“Drop a pebble in the water: just a splash, and it is gone;

But there’s half-a-hundred ripples circling on and on and on,

Spreading, spreading from the center, flowing on out to the sea.

And there is no way of telling where the end is going to be.”

– James W Foley

A MOMENT IN TIME, an action by one person can change the trajectory of a life and cause a ripple effect, much like a pebble in the water, with the lasting impact unseen. For Christina, a moment in October 1994 changed her life forever, but the impact would span decades to reach multiple lives, families and generations to come.

From a young age, Christina faced many difficult situations. Child Protective Services separated her and her four younger sisters from their parents. After spending years moving from foster home to foster home, the state legally terminated Christina’s parents’ rights to all of their children. The girls were then given a big decision to make, go to their aunt’s home in Ohio or remain within the foster care system in Texas. Christina, age 16 at the time, asked if she could stay in Texas even if that meant moving to a different home, away from her sisters. After making this difficult decision, Christina was told she would move to STCH Ministries Homes for Children.

While driving out to Boothe Campus in Pettus, Texas, Christina realized how remote the campus was and how it felt like they were putting her in the middle of nowhere to keep her out of trouble. However, as they pulled onto the campus, her thoughts shifted. “I remember pulling up and thinking, ‘Wow! This is beautiful.’ But I was still apprehensive. This was much nicer than any home I ever lived in,” Christina recalled. Upon her arrival, she moved into Faith Cottage with her houseparents, the Thompsons. Christina instantly felt welcome in her new home, but she still had fears and reservations.

Once settled in, Christina started to let her guard down, she recognized no matter what, she was going to remain at Homes for Children. “I realized I could either be happy about being here or I could be grumpy about being here. And if I am grumpy about being here then I am just making everybody’s life really bad,” Christina shared. As time went on, Christina observed as her houseparents handled situations in the cottage with love, and she watched as they prayed before every meal and again in the evenings. She noticed something different about them and wanted to see the difference in herself. After much prayer and conversation, Christina chose to give her life to Christ and was baptized at New Life Church in Beeville. Her life was now marked with new meaning.

After her baptism, Christina considered how she could change herself to reflect Christ but not change herself so much that she became unrecognizable. Sports and friends were important parts of her life and, at that time, priorities. Although finding a balance between her existing life and new faith was a challenge, Christina found a way to juggle both in a way that glorified God and reflected Jesus through her actions. Although she did not engage in personal Bible studies, she cherished the cottage devotionals her houseparents led. As Christina matured, she realized the importance of studying the Bible as a household. Even in the moments when she swayed from God, she found peace in these practices that were instilled in her; she even incorporates these devotional times with her family to this day.

In May 1996, Christina graduated from Pettus High School and started the next chapter of her life. She moved to Corpus Christi and began attending Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. There she studied psychology with plans of opening her own counseling practice to counsel foster youth. While in school, she met her husband, Jerome. Eager to begin their lives together, they were married only a few days after graduation. Christina often reminisces about how important it was to her that her housepop from Homes for Children walked her down the aisle at their wedding; even after leaving Boothe Campus the relationship between Christina and her houseparents continued to deepen.

Shortly after their wedding, Christina and Jerome found out they were expecting! Christina was elated to start a family of her own where she could hand down the love she received while at Homes for Children. It was important to both Christina and Jerome to share with their children not only the love they have for them but also the unconditional love that Christ has for them.

After starting a family, Christina continued her education at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi and received her master’s degree in counseling. Soon after finishing her counseling certification hours, Christina realized that counseling was not the path God was calling her down, and in turn, she started working for Lutheran Family Services in Corpus Christi as the director of the Preparation for Adult Living Program for foster youth. A few years later, Christina and her family moved to San Antonio where she started working for Alamo Colleges. This became a great way for her to impact the lives of foster youth in their next stage of life. Through this process, she decided she wanted to further pursue her own higher education and began attending Lamar University. In August 2023, Christina received her doctorate degree in educational leadership.

