We live in interesting times; it seems that much of what we have known as “normal” is no longer. While many battle massive wildfires, others deal with hurricanes and mass flooding. The COVID-19 pandemic continues to grip many in our world with fear of leaving their homes, while others seem fearless and almost reckless with how they live life. Social and societal unrest leads to violent clashes where there are no winners—only victims.

It has been said that purpose is the reason you journey, passion is the fire that lights the way. In this Messenger, you will read the story of Stephanie and Ezra, a mother and her son on a journey together. You will learn about Terry Wilkins, a loving husband and father (and housefather) that committed his life to ministry. You will see that our International ministry took its first trip to the Dominican Republic since COVID-19 halted those trips from occurring. You will see, as an organization, our purpose and our passion are not and have not been compromised. For an organization to stay true to these ideals, we must have a team of people called by God to do His work. I truly stand amazed at our counselors, houseparents, resident coordinators, caseworkers, directors, administrative assistants, vice presidents and so many others that live out their faith in the ministry they are called to.

We are all on a journey. As we look back to the past, we see journeys full of twists and turns, many of which we could not understand while we were in the middle of them. We can remember the proverbial fires and hurricanes that we survived. We can see clearly how the Good Lord protected, provided and taught us when we were at our lowest. But we must also look to the future; yes, there will be obstacles, but we must also see the opportunities. 

What great opportunities await us! I am so very excited to see what God has in store for us here at STCH Ministries. Since 1952 we have “journeyed” down the path that God set before us. That path has been one that was not always easy, but we stayed true to God’s call on us as a ministry. The reason for the journey is our mission: to honor God, to reach hurting children and families with His love and truth and to enable others to join us in this ministry. 

Thank you so much for taking time to read our Messenger, and thank you for your faithful support and generosity. I hope and pray that we all seek God’s direction wholeheartedly and live out an enthusiastic life as we journey together!

Jeremiah 29:11

I know the plans that I have for you, declares the Lord. They are plans for peace and not disaster, plans to give you a future filled with hope.

And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” Acts 2:38-39 ESV

July 9, 2020, was a day of celebration on the STCH Ministries Homes for Children campus. Six students from Boothe Campus and one student from a local church stood together and outwardly professed faith through baptism. These decisions came after years of support and prayers from their communities. Each student recognized what it meant to be baptized at Homes for Children in front of the people that continuously loved, supported and prayed for them. Here are their stories.

CHRISTOPHER’S STORY
Over the years, Christopher’s walk with Christ developed through church, Vacation Bible School, camp, Disciple Now and the leadership of his houseparents and others on the campus. The unconditional love his houseparents showed him and others in his cottage exemplified Christ’s love for Christopher. While attending Disciple Now 2020, Christopher made the decision to surrender his life and profess faith in God. He remembers the moment, saying, “I was shaking, and I just felt different.” A leader at the event helped him open his heart to Christ, and he felt a true, life change in that moment.

Christopher wanted to show everyone that his life had changed. The opportunity to be baptized on campus in front of friends and mentors was special to him. Since giving his life to Christ, Christopher feels different. Despite his young age, he knows that he can be an example to others. Christopher is working to become more respectful and caring toward those around him. He prays that he will continue to grow in his relationship with Jesus and be a leader within his community.

COLBY’S STORY
Colby’s walk with Christ began before coming to Boothe Campus. He attended church with his grandparents and loved listening to the pastor’s sermons. When Colby arrived at Homes for Children, he started growing closer to God and took steps toward deepening his relationship with God. He engaged in a weekly Bible study with one of the summer interns, learning verses that spoke directly to his current situation and experiences. Colby felt his faith maturing and decided to rededicate his life to Christ and follow through in baptism in front of friends and mentors who supported his journey.

As the summer progressed, Colby was ready to take this next step. He recalled his houseparents’ reaction to the decision, saying, “They were excited. They were proud of me because they knew I stepped over the line of faith with Christ.” The opportunity to be baptized in front of people who care about him made the occasion memorable. “God has a plan for me,” Colby emphasizes. Being surrounded by people that want to see him succeed helps Colby face the difficult days and makes the good days even better.

MOEMOE’S STORY
Recent graduate, Kimani (MoeMoe), grew in his understanding of the gospel while at summer camp with Homes for Children in 2019. During worship one evening, he became overwhelmed by the Holy Spirit and started crying. “I heard someone say, ‘I’m watching over you every day, all the time,’” MoeMoe remembers. His housedad approached and prayed with him. MoeMoe quickly turned around, and they embraced in a hug. In that moment, he was not fully ready to surrender his life to Christ, but God continued to work on his heart.

