Seeing God's Beauty

All of these photo's were taken on the ride back from a day at Cabarete beach. Our youth struggle to see all the good
that God is doing. They struggle to see the God's beauty, and His goodness. The Christmas season is especially
hard, because like Mary, Joseph, and Jesus they are far away from their home. As Jesus's family had to flee into
Egypt, so our youth are in a foreign country. Please pray that God will communicate His love and grace into
difficult situations.

The staff that live with the students here on campus also need prayer. It is difficult to always be pouring out to the needs
of others. Please pray that God will renew their strength, and fill them with the constant peace of Christ. Please pray that
Jamie and I will minister diligently, and continue to build up the body of Christ at the Caribbean Mountain Academy.

Merry Christmas,

Matthew, Jamie, & Gabriel

Links

• Support us Financially

• Our Vision

• Find out more about Crosswinds

Un Tubo Nuevo

There have been many exciting occurrences that have happened in the almost two months we have been in the Dominican Republic. One of these is that John, Jamie's dad, will be renting a place in Jarabacoa and will move there this December. He came down with us, and was a great help in getting us settled in. John has been very quick to adapt to the Dominican culture, and has made some great connections with the people here. John also bought a motorcycle, and I have been watching it while he is gone.... and riding it too, of course. However the other day the back tire was flat, so a couple of the students and I loaded it onto the back of a truck and took it to the Isla gas station about a mile away from the school. They can  fix a flat for about 100 Dominican Pesos ($2.30). After we unloaded the motorcycle the students went back to the CMA for class. Once the motorcycle mechanic got the tube out of the tire we realized the valve was busted, so I needed un tubo nuevo (a new tube). After conversing with the mechanic, and not understanding anything, I realized I needed to go into town somewhere to get a new tube. This was fine, except I had no ride, so I started calling Jamie on my newly acquired phone, but was unable to get a hold of her. This turned out not to be a problem, because I looked down the road and she was driving by. What better timing! Right when I needed her.  I waved, but my mistake is that I was also smiling. They thought about stopping for me, but the other staff member with Jamie said, 'he must be fine, he wouldn't be smiling if he was stranded.'  So there I was, stranded at Isla, and I had to make a choice. I could walk back to the CMA, or I could take a step into an unknown direction, looking for an unknown store to buy the bike tube. I started walking towards Jarabacoa, and then I was faced with another decision. Should I be angry at my wife for not stopping, or let it go and realize I am not as big a deal as I sometimes think myself to be. Thankfully with God's help I was able to choose the latter, and can now laugh about it. As I kept on walking a concho (motorcycle taxi) pulled in front of me and offered a ride, I showed him my busted tube and he figured out I needed a new one. With the help of the taxi driver, I was able to get un tubo nuevo, get back to Isla, and have the motorcycle fixed. 

This Fish was also new territory. It tasted great!

Full-time ministry is new territory for me, and it has it is having it's challenges. I am preaching every other week, doing two weekly youth lessons, and building relationships with the CMA youth through other activities. My greatest challenge is asking; where does God want to take this ministry? What should Christian discipleship look like? How can I balance my schedule while maintaining a thriving family life? What does it mean to be a follower of Jesus in Jarabacoa, Dominican Republic? I ask that you would pray for discernment and direction as the other staff and I are working through these questions. Recently their has been an onslaught of injury and sickness among the staff, and we are beginning to more deeply perceive the battle that is not against "flesh and blood," but "against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." Pray that God would give us the "spiritual armor" necessary to take a step of faith into an unknown direction. Pray that we would act as the body of Christ, and as one staff member is praying, that we would be, "God's instruments of grace" to the students. 

Grace and Peace,

Matt

New Country, New Adventures!