Today, Christina is the Director of Alamo Colleges District Welcome Center and District-Wide Onboarding. She and Jerome have three beautiful children: a son and two daughters, and faithfully attend and serve at Journey Church in San Antonio. Christina uses her past experiences to speak to children in foster care and those who have aged out of the system. She frequently shares with them that their circumstances do not define who they are or who they will become. She recognizes that much of her success in life is due to the life change she experienced while at Homes for Children and the relationship she built with Christ; she strives to enact the same change within the lives of foster youth that she encounters every day. “I wouldn’t be where I am today without my houseparents. I would say that that came from the Biblical principles which STCH Ministries fostered to create a solid foundation for who I am,” Christina shared.

Christina does not share her story seeking accolades, rather she shares it to bring light to what the impact one pebble dropped in the water can have. In Christina’s own words, “I really want people to understand the impact of what they’ve done to change a life because they didn’t change one life, they changed my husband’s life, they changed my kids’ lives, they’ve changed lives of people I’ve interacted with, and they’re going to continue to change people’s lives. Thank you to the staff at STCH Ministries. Thank you to my houseparents. Thank you to the people that donated to make sure we could function, and we could have the commissary. You didn’t realize the lives that you’ve changed due to that one little pebble that you dropped.”

Throughout her childhood, Christina faced many decisions that could have drastically changed the trajectory of her life. She thanks God for placing her on Boothe Campus because, as she explains, in one of the roughest moments of her life she received the greatest blessing.

Christina is still very close with her houseparents, whom she calls “Mom and Pop,” as well as her Child Protective Services caseworker. Christina thanks the three of them for believing in her, supporting her and pushing her to be the best she can be; she will never stop sharing her story and reminding people that what you do today can impact someone for generations to come.

IN THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, north of the capital city of Santo Domingo, over 900 congregants meet at the Quisqueyana Baptist Church each Sunday and celebrate their risen Lord with joyful songs of praise. During the Bible study hour, the hard, wooden benches are circled into individual classes. Although the cacophony of voices would deafen American ears, they have learned to focus on the voices of their teachers. Together, they learn and grow as disciples. Their pastor, Jacinto de la Cruz (Rudy), lives close by in a beautiful two-story home, while additional buildings on the property provide a large kitchen and dining room, plus the Children’s Ministry Building, a three-story educational facility.

It was not always that way. Rudy has known defeat and deprivation, trusting God for daily bread. At one time, he lived with his family of four in one room of a wooden chapel, without water or a bathroom. Surrounded by these difficult circumstances, perhaps ridiculed by peers, he founded the Quisqueyana Baptist Church (IBQ) in 1998.

In 2006, a family connection with pioneer Baptist work which originally began in 1947, led STCH Ministries to this location. Since that time, the ministry of Pastor Rudy, the IBQ church and STCH Ministries have woven their common vision into a heart-tapestry of ministries to give children hope and a future. Motivated by his own life experiences, Pastor Rudy believes that today’s children soon become tomorrow’s young people and the adult leaders of the future.

He was only eight years old, the oldest of eleven children, living near the village of Hato Mayor, when he heard the Good News and accepted Christ, by faith, into his life. The only Christian in his family, he matured quickly and at the age of twelve, began teaching children’s Bible classes. He also took clarinet lessons, foreshadowing the impact of music on his future. By the time he graduated from high school, Rudy knew that God was calling him to full-time service. Leaving behind a future in business, he enrolled in a small Bible school founded by missionaries. In 1974, he was one of six students in his class to graduate. A year later he married Patria, who became his lifelong partner and staunchest ally in the ministry. God blessed them with two sons, Lemuel and Eliel.

After planting Hato Mayor, Rudy went on to develop and establish numerous churches throughout the southeastern part of the island — San Pedro de Macoris, Consuelo, La Romana, Bani and Cerros de Buena Vista, to name a few. With other co-laborers, he also founded the largest Baptist school on the island at that time.

