for the house parents giving them time to visit family or attend appointments.

Wells for Christ

The current vision for this much needed program is to repair the rig and train local Christians in its operation. While the wells are being dug we will assist the local Christians in building relationships with the village residents. Through these relationships we will introduce people to Christ.

The Dominican Republic is located in the Caribbean on the eastern two-thirds of the island of Hispaniola, between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of Haiti. The climate is tropical maritime with very little seasonal temperature variation. Seasons are marked by the amount of rainfall. The terrain consists of rugged highlands and mountains with fertile valleys interspersed. The DR lies in the middle of the hurricane belt and subject to severe storms from June to October.

Community Center – A place for Christ-centered fun, fellowship and learning

Bobita Congregation – A gathering of local Christians and kids from the Children’s Home

Manna Camp – An opportunity for groups to share God’s love through work projects and evangelistic efforts

Children’s Home – A home where disadvantaged children find love, stability, education and faith

Wells for Christ – A community service program bringing clean water and God’s love to area villages

Manna Historical Overview

In 1983 the youth group at Redwood City church of Christ participated in a weekend fast to raise money for the poor and hurting of the world. When the fast ended, sixteen teenagers had raised more than $5,000 and set out on a quest to help the world’s poor. For 20 years, God used young people to bring hope to hundreds-of-thousands of those Christ referred to as the least of these. Their love provided life-sustaining aid and development opportunity to God's children in Ethiopia, Haiti, Botswana, Somalia, El Salvador, the Dominican Republic, Honduras, Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana, Rwanda, and Croatia. They also helped thousands of Americans stricken by natural disasters. In February, 2004, Manna International closed its administrative offices due to lack of funding. All of Manna International’s programs continue to operate under the oversight of various congregations or organizations. The Manna Dominican program is currently under the oversight of Highland View Church of Christ in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Brian and Tammie Wallace lead the program in the northern region of the Dominican Republic (DR), they moved there in 1996 after spending several years in Haiti. Brian and Tammie have established a mission training camp and a children’s home located in Caraqueña/Bobita, a small community on the northern coast of the DR near the town of Río San Juán.

Current Work and Vision

Community Center (a.k.a. The Coffee House) is located in the heart of Río San Juán. This outreach center began in 2004 when a local business man offered use of his vacant home for church work. The house serves as a refuge for local street kids and young adults. Many of these children are homeless and work the streets as shoe shine boys or prostitutes. Children that do live with their families get very little supervision and roam the streets working or looking for something to do. What begun as a weekly church service and English lessons has developed into a full time ministry. In September 2006, T.J. and Holly McCloud moved into an apartment next door and began full time outreach. At the house, people can come in play games, watch a movie, learn English and more importantly learn about God’s love. The team is currently looking at property nearby with the hopes of building their own Christian Community Center. The new center would contain an apartment for an onsite missionary family, center office, classrooms, restrooms, and a multi-purpose room used for worship, games, movies and other activities.

The Bobita Congregation meets in the Manna Camp Dining Hall. The congregation consists of the children’s home house parents and a few local Christians. The team has a vision of unity for this congregation. Several years ago a split occurred in the congregation, with several key member of the congregation leaving. The team prays that God will use new mission team members to open a discussion with these church members to reunite His body in Bobita.

The Manna Camp is a place where teens (and adults) can go to learn about showing God’s love in both spiritual and benevolent ways. The camp is directed by Brian and Tammy Wallace and operated on funds provided by its participants. During week long trips, groups hold mini VBS events, teaching children from nearby towns and villages about God’s love; visit the area hospital, singing and praying with the sick; visit the area garbage dump, singing and delivering food and clothing to the destitute; perform service projects, improving living conditions for area families by pouring cement floors, repairing roofs and painting homes; visit and encourage local families and residents at the children’s home. These benevolent activities open the doors for local missionaries to begin talking to people about God’s love and care. Each week, participants are given the opportunity to develop leadership skills empathy, participate in bible study and devotionals, and learn first hand the role of missionaries in foreign countries. When they return home, participants are encouraged to assess God’s blessings and share their experiences with others.

Each year, with the help of Tom Martin, college students are selected to serve as Missions Interns. The summer interns staff the camp, assist with group management, serve as translators when possible, manage work details and coordinate VBS events, hospital and dump visits. The camp gives each intern the opportunity to grow spiritually, develop leadership skills, and experience hands on mission work. Occasionally, interns serve for longer periods. This missionary apprenticeship gives participants the opportunity to experience missionary life outside of the summer groups. Past interns have served in concentrated areas like The Coffee House, The Children’s Home or the Mechanic Training Facility. During their service, interns provide vital help and encouragement to the local missionaries. Interns go on to full time mission work, serve on mission committees, or educate their home congregation about missions.

An exciting new vision for the camp has immerged. The team would like to create a fall/winter training center for missionary teams. This would be a place for new mission teams to go to learn about each other and learn team work. It would also serve as a “retreat center” where mission teams and church staffs can come to build teamwork and spiritual strength.

The Christian Children’s Home is located in Bobita, approximately ¼ mile from the Manna Camp. This much needed home is sponsored by Highland View Church of Christ in Oakridge, Tennessee. Tammy Wallace serves as the homes manager. The home is mostly funded by the Highland View congregation and through a child sponsorship program. It currently has 3 homes with approximately 17 children. A forth home has been built will house a missionary family and an upstairs library. Area Christians staff the home and strive for a family environment. A new family is expected to arrive in May to begin working to improve the education of the house parents and children and to provide closer supervision for the homes. In the future the team would like to increase the number of children cared for at the home, provide better education for the children and provide continued education for the house parents.

Wells for Christ was started by Martin and Gina Staelens in July 2001. This effort touched the lives of rural people by providing fresh water in addition to bringing them the hope of the true Water of Life, Jesus Christ. Less than half of the rural population of the Dominican Republic has reliable access to supplies of fresh water. This situation created health problems for villagers who can suffer from water borne diseases. So far, 11 wells in various communities, the children’s home and the Manna camp have been drilled. The well drilling process required community involvement and took a fair amount of time, giving the missionary plenty of time to talk to the locals. Unfortunately, in 2006 due to an accident caused by a failure of the brake system that damages the truck and the rig beyond repair, the program had to be suspended. Work continues to rebuild the well drilling rig with plans to possibly train a local Christian to operate the drill with missionary support.