This month has been a whirlwind! It has almost been a month since we arrived in the Dominican Republic, and we have packed many new experiences in that short amount of time! From meeting our new friends here at Caribbean Mountain Academy, to Matthew starting his new job, to getting settled in our home and buying our car. We have been practicing the language and are learning all kinds of things about the Dominican culture. We are also getting used to some of the differences here... such as regular power outages, "island time" and unreliable internet :).  

A few highlights- first of all, the trip down here went amazingly well and we definitely felt the many prayers being lifted up for us that day. Gabe has proved himself to be an amazing traveler- what a blessing! Not only that, but since the second night we were here, he has only been waking up once in night! Praise the Lord! Our second week here, we purchased a car, which has allowed us to do a little bit of exploring of the island. We have gone up further in the mountains to Manabou and Constanza, have gone to the north coast to Sasoua where Gabe had his first beach experience, and I (Jamie) also went on a shopping trip to Ikea in Santo Domingo, the capital, with some other female staff.

This picture was taken on the way to Constanza

In terms of ministry, Matthew has jumped right in! He will be preaching for the second time this Sunday, is leading a weekly youth group and Bible study for the students, in addition to helping out with morning devotionals. Phew- he has been busy! As for me, I have been spending time getting to know students and staff, as well as making our house a home and being a mommy. In addition, we both are officially on the "missions team" and will help out with the numerous missions groups that will visit the campus in the coming months.

To say the least, we feel abundantly blessed. We both are confident that this is where we are supposed to be. As it has been said before, "The safest place to be is in the center of God's will". Continue to pray for fruitfulness in our ministry here! And hopefully you will be hearing from us more often (via blog posts) once we get some of our internet kinks worked out!

Gabe is a natural island baby! He is 3 months old tomorrow, hard to believe!

With many thanks for sharing with us on this journey, 

Matthew and Jamie

P.S. Our mailing address is: 
Matthew or Jamie Morley 
3170 Airmans Dr. Unit 3039-CMADR 
Ft Pierce,FL 34946
*Note: We pay $2/pound for every package we receive! 

Links

• Support us Financially

• Our Vision

• Find out more about Crosswinds

Three, Two, One...Jump!

Bungy jumping 144 feet over water in Taupo, NZ

Here come the butterflies...

It's the feeling you get whenever you are getting ready to do something terrifying, yet exhilarating... you know, the fluttering in your stomach making you feel nervous and excited all at the same time. It is when you are facing a fear that you are not sure you want to or are able to face... like bungee jumping when you are afraid of heights! 

In any other circumstances, I don't think I would have considered bungee jumping. But I was on a college mission trip to New Zealand and we were informed that bungee jumping was invented there. On top of this, we only had a few days left in the beautiful country, so it was the perfect recipe for spontaneity. 

It was all excitement until I walked out onto the platform (picture on the left) and they started putting the cords around my feet. It was at that point that I let the staff know, "I don't think I can do this!". They gently informed me that at the count of three, I would jump head first towards the water. And before I knew it, they were counting and I was jumping. I had my "3 seconds of courage", which for me was more about clearing my mind long enough to forget about my fear than it was about becoming more brave. 

And here we are. Just days before we take the jump into this exhilarating, yet terrifying adventure awaiting us in the Dominican Republic. And yes, the butterflies are fluttering! Thoughts have crossed my mind that were similar to the day I jumped head first from a 144 foot platform: "I don't think I can do this!" and "Am I crazy?!"... and yet I hear God's gentle reply: "With man this is impossible, but with [me] all things are possible" (Matthew 19:26). 

Be Careful What You Ask For...

"The best things in life are the things that give you butterflies": This quote was stated by one of my co-workers during my first trip to the Caribbean Mountain Academy in February. The recurring theme of that trip was faith. It came up in my devotionals, in Sunday's sermon, and in conversations with people on campus. This theme of faith was also being lived out each day by the staff members who all had made the decision to leave their comforts and step out into the unknown... in faith. I remember telling the Lord, "I want a faith like that, whatever you have to do please bring me to a place of deeper faith in you". I would have never guessed that God's way of answering that prayer would be calling me and my family to exercise our faith by moving to the very place that prayer was prayed! 