After 14 years of ministry experience, he began the IBQ church with a specific vision:

1. Sharing the Gospel, beginning with children, and completing their families in Christ

2. Discipling believers

3. Preparing both men and women to carry on the work of the Kingdom, to hear and answer the call with, “Here am I. I will go.”

Pastor Rudy reflected, “I believe that my greatest strength is faith. I have been told that I am like Abraham because he obeyed, not knowing the future. I have observed that there are two kinds of faith: active and passive. Active faith takes action even when there is much that cannot be seen and known. Passive faith sits around and says, ‘I have faith,’ but until they can see and hold, they will not move forward.”

Earlier experiences in ministry had left Rudy wounded but still determined to pursue his calling. He began with an active outreach, visiting with people personally, door-to-door, sharing the Gospel. The work was slow and difficult. He held on to the promise, “With God, nothing is impossible.” God honored these faith steps and at this critical juncture, TIME missionaries Zeral and Dorretta Brown returned in 1992 to the Dominican Republic. Brown said, “Come on, let’s get to work.” They purchased undeveloped land on a credit card and joined the ministries of IBQ and TIME in their common calling to spread the Gospel. To this day, TIME continues constructing portable chapels and enabling church plants throughout the country.

Faithful to pursuing God’s vision to prepare men and women to serve, Rudy began the Berean Bible Institute in 1996 with a small class of seven adults, reminiscent of his own seemingly insignificant beginnings. It is an arduous commitment for four years, three hours every Sunday afternoon, before celebrating a graduation ceremony in full-scale regalia. Only then are the next class of students signed up. A total of 132 laborers for the Kingdom have graduated. The majority actively serve God either in IBQ or pastor their own ministries in various locations, as far away as Haiti.

In a recent interview, we asked Pastor Rudy about various aspects of the relationship between STCH Ministries and the IBQ church.

“For me, personally, STCH Ministries is a door that God opened in 2006 to spread the name of Christ and enlarge our ability to meet the needs of our growing congregation and the surrounding community. The benefits we have received are multiple.”

Rudy went on to explain that STCH Ministries methods coincide with the IBQ calling and vision. “They work by faith and seek to identify the needs of the local congregations and assist to find solutions. They use the resources that God has given them to share with the needy. For me, STCH Ministries is an example of love, servanthood and courage, as they leave behind the comforts of home for the purpose of serving Christ.” He continued, “I want to testify that if more groups were like STCH Ministries, we would have greater support to fulfill the Great Commission, spreading the Gospel throughout the world.”

In what specific ways has STCH Ministries amplified the ministry of IBQ church?

“They not only share the Word of God but also demonstrate the heart of Christ for His children in the midst of difficult circumstances, support outreach efforts like VBS classes, provide clothes, food and occasionally even toys, enable ministry to orphans—constructing facilities, providing beds, food and school supplies, as well as repairing and replacing dilapidated housing for families.

They have provided resources for our church like a desperately needed generator, and the construction of the Children’s Ministry Building.

They expand our outreach to the community through medical and dental services for individuals both within and outside of the church body, and beyond to other churches and schools.

Of special importance is the Samuel’s Fund sponsorship of our children, and the university scholarships provided by CLEP (Christian Leadership Educational Program). Hundreds of our children and young people have benefited from la mano amiga (the hand of a friend) to receive an education. Tutoring, ESL classes, teacher workshops and counseling for parents from STCH Ministries partners all assist children to realize God’s dream for their lives.”

On a personal level as a pastor, how does God meet your needs?

“My wife, Patria, is often my motor. God uses her to lift me up and remind me of who God is and His calling on my life.

STCH Ministries mission teams refresh me and my people, like wells in the desert. I remember one group who came in September 2021, towards the end of Covid. We were exhausted and discouraged, as rumors and fears swirled around our whole community. We couldn’t believe that a group would come during this chaotic period! Their example of love and courage lifted and renewed our spirits.

