The VandeLinde Family

Ryan, Erin, and Micah

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Welcome to the EDCM website! We are glad you are here and we hope that this website provides the information you need to see how God is working through EDCM in the Eastern part of the Dominican Republic. My wife and I are very excited that God has opened the door for our family to join EDCM.

My wife and I have desired to serve God in cross-cultural ministries since we were teenagers. God has faithfully fueled that passion with short-term mission trips and ministries within our own communities. Since my graduation from Johnson Bible College, I have served as the minister to youth at New Hope Christian Church in Roanoke, Virginia. That ministry opportunity has blessed me as I encouraged the youth of the congregation to grow spiritually while being surrounded by a body of believers that also encouraged our spiritual growth. After the birth of our son in 2006, Erin devotes most of her time to raising Micah. However, she works part time outside of the home as a birth doula and parent educator with expecting families and families with new babies. She is passionate about supporting healthy, happy families and feels it is an honor to be able to minister to families as they welcome a new babies into the world. Through our ministries, God has given us the opportunity to grow in our knowledge and experience as He has prepared our hearts and minds for full-time missionary work.

We have prayerfully sought God’s guidance in seeking a cross-cultural ministry where God can ignite our hearts as we use the gifts He has given us. As an answer to our prayers, God has opened doors for us to serve as a part of Eastern Dominican Christian Mission.

While we would love to immediately begin our ministry as a part of Eastern Dominican Christian Mission, we feel that it is essential to be able to communicate directly with the people of the Dominican Republic to be able to help plant churches. As a result, we intend to begin our full-time service as students at the Spanish Language Institute in Costa Rica (January 2009). For approximately one year, we will participate in a Spanish immersion program while living in a Spanish speaking country to help prepare us for our work in the Dominican Republic. During this time, our son will attend a preschool program that will also help him prepare for the transition to a new culture and language.

Upon graduation, (December 2009) we intend to relocate our family to the Dominican Republic to join up with God’s ministry already in progress. God has given us an incredible gift in allowing us to work along with Rick and Suzanne. We intend to garnish as much knowledge from their decades of experience, as we hope to offer our own gifts and ability to serve the people of the Dominican Republic.

Thank you for taking time to get to know our family a little better. We are honored and excited to be a part of what God is doing through EDCM and we would love for you to partner with us. Feel free to browse the rest of the website or email us for further information.

The VandeLinde Family
Ryan, Erin, and Micah
ryanvandelinde@hotmail.com