Easter Blessings and Board of Directors Announcement

Happy Easter dear friends of the Divine Mercy Retreat Center! We pray your Easter season and Divine Mercy Sunday have been beautiful and holy, peace-filled days!

Our first Easter blessings is here! We are overjoyed to announce that Fr. Roy Oggero, CSB has joined the Board of Directors of the Divine Mercy Retreat Center!

We've asked that Fr. Roy continue to pray for us & this mission and serve as "spiritual director" for the Board. (Exactly what he's been doing all along with David, Michaela and I on this holy project ~ even long before we formed the non-profit corp last December!)

Welcome Beloved, Fr. Roy! And thank you, Jesus!!!

Abundant Easter graces and tender mercies on us all ~ and on the whole world ~

~ Andrea, David & Michaela, Founding Family

WE HAVE LANDED

The Landing Page for the Divine Mercy Retreat Center website is now LIVE on the world wide web!

The DMRC can now take online donations through our website! And, you can also send us your contact information to stay up-to-date on our progress.

Our Lord is continuing to move this project forward in wonderful and often times miraculous ways! Here's the weblink:  www.divinemercyretreatcenter.org

In case you have not heard the recent good news, the IRS already approved the Divine Mercy Retreat Center as a 501(c)3 tax exempt, charitable organization! The government granted 501(c)3 status within 13 days of application. Totally unheard of! Thank you, Jesus!!!

We're excited to see your financial support through the online site! All donations are tax deductible and your information is secure and confidential. Please also help us spread the word and share the website:  www.divinemercyretreatcenter.org  The full, working site is under construction with our creative partnership team and will launch in another 7-8 weeks.

Thank you so much for your generous support and continued prayers! The Holy Spirit is moving!

Blessings & mercy be yours ~

Andrea Barta, Founding Family

BIG NEWS!

Dear Friends,

Praise Report!  . . .Y'all told me Jesus would "run fast" with this project. I just didn't know HE was going to sprint the whole way! Praise HIM!!!

Hold on. . . here goes. . .

1. DESIGN

Effective this past Thursday, January 28, 2016, we officially entered into the creative partnership with D'Ambrosio Creative! Work begins this week and it's approx. a 2 month process ~ with lots to be produced and accomplished!

2. 501(c)(3)

Effective this past Friday, January 29, 2016, our CPA, Noel Mascarenhas, officially completed and filed for our 501(c)3 tax exempt status with the IRS. BE PRAYING CONSTANTLY ABOUT THIS!! Noel advised it might be 7 months to get a response. I'm begging Jesus to get this done for His DMRC in just 3-4 months.

3. Business CARDS

Also this past Friday, DMRC business cards went to print! We are spreading the Divine Mercy message by having Jesus' image on the beautiful business card ~ in English and Spanish. Jesus promised graces even to those who look lovingly and ponder upon His image.

4. DIVINE MERCY CONFERENCE

Effective Sunday, January 31, 2016, Sally Flowers with the Archdiocesan Divine Mercy Ministry Team has agreed to let us announce the Divine Mercy Retreat Center at the "Divine Mercy Rays of Enlightenment Conference" held at Christ, the Redeemer Church on March 12, 2016 with approx. 300 attendees!

I'm still overwhelmed at how fast this is moving. Please pray for me and David, too! So, dear friends. . . take your vitamins and do your push-ups! ;) St. Paul, pray for us to have the stamina to run the race and finish well as you did!!

THANK YOU, JESUS and MARY, FOR YOUR MANY GRACES AND BLESSINGS!!!

Andrea and David Barta

WE are a go!

Hello Dear Friends!

We have some glorious news to share with you!

For about 9 months now, David, Michaela and I have been praying and fasting and praying and discerning and working and praying and praying some more. . . about a dream and desire to build a Retreat Center and Catholic Christian Family Camp consecrated to Our Lord in HIS Divine Mercy and to the Blessed Mother!

Last week on Tuesday, the opening day of the Jubilee Year of Mercy proclaimed by Pope Francis and on Our Lady's Feast Day of Her Immaculate Conception, our new non-profit business, the "Divine Mercy Retreat Center", was formally approved with the State of Texas! We are official, we have formed a Board and we are moving forward! The Lord had been opening door after door. It has been AMAZING and we are overwhelmed at HIS goodness and mercy!!!

The next steps

Since everyone asks!

Spiritually

We are discerning where Our Lord wants HIS Divine Mercy Retreat Center. This is HIS Retreat Center (not the "David and Andrea Retreat Center". It is HIS!) and we know HE has ordained this and has picked-out the land and has it waiting for us to develop/build for HIM. We have our eyes on 2 potential, country acreage properties ~ and, ideally we hope to have 50-100+ acres or even 100-200+ acres. But, we are still open to and praying about whatever presents itself! Call me if you have land and want to talk about it!

Legally

Our amazing CPA, Mr. Noel Mascarenhas, is continuing to work on the final version of the Bylaws and Resolutions for the non-profit corporation. We have already obtained our EIN number and domain names (professional web design to hopefully begin in early 2016), and we are preparing to begin working with donors very soon. Per the professional recommendation of the CPA, we need a list of donors to submit with our 501(c) 3 filing. All Donations ~even in amounts of just $5 to $1000 are helpful to bolster our final approval with the IRS. Checks are made out to: Divine Mercy Retreat Center. You will receive a letter of donation and it is tax-deductible per our CPA.

And "yes", all of this info can be shared publicly now! Fr. Drew, our pastor at St. Laurence, fully knows about our plans and gave us his blessing several months ago! Thank you, Jesus!!! Feel free to spread the good news with anyone you know who might want to help make this a reality! And, please, please keep this holy endeavor in your prayers!

We have lots of hard work ahead of us. But, nothing is impossible with God! The Divine Mercy Retreat Center and Catholic Christian Family Camp are going to be beautiful, natural, welcoming, hospitable, holy places of great love and mercy and healing for God's people, for married couples, for children and for families! All for the Glory of God!!

Jesus, we trust in You!

The Bartas ~ David, Andrea and Michaela