I also find encouragement from many pastors who accompany their groups. They support and renew our vision. They help to increase my faith through their messages. Many also share through the pastors’ conferences that STCH Ministries sponsors. I hear different perspectives and learn from others. We also discuss our common struggles and receive understanding and affirmation from our common bond.”

Pastors John Hall from Field Street Baptist Church in Cleburne, Brian Hill from First Baptist Church in Corpus Christi and Matt Singleton from FBC Kenedy shared their experiences.

“Pastor Rudy has a genuine love for God and for people. He carefully preaches and teaches the Word of God. He has invested himself in the men of his church, intentionally and systematically discipling them to continue the work of ministry within and outside the church. IBQ church experiences vibrant music and worship services on the Lord’s Day. This is a reflection in part of Pastor Rudy’s personality and energy. Pastor Rudy has persevered through some excruciatingly difficult times. It is uncommon for any pastor not to face adversity. Pastor Rudy has walked through a number of those times and remains filled with joy.” – John Hall

“I met Pastor Rudy for the first time in January of 2016. I remember vividly how impressed I was with his humble demeanor combined with a deep sense of calling and vision for God’s movement. That encounter birthed a friendship and brotherhood that has grown through the years. I am blessed to have the opportunity to know him and work with him in ministry.” – Brian Hill

“His warmth overcame any language barrier. God has used him mightily not only to share the gospel but also to disciple men and women for ministry. I am so grateful for the many ways Pastor Rudy has blessed me and my congregation.” – Matt Singleton

When asked what the most challenging part of pastoring people is, Pastor Rudy responded, “The most difficult part of serving God as a pastor, painful personally, is the lack of gratitude from some who abandon the work, lacking appreciation for all of the time invested in them.”

The majority of church members echo Maria Luisa who expressed, “I’m a single mom and he has always loved my son. Pastor Rudy and the IBQ church have changed my entire neighborhood of Los Almendros, who have come to know Christ through his influence and testimony. He never seems to get tired.”

Russell Jerez, deacon and leader at the church shared, “I met Pastor Rudy when I was 17 years old. It became clear to me that I wanted to emulate the kind of leadership Pastor Rudy was showing. He became the father figure I was lacking, mentored me and helped me with anger management. Who I am is due in large part to the influence he has had in my life. When we were going to have our third kid, we needed to move out of our house because of mold. Pastor Rudy helped us for over a year to pay rent for the new place. That is only one example of how caring and loving he has been to me and my family.”

We concluded the interview with the question, “What is your goal for the future?”

“My greatest desire is that God grants me the health to be able to keep on preaching until He calls me Home. And my dream, si Dios lo permite (if God permits), is to leave behind a comfortable auditorium with air conditioning that will reach many more souls for His Kingdom.”

STCH Ministries is forever thankful for the partnership with Pastor Rudy and IBQ. Will you join us in praying for the continued work God is doing in the Dominican Republic? For more information about STCH Ministries International and mission trips to the Dominican Republic and El Salvador visit, www.STCHM.org/international.

I hope today finds you well, thank you for taking the time to read through our Messenger! In this Messenger, you will read stories of great success from those we are called to serve. We all have a story and generally speaking, our families are a vital part of that story.

Our roles in our families vary from parent to grandparent, uncle to aunt, brother to sister and cousin to name a few. All these roles are important and should not be overlooked. The way we impact others is actually very simple, through our relationships with them in terms of quality time spent together. One of the stories shared in this Messenger is about Kisha; a mother with four children twelve years old and younger. Kisha had a cousin that went on an international mission trip with us and learned about our Homes for Families ministry. In this program, children and their mothers come into care together and stay together. This cousin then told Kisha and she eventually came into care with her beautiful children.

What if Kisha’s cousin had not gone to the Dominican Republic with us, what if he had not told Kisha about the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to get the help she so desperately needed? I cannot answer those questions, but what I do know is that he did. When we are obedient, God provides opportunities where He can help us help ourselves and it all started with a cousin’s obedience. Now, Kisha’s cousin is a vital part of the family legacy that is being created in such a positive way!