The following year, MoeMoe continued in conversation with the adults at Boothe Campus about Christianity. He attended Bible studies and built a foundation to fully open his heart to God. At the end of the 2020 school year, he fully surrendered his life to Christ and prayed to become a Christian. He wanted to make an outward declaration of the internal decision and asked to be baptized. MoeMoe shares, “Everybody at STCH Ministries played a big part in my life leading me to Christ. It meant everything for me to be baptized here.” He knows that as he moves forward, the decision he made to accept Christ will change his life for the better.

JOSH’S STORY
Josh lived at Boothe Campus until he graduated in 2018. Before coming to STCH Ministries, some of his friends invited him to church, and he started attending the youth group. At this point in his life, Josh had never heard the gospel. Attending church became something that Josh looked forward to, and he started to learn what it meant to be a Christian. One night at a special worship service, he prayed to accept Jesus into his heart. A few months later, Josh and his siblings moved to Boothe Campus. “That’s when my relationship with Christ really started to grow. Here you have all these leaders that genuinely want you to have a relationship with Christ and want you to grow in your faith,” Josh recalls. During the three years he lived at Homes for Children, his relationship with Christ evolved.

Josh is now a leader within the Baptist Student Ministry at college, and he works to help others grow in their faith. During the summers, he either works at Camp Zephyr, a Baptist encampment, or stays at Boothe Campus to mentor children. When Josh heard about the baptisms on campus, he felt called to take the next step in his faith. “STCH Ministries is basically home for me, so growing in my faith and walk with Christ just made it complete to be baptized there as well,” Josh said. He looks forward to helping others in their spiritual walks just like so many did for him.

C.J.’S STORY
C.J., another STCH Ministries alumni, believes he would not have found God without the relationships he built while living at Boothe Campus. When C.J. first arrived at Homes for Children, he struggled to navigate the complexities of his life. He rejected God and did not feel like he needed a Savior. As the weeks progressed, C.J. opened up to those around him and encountered Christ. Deray, another student on the campus, talked with C.J. about the Christian life. One night, Deray asked what was holding him back, and C.J. shared that he did not know how to become a Christian. In that moment, Deray led him in the prayer to surrender his life to Christ, and C.J.’s life changed forever. “It was so beautiful. It was gorgeous, and I have to give it all to God. God gave Deray the strength and courage to help guide me through the prayer,” C.J. shares.

After giving his life to Christ, C.J.’s life changed for the better, gaining hope to face each day. He knows that even when he messes up, God forgives him. “He says that ‘I am here for you.’ That’s the most beautiful thing that God has ever done for us,” C.J. exclaims. C.J. wanted to share his decision with others to demonstrate how far he had come. He was ready to get baptized and knew the best place to experience this was at Boothe Campus. In front of his friends and family, he shared his love for Christ and truly surrendered it all. Following the transformation in his own life, he decided to share his newfound hope and joy with his younger brother, Ian. Little did he know the impact it would have.

IAN’S STORY
Much like his brother, Ian never thought he needed God. When they first arrived at Boothe Campus, he made fun of the children who believed. He wanted to do life on his own. When given the choice, Ian decided to move back home with his family instead of staying at Homes for Children. He thought his life would be better there. As his happiness slipped away, he became angry. This is when he decided to move back to Boothe Campus. Before leaving for Boothe Campus, C.J. talked to him about how God changed his life. Ian listened and realized that he needed Jesus.

After being back on the campus for a few months, Ian decided to talk to some of the housedads about a relationship with Christ. He looked forward to going to church and learning more about becoming a Christian. One day, he approached a housedad about giving his life to Christ. The housedad led him in the prayer to accept Jesus into his heart. Ian wanted to get baptized right away at Boothe Campus and share his decision with those around him. Knowing that his brother was going to be baptized at the same time made the moment even better. “As I prayed the prayer, I felt this cold breeze, and my body just lit up. When I was baptized, I felt the same thing. It was amazing,” Ian said.