Now we are just days away from making the big move, faith is what is fueling us forward. Certainly not faith in ourselves, because we know we can't do it on our own. Without the Lord behind us, pushing us forward, and in front of us, paving the way, this wouldn't be happening! But He is all around us, making this adventure possible for purposes not fully known to us. After all, it is not our job to know why He asks us to do these crazy things, it is only our job to walk in obedience through faith. "Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see" (Hebrews 11:1).

So as we count down to the day of departure (Monday!), please partner with us in diligently praying for all that is to come and all that has yet to take place before we leave... 

A few specifics:

• An extra measure of grace to sustain us through all the "good-bye's" and "see ya later's"- both for us and for those who will be missing us (or mostly Gabe!) 
• The remaining 25% of our financial support to come through and our car to sell
• Our big travel day on Monday- especially that Gabe would travel well! 
• For our new community at Caribbean Mountain Academy

May you experience the Lord's blessing as you exercise faith in your own lives, as you face your fears and feel those butterflies! - Jamie

Links

• Support us Financially

• Our Vision

• Find out more about Crosswinds

• Crosswinds Youtube Video's

Moving Mountains with Mustard Seeds

Pico Duarte is located near Jarabacoa, Dominican Republic.
 It is the tallest mountain in the Caribbean at 10,164 feet. 

Matthew 17:15-20
15 “Lord, have mercy on my son,” he said. “He has seizures and is suffering greatly. He often falls into the fire or into the water. 16 I brought him to your disciples, but they could not heal him.”

17 “You unbelieving and perverse generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me.” 18 Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed at that moment.

19 Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?” 20 He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”

First of all, how can a mountain be moved with only a mustard seed's worth of faith? I can imagine the disciples tiredly climbing up the mountain on one of their trips to Jerusalem, and jokingly telling the mountain to get out of the way. To truly understand what it means to move a mountain with a mustard seed we need to dig into the story. 

Jesus accuses His disciples and the gathered crowd of unbelief. They were lacking in faith. Perhaps the disciples didn't believe God was powerful enough to deliver this boy. I doubt it, since the disciples were firmly entrenched in Old Testament theology. They know Yahweh has all power to do all things. Most likely they disbelieved God's Holy Love. Did God truly want healing for this boy? Perhaps the boy's oppression was a result of his dad's sin? Is it God's will for little children under demonic oppression to experience freedom? In Jesus' earthly ministry, He was all about making the kingdom of heaven a present reality. Jesus claims that His life is the fulfillment of the prophet Isaiah's words, 

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me,

    because he has anointed me
    to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
    and recovery of sight for the blind..."  Luke 4:18-19

The ministry of Jesus is not only an affirmation that God is all-powerful, but that he is also all-loving. When we are encountered with a mountain standing in the way of the Gospel we can confidently ask the Lord for it to be moved. This past June, Jamie and I decided to step out in faith move our family to the Dominican Republic. We are confident that this is how we can best live out the Gospel message in our lives. There has been some smaller mountains standing in our way, but thanks to the prayers of friends and family God has cleared the path before us. Right now we have raised 55% of our financial support. We also know of several others who are planning to support us, and when they do we expect this number to go up to 80% or more before we depart on October 14th! 

We are excited to leave, but we believe our faith will be truly challenged once we are engaged in ministry. Thanks be to God that the One in us is greater than the one in the world. Please continue to pray that God will infill us with His Holy Spirit, that we would seek to listen to His direction and guidance. Thank you all for your prayers and support!