Austrian communication guru, Paul Watzlawick is well known for his statement, “you cannot, not communicate”. Simply put, everything we do or do not do communicates something about who we are and what we value. If I say I love my children, but I invest no time or energy into our relationship, my actions indicate something altogether different. This truth will be understood by my children through my actions. I was recently given a book that was written by Trudy Cathy White called “A Legacy that Lasts”. In her book, she details various ways in which we can all build a legacy with our families. One idea she shares pertains to developing your “core values” as a family. In other words, what does my family stand for, what makes us who we are?

A key factor in developing our families and the legacy that we all stand for is understanding our identity and our purpose. I believe God created each one of us with specific gifts, and He allows us to have certain experiences. Exploring, developing and implementing these gifts and understanding the reason for our experiences helps us to understand our purpose. If you are reading this struggling to understand your own purpose, I encourage you to go to a trusted confidant, a pastor, a friend or a family member and begin to have this practical conversation. The Lord uses His people, and He uses His Word to open doors that we might have never dreamed possible.

So many times, the people that are used to bring clarity and connection are members of our family. In Kisha’s case, it was a cousin that had her and her children on his heart and mind. What a blessing! I also want to encourage all of us to understand that we are creating a legacy of some sort in our families. Let us commit to having that legacy built on the one true Rock!

A good name is more desirable than great riches – Proverbs 22:1

“THIS IS YOUR LIFE,” Nidia thought despondently. It was nothing like the life she had dreamed of when she fell in love and committed her life to Raul. Raul had drifted back to the habits of his alcoholic home. He sold chicharrónes (fried pork skins) from their rusted-zinc home and drank up the profits while she went to work for the government. She had to get past trash and empty bottles daily, picking her way around Raul and his drunken friends playing dominoes while their three children ran around unsupervised. Life was never meant to turn out this way.

Nidia could see the children suffering the consequences of their chaotic life. Esaul, their only boy, was especially affected. His father’s negative influence caused him to cling to his mother as his source of identity and support. Tormented as a sissy by friends and neighbors, he grew to hate himself. One day he heard of a neighborhood Bible class and began to attend. He was invited to the IBQ church, and he took his two sisters to escape the turmoil of their home for a few hours. “It seemed like heaven,” Esaul reported. Eagerly, he returned home to tell his mother what he had discovered. To his surprise, Nidia knew all about the IBQ church.

She remembered accepting Christ at the IBQ church in her youth. “I knew we needed God, but I was so ashamed by the mess I had made of my life when I walked away from God.” She recognized that she could not go on exposing her children to this lifestyle. In desperation, she asked a Christian neighbor to accompany her and the children to church. The following Sunday, they were dressed and ready to go.

That Sunday, Nidia re-dedicated her life to Christ, and the older children, Barlin and Esaul, followed her example. They began to attend church faithfully, everyone except for Raul. Their relationship and home life continued to deteriorate until Nidia started taking steps to separate from him.

One Sunday, Pastor Rudy urged all of the wives to turn in their unbelieving husbands’ names and contact information, and he would visit them personally. Nidia reported, “I was too angry and disgusted with Raul, so I refused. But someone else—I don’t know who—gave Raul’s information!” Shortly after, Pastor Rudy showed up at their home. “Good to see you, Sister Nidia, but I have come to visit with Raul.”

After Pastor Rudy left, Raul reflected, “I was already in the middle of another alcoholic binge, but I still heard his words as he shared the power of Christ to change my life. After that, I tried unsuccessfully to drink less. Thanks to God, Pastor Rudy returned to visit me again. This time I made the decision to commit my life to Christ. The change in me was so radical that I mark that day, now eight years ago, as the day a new Raul began!”

