Visionlife365

It's group season and intern season here in the Dominican Republic! Many of our full-time missionaries started as short-term interns or came in with a group. Consider taking a step of faith and coming to the Dominican Republic to see what God is doing through the ministry of DR Vision...and who knows, you may end up serving here alongside us full time!

Moms have a huge part in the making of a missionary! Long before a missionary arrives on the field, there have been years of careful and intentional investment in a child's life. In this episode, Gary and Jason talk about the importance of moms in preparing a missionary. Hats off to missionary moms! 

Every year we have the privilege of inviting summer interns to participate in the ministry of DR Vision. Because of COVID, we have not been able to host interns for a few years. Thankfully, this year we have been able to have our first interns for 2022, Ashtin and Stephanie. Listen as Ashtin and Stephanie open their hearts regarding their upbringing, their testimony, and how God has led them to be...

This podcast can be a touchy subject in the ministry world. Many people have strong preferences and convictions! How do we live in harmony with those that differ and their beliefs? Gary and Jason tackle this difficult subject in this episode. You will be challenged to think deeply about how you handle these delicate matters and how they ultimately affect your stewardship of the gospel! 

Temptation is a constant battle for every believer. Satan is always looking to derail and destroy our effectiveness with the gospel. Gary and Jason talk through this delicate subject and offer practical advice for both the minister and the ministry on how to set up protective measures. One wrong decision can potentially destroy a ministry, and nearly every time, it affects more than just one perso...

What you see is not always what you get. Many times as we minister, there is a whole other level of spiritual things that are unseen to the naked eye. Gary and Jason talk about things they have been confronted with in ministry and how they keep a biblical perspective even when dealing with potentially dark spiritual things.

We have all been there at some point. When we have been tasked with sharing a sermon or a devotional, our message seemingly falls flat! What do we do? Thankfully, the ministry of the Holy Spirit impacts lives through the Word. What can we do to ensure we have been good stewards of God's message? Listen in as Gary and Jason talk about this important and pertinent subject! 

Be prepared to be stretched! Being a missionary has challenged so much traditional thinking for Gary and Jason. There are so many things that we as Americans assume should be done one specific way. One major challenge in the Dominican Republic is driving! If you have never driven in the Dominican Republic, we recommend hiring a driver if you come here for a short time. As you drive down the road,...

You spend your whole life studying the word of God. You feel pretty buttoned up in your theology. God calls you to the mission field, and you find yourself being a student all over again! Foreign culture is a great teacher. Both Gary and Jason have been challenged to dig deep into why they believe what they believe. While solid doctrine never changes, cultural elements often cause us to evaluate m...

It is always a good thing when God moves us toward spiritual growth. Often it is outside the scope of our comfort zone. Invariably, when He gives us these opportunities, they are designed to draw us closer to Him and give us new opportunities for the gospel. God has recently opened a new ministry opportunity for Gary. He has been taking a "walk alongside" role by helping in his wife&apos...

Most churches have programs for younger children. Often there is some class for students until the end of their High School years. What happens to university-age students? Many times they can be an easily overlooked group. They are also in a transitional stage of life where they are leaving the protection of their parents and beginning to form their values and convictions. How do we help them navi...

There's no other way to say it; this episode is AWESOME! Listen as Curt opens up his heart about growing up as a missionary kid in South Africa. He even demonstrates their unique click language. Curt's mission experience shaped his life and his view of missions today. You will definitely learn and appreciate Curt's perspective and you may even laugh a time or two! 

We have heard the phrase "pastoral authority" many times while growing up. What about pastoral responsibility? How do we balance these two crucial aspects of being a shepherd? What does shepherding look like? Is it the pastor's responsibility if someone in his church sins? All of these questions are discussed in this episode in a balanced and applicable manner! You will definitely e...

The DRVision team has had the opportunity to host many groups who want to be integral to mission work. Northstar Church has had a profound impact on the ministries in the Dominican Republic, especially in the area of our seminary. Listen as Gary and Jason chat with Curt and Nick from Northstar Church about how missions and the local church work together as partners to fulfill the Great Commission....

As believers, it is too easy for us to fall into a performance mentality. As much as any one of us would say we oppose legalism, we are very legalistic because we qualify the effectiveness of ministry with the busyness of our schedule. This episode will challenge you to take a fresh look at your schedule and push you to ask hard questions of yourself.  

The book of Mark presents Jesus Christ from an exciting and fresh perspective. Listen as Gary and Jason dive into how Jesus was both the servant as well as divine authority.  This episode is guaranteed to make you think!  

This is a very practical podcast episode. Gary and Jason share the essential components of discipleship. Discipleship should be personal. Listen as the guys share practical points on making sure that your discipleship process can be as effective as possible. Never forget that the relational aspect of discipleship is so important! 

Join in on the conversation as Gary and Jason talk with some first-time visitors to the Dominican Republic. Steve and Byan are residents of South Carolina doing some mission partnership scouting. Listen in on the conversation from both the perspective of the local church as well as the perspective of the missionary. You are sure to have a few good laughs as the guys banter back and forth, but ther...

If we are going to be genuine followers of Jesus, we must learn to serve others. Listen as Gary gives us a pre-sermon look at a message he was preparing to preach and apply it to practical daily living. Both Gary and Jason talk about the importance of serving others and being a reflection of our walk with God. This episode will both challenge and convict. Get out the washbasin and be ready to serv...

In this episode, Gary and Jason talk about the "how's" and "what's" of discipleship. Listen as Gary and Jason share experiences that they have had in discipleship and how those experiences have changed their lives. Discipleship is a transformative process both for the discipler as well as the disciplee.  The dynamic is different in that it is not a teacher/student rel...

We hope this episode will be found by those who consider themselves "retired." So many times, when Christians reach a certain age or start to suffer from their health, they feel that they have nothing more to give. Listen as Gary and Jason hope to dispel the myth of uselessness. We need more seasoned believers to pour into the lives of us young "whippersnappers". Maybe you cann...

Revival is an often misunderstood word in evangelical circles. Recently we invited a special speaker to come to the Dominican Republic and encourage our hearts to return to the deeply committed living. Listen as Gary and Jason talk about the various aspects of revival. One of the most important aspects of revival is seeing our own personal need for a renewed daily walk. We hope this episode will b...

It's incredible how small incremental changes can affect an outcome. Gary and Jason talk about a recent sermon that Gary preached regarding small changes that yield significant results in this episode. As believers, we often go to such extremes of change that we cannot maintain our set trajectory because it is beyond our ability to attain. An applicable analogy of this would be in the area of...

COVID restrictions have really affected ministry in the Dominican Republic. One of the ministry areas that has been hit hard by the pandemic is the seminary. Thankfully, restrictions are reducing and we have been able to return to a consistent teaching schedule. In this episode, Gary and Jason talk about the new Romans class and how things are moving along in the seminary.  The seminary is a treme...

The Bible is the best source of practical daily living advice. Our life is about one thing...God. Walk with Gary and Jason as they walk through James chapter 5 and apply it to practical Christian living!