Links

• Support us Financially

• Our Vision

• Find out more about Crosswinds

• Crosswinds Youtube Video's

Life Update

       

 Thirty-four days and our family will be moving to the Dominican Republic! We have had many transitions this past month, of course the biggest one being the birth of our son, Gabriel Andrew Morley. Gabe is one month old today, and we are thankful to God for how well he has been doing. Almost two weeks ago Gabe had his first of many big traveling experiences. We moved from Marion, Indiana to Marysville, Ohio and are now living with Jamie's parents.
 
         This past Sunday Jamie and I were able to share at my home church, the Raymond CCCU, our passion and vision for working in the Dominican Republic. We are so thankful for the great generosity that was shown to us. Our family was prayed over, and also given a generous offering. We feel very blessed to have the Raymond church on our support team!

Praises

 We are very thankful that we have found two great homes for both of our dogs. June and Jazz now live with two different families. We pray that they will be a blessing for these families as much as they have been for us. Another praise is that we have been able to catch up with all of our family that lives in Ohio. We have raised 27% of our financial support, and know of several others who are going to support us. For everyone who is supporting us financially and prayerfully, you truly are apart of our ministry. When we go down to the DR and face different challenges, we will remember all the prayers that have already been said. We are grateful to all of you who are joining with us in this journey.

Prayers

• We are applying for a $3,000 dollar grant from The Grace Foundation. Pray that God will give us wisdom in sharing our mission with the trustees. 
• Our house in Marion still needs to sell. 
• Safe travels as we leave for Florida this Friday to visit friends and family. 
• Pray that God would provide the remaining 73% of our financial support, and that we would be faithful in seeking it out.

Grace Peace and Love to you all,

Matthew, Jamie and Gabe


Support Us Financially

Team Morley is growing!

We are proud to introduce you to our newest addition :) More photos and updates to come... but our deepest thanks to all of you who prayed over the delivery of our precious baby boy. It went so smoothly and both momma and baby are doing extremely well!! 

Make an announcement

Tour de Dominican Republic

Join with us in visualizing a journey to the Dominican Republic. Here are some photos and interesting facts to help!

Getting to the DR is not as hard as you would think! 

Welcome to the Dominican Republic! It's only a short drive until you are in...

The beautiful bustling city of Jarabacoa.
Next stop: Caribbean Mountain Academy... 

You have arrived! Campus is less than 10 minutes from town, but as you can see, you are already in the Caribbean countryside :) 

From campus, you can see the city... but it is far enough away that all you can hear are the buzzing of insects and cock-a-doodle's of roosters!

Last but not least, here is a video that not only captures the heart of what we do at CMA, but also shows you glimpses of Jarabacoa, the Dominican, as well as campus:

For more pictures, click here for another slideshow video that provides a "campus tour"! 

Hope you enjoyed the "Tour de Dominican Republic" and feel a little bit more familiar with where we will be living in just a few short months!

Our Vision!

As a family centered on Christ, it is our calling to follow Jesus.  Wherever Jesus went He sought to make the Father’s kingdom a reality on earth. We will strive to build His kingdom wherever we go by living out of full surrender to God who freely gives us all we need. Out of His overflowing provision of love, and through the empowerment of the Holy Spirit, will come our ministry to each other and to the world. 
 

So What?

Jamie and I have been praying and talking about how we can truly live out this mission. How will this actually affect our lives in the Dominican Republic and beyond? For myself (Matthew), I see how God will use me in three different ways to build His kingdom. First, it is my role to shepherd the youth at the Crosswinds Caribbean Mountain Academy (CMA) by making disciples (see Mat. 28:19). I will do this by having two weekly youth-group meetings, setting up 1-on-1's, and doing whatever else I can to partner with them in their spiritual growth. 
Secondly, I will seek to empower the students, CMA staff, and our mission/outreach teams to minister and serve the Dominican people. For us the heart of understanding intercultural ministry is incarnational ministry. God the Son took on human flesh, walked among us, and vividly revealed to us the loving heart of our Father. Following Christ's example I will need to "take on" the Dominican culture and find out how I can express the love of the Father in their language (...Spanish), while empowering others to do the same. 