While each story can stand alone as a distinct and unique experience, the through-line is the involvement of a mentor. Mentors walk alongside students and discuss what it means to fully surrender their lives – the initial prayer through the outward profession. STCH Ministries is thankful for the houseparents, interns, staff, other children and local pastors that feed into the lives of the students at Boothe Campus. Ultimately, we give all the glory to God for working in the lives of the children that we serve. We know that His plans are greater, and we pray for each of these students as they continue to walk with the Lord.

In early March 2020, we said sweet goodbyes to our Dominican family. We expected to return in a few weeks for summer mission trips. We had no premonition that the COVID-19 devastation lurked around the corner. At first, we held our breath, certain that life would shortly return to normal. 

Gradually, reality burst our idealistic bubble. The United States locked down. The Dominican Republic locked down a few weeks later as COVID-19 spread like wildfire from the resorts and airports. Airlines cancelled all flights. There would be no summer 2020 mission trips. Long-awaited projects at orphanages and Christian schools were frozen. Hopes for new sponsorships, needs for beds for children, training and supplies for teachers, evangelism and discipleship opportunities—all cancelled. Caught in the same whirlwind of fear and confusion that swirled around all of us here in the United States, our Dominican partners faced overwhelming needs and cries for help. Without the support of mission teams, there were no extra resources. No hands and feet to help. No physical presence with words of cheer and inspiration.

“The Ministry Continues,” became a rallying cry beginning with Eron Green, STCH Ministries CEO. Holding high the banner of faith in God’s promises, we prayed, “God use us. Direct our steps.” The Dominican government mandated a total lockdown, which prevented most of the population from working. The government also lacked resources to provide any kind of income or social services. The priority became, “Feed our children, families and ministry partners.” Our staff on both sides of the Caribbean rallied and worked together as a team. They developed innovative ways to address what became a crisis. From buying huge palettes of food from the Bravo grocery chain and storing it in the Koinonia mission housing, to scheduling families and delivering food safely to ministry sites while observing the required curfew. The safety of our staff and wise stewardship of resources were paramount. As we marched forward in faith, we experienced a miracle similar to the five loaves and fishes. God’s supply lines were already in place. Generous donors supplied the needed funds.

In August we sensed God’s leading to make a return mission trip to the Dominican Republic. COVID-19 numbers were abating. Boots-on-the-ground information from our Dominican partners indicated that we could safely make a trip to the Dominican Republic. Donated school supplies and backpacks had accumulated in our home office while equipment, replacement parts and other provisions were desperately needed. We wanted to encourage our staff and partners by participating with them in feeding families, building beds and assisting directors and teachers with distance learning. Importantly, we also sought to determine if mission teams using face masks and appropriate distancing could safely and effectively do ministry. We sent out an invitation for a Mercy Mission Trip to the Dominican Republic.

The goals to deliver resources and share in ministries were safely accomplished! Twenty-five children’s beds were built. Thirty-five families received a packet of food. Twenty-two teachers and directors from our Christian schools received training. More than two-hundred and fifty backpacks filled with school supplies for the Samuel’s Fund sponsored children were delivered.

To determine how the Dominican partners felt about the mission week, and to hear from the trip participants, could I invite you to take an imaginary trip to the Upper Room at the IBQ Dominican mission site? It was the morning of the last day, and the ten trip participants with our Dominican partners gathered to worship and reflect on the experiences of the last four days. Pastor Rudy began,

We know God is faithful…God is great…because you are here. We didn’t think anyone would come. You are a gift, like a miracle. Thank you very, very much. The world changes, our lives change, our families change, everybody changes but God does not change. God is always the same. That is our hope. ‘Nothing is impossible with God.’ You increase our faith by coming on this mission trip. God bless you. Thank you for all.

Pastor Rudy then handed a verse to every team member and asked, “Why did you come on this trip? What has this trip meant to you? How did God speak to you?”

Dr. Francisco spoke up. He talked about his role as a doctor and that he considered the worst-case scenario when he knew a small mission team was coming. He communicated to our office that participants would have to wear face masks and strongly urged no comorbidities. Reflecting on the trip, Dr. Francisco concluded that we have to take precautions, but we also have to rely on God. 

We can do whatever we want, but it is God who is backing us up, who is in control. In this very moment, in anything we do in our lives, He is the one who says, “this is what is going to happen.”  Most people don’t want to come because they are afraid. They don’t want to get out. It took courage for you to come. But you are for us a beacon, showing us that even if there are obstacles, you still have to obey God.

Our other Dominican partners added their thoughts.