CMA Chapel - where we have morning devotionals
and our Sunday morning service

This past spring I was the recipient of the preaching award at my alma mater, Indiana Wesleyan University. Rev. Dave Ward personally charged me to "fan into flame the gift of God," specifically, the gift of preaching. This is the third way in which I will seek God's kingdom. I will be involved in the Sunday preaching rotation, leading daily morning devotionals, along with the weekly youth lessons. I will also be taking one online class per semester through Asbury Theological Seminary. My desire is to grow in my ability to obediently present the Word of God to His people. 

What We Need

Crosswinds will be providing our family with housing and health insurance, but we will need to raise our support for our other expenses such as: food, car, baby-supplies, phones, education, and travel. We are hoping to stay for 3 years, and have figured out that we will need five people to support us $100 per month, ten people at $50 per month, and fifteen people at $25 per month. We are boldly praying that God will financially provide for us through His Church! Oh... and it is our goal to have all of this raised by October. Yes, this task does seem a little daunting, but we are excited to see how God is going to use you, our sister or brother in Christ to meet this need. We want you to have the opportunity to share in our vision of bringing God's Kingdom near in the Dominican Republic. If you would like to support us monthly or make a one-time tax-deductible gift you can by clicking here, filling out the form, and selecting Morley under the Staff Support tab. 

Prayer Requests

"Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus." 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

• We are 25 days and counting from our due date! Pray for a healthy Mom and baby!
• Selling our house in Marion, Indiana
• Finding a new home for our two dogs :(
• Raising all our financial support by October!

Love Matthew, Jamie, and our soon-to-be born Baby

Links

• Support us Financially

• Our Vision

• Find out more about Crosswinds

• Crosswinds Youtube Video's

God's Call To The Dominican Republic

At the beginning of 2013, Jamie and I were almost certain that our next step after my graduation from Indiana Wesleyan University, was to continue my education at Asbury Seminary in Kentucky. As many of you already know, God sometimes leads in unexpected directions. This past February, Jamie took a mission opportunity from her work, Lifeline Youth and Family Services, to go down to the Dominican Republic and serve at their recently acquired residential center for troubled American youth, Caribbean Mountain Academy (CMA). While Jamie was there, many of the staff said they could see her coming back to serve at CMA. Jamie considered the idea, but figured I could never be convinced to give up my plans for seminary. She prayed that if God wanted us to come down, He would change my heart without her having to do any convincing. At one point during her stay we were able to have a video call. I was amazed by how vibrant and alive Jamie seemed to be. I remember thinking how much I wanted her to always be in a place where she is able to serve in ways that God has made her passionate.

God Changing My Heart I believe that God has called me to be a pastor to the hurting Church of America. My greatest obstacle to accepting this call to ministry, was a competing passion for missions. Jamie and I support a missionary couple in the Amazon rain forest, and I have never been able to get through one of their newsletters without crying. For my entire life I have always been moved like this when I encounter people who are willing to give up almost everything in order to bring the Gospel to the lost. For the longest time I have tried to suppress this God-given passion in an attempt to obey my call to ministry. What I have now come to realize is the reason for this passion. God has made me passionate about going where the Gospel is not, in order to empower Christians who might be unwilling to go. Kingdom Building... Yes, I believe I am still called to be a Pastor in the States, but I see that God has given both me and Jamie this opportunity to teach us how we can more effectively fulfill our calling for when He directs us back to the U.S. Our desire is for everything we do, to have a part in building God's kingdom here on earth. Whether that is working on our marriage or discipling youth at the CMA in Jarabacoa, Dominican Republic. Our greatest need right now is your prayers. We are both trusting in God to bring together the many loose ends that need to be tied up before we can leave. In our next post we will give more details on exactly what we will be doing in the Dominican, and what needs to happen before we can leave.  Love Matthew, Jamie, and our soon-to-be born Baby