Thank you for coming. We didn’t think we would have a mission team to help us during this time. I’m glad we have the God that we have. We know we can trust Him in every circumstance. That is our greatest hope.

Through this coronavirus crisis, we have learned to trust God’s Word. We know that it doesn’t matter the situation, doesn’t matter how hard it is, He will always be there. God will continue to do great things through us. The best thing is—you hear the voice of the Lord; you obey and take action. That’s the important thing to the Lord.

Tina is a schoolteacher who has been on several past mission trips. She spoke about the pervasive fear in the world. She shared that when she received the mission trip invitation, she immediately heard, “Go!” Then she thought about her job, her family. She read on the internet the U.S. embassy recommendation not to travel. She sat on the back porch and read Psalm 91. She recounted the experience:

I heard a voice. “Do you trust me?” A scene flashed across my mind from the movie, Aladdin. Aladdin flew on his magic carpet, held out his hand and invited Jasmine to go with him, saying, “Do you trust me?” I pictured the carpet, and I thought, “That’s the thing. You are stepping out on that carpet, hoping God will hold you up.” For me, that hope was my faith. Of course, I have the fear…but, can I trust Him? At that moment I knew if I didn’t go, I would be missing out on the blessing.

Becky is a pharmacist, and most days she works in air-conditioning with a great team. She remembered that when COVID-19 hit, everyone was terrified in spite of masks and shields. She would have patients hold their prescriptions up to the window because she feared to touch them. But God spoke to her heart about this mission trip. Her college-senior daughter was available to come, and they had really missed the opportunity to serve last summer. She responded, “I will serve doing anything I can do to help.” In the Dominican construction yard, she sweated and got so covered in sawdust that she was almost unrecognizable. But as she hammered, screwed, sawed and sanded those twenty-five beds for children, she said, “I knew I was right where God wanted me.” Becky’s daughter nodded, “What’s the difference between going to the grocery store and coming here? Besides, I felt we did so much more than we did the last time we came.”

Tania is one of our front-line workers. As a nurse, her potential COVID-19 exposure is greater than most. However, she shared that fear was never a consideration for her.

I had a rough beginning during my teens, and I could have been dead a long time ago. But God had a purpose for my life. Because of the COVID-19 fear, all the ministries where I usually help in the United States had been stopped. So, I prayed, “I want to serve you, God. What am I supposed to do?” When the email invitation came for the Mercy Mission Trip, I knew that was for me. Jehovah is my provider, my comfort, my protector. So, whatever He called me to do, I needed to trust. Just get up and go. He would provide. He would protect.

Jeny, a STCH Ministries employee out of Houston, her husband, David, and high school senior, Noah, came as a family. David asserted that others tried to impose their fear on them. They prayed strongly as a family and felt the shield of the Lord was around them. 

We had to serve. We needed to be Jesus’ hands and feet. We determined that whatever others said to us was not going to get into our hearts and minds. And we prayed that God would give us the strength. I’m glad that we were able to live out God’s Living Word—’Go! Be my hands and feet.’ That’s why we are here. And that’s what we did.”

Jeny emphasized that for believers, it is about finding our truth in the Bible. We need to seek God’s wisdom, not the world’s perspective. When we trust God and follow His Word, we are not normal. We are not supposed to be normal. Jeny went on to say, “I expected my usual trip to the Dominican Republic. I knew STCH Ministries was not going to put us in danger. Joanna or Mark would not say, ‘It’s dangerous, but come on in!’” The mission team group laughed in agreement as Jeny concluded,

I got out of this trip just what I expected. I expected to see our Dominican family. I expected to see smiles on them. I expected to be filled up with joy and love. I expected God would provide, and He has. And that’s what we have received. We haven’t been working as intensely, but it’s been great. It’s been refreshing. We have gotten to spend more time with our own family and with our Dominican family. It’s been an amazing blessing.

Summer 2020 did not look like the summer we had planned. Life often happens that way for all of us. But God still has a plan and will use us in Kingdom work. In the midst of adversity, God used STCH Ministries to touch countless lives in new and innovative ways. We came together as a team with our Dominican partners in ways we had never thought possible. The participants on the Mercy Mission trip stepped out in faith—their own magic carpet of hope—and traveled in spite of the COVID-19 virus for the opportunity to change lives and meet needs. We are optimistic for what the future holds in the next few months and as we head into 2021. Circumstances and plans often change. We know God is always the same, for “Nothing is impossible with God.” Luke 1:37