The drinking stopped, but friends and family scoffed, “This won’t last more than a few weeks!” In the weeks and months that followed, Raul’s heart transformation was unquestionable, as other aspects of his life gradually began to change. He became active with the men’s group in the church and became an effective witness to others of the changes God can make in a life. More recently, he has accepted a leadership role in the nearby community of La Ceiba, a new church plant from the IBQ church.

Nidia and Raul’s children were chosen for a Samuel’s Fund sponsorship, which they described as, “a blessing fallen straight from heaven.” As a sponsored family, they occasionally received groceries through the Texas Baptist Hunger Offering. In the past, their eating had always been haphazard, anything to fill their stomachs, but little by little, they learned to enjoy healthier food. “Today, we eat completely different than we used to,” Nidia reported.

Through the tutoring and home visits that accompanied the sponsorship, the children began to thrive in their education and in other ways. Esaul continued to struggle with his self-image, feeling empty and criticized by others as “not manly enough.” Gradually, he made new friends with other sponsored children. The staff of STCH Ministries also provided new opportunities for growth, including relationships with mission team members and exposure to English and music lessons.

The children became involved in the music ministry of the church. They joined the children’s choir and began music lessons every Tuesday afternoon. Esaul was drawn to the challenge of playing the violin. He began to play on a borrowed violin named ‘Lulu.’ “I felt happier than ever to be good at something that not everyone can do,” Esaul reported. His proficiency on the violin improved and he began teaching other children to play. One day he was asked to play for a mission team banquet. “I felt totally nervous, but as I felt the sweet melody of the songs, my anxiety disappeared, and I praised God for blessing me.” After five years playing on ‘Lulu,’ Esaul received a new violin provided by his sponsor’s donations. He named his new violin ‘Evangelin.’ “She has a color that is totally beautiful, and I want to show others the work of God through my notes on ‘Evangelin.’”

For those living in the neighborhood that surrounded the Figueroa family, the most radical change that followed their spiritual rebirth occurred through the construction ministry of STCH Ministries International. One day Russell Jerez showed up at their home to deliver a bed for each of the children built by a mission team. He was shocked to see the dilapidated, unsafe condition of their house. He was concerned that it could not survive the next tropical storm. Russell considered how to reinforce the roof, but its deteriorated condition made that impossible.

The STCH Ministries staff and the Figueroa family began to pray. Soon, funds were donated and at least six successive mission teams contributed to rebuilding their home into a beautiful, concrete home. As God continued the greater transformation in their family and individual lives, the rebuilding of the dilapidated wooden hovel into a modern two-story home became the talk of the neighborhood, for which God received all the glory.

Today, Barlin, Esaul’s older sister, has graduated from high school, and through the Christian Leadership Educational Program (CLEP), she is studying photography. Esaul continues his work on the violin, and the youngest sister, Niandra, excels in her schoolwork.

Barlin shared her vision “that the Lord continues to keep us on His paths, that He will be our Day and our Light in the darkness, and that through our lives, others will be guided to our Savior’s feet.”

What happens when, lost in the chaos of life and the results of our willful choices, we desperately grab onto the only sliver of hope that we know? Perhaps only a fuzzy, inaccurate picture of Jesus learned as a child, over the years disobeyed, ignored and disrespected appears in our minds. Yet now, in desperation, we cry, “Help me, Jesus!”

God promises, “If anyone be in Christ, they are a new creation: old things are passed away; behold, all things have become new.” (2 Corinthians 5:17) The new creation happens instantly when we accept Christ by faith into our lives. But the process of old things passing away, and all things becoming new, involves a sequence of events and the investment of many lives to accomplish.

How many teams and individuals invested in that family? How long did it take? Possibly as many as ten teams, including follow-up visits from the IBQ church and STCH Ministries staff, plus the donations from many more and the sponsors of the children. Is it worth it? Would time not be better spent sharing 500 tracts and testimonies door-to-door? Possibly. How much time and effort did Jesus invest during His short time on earth to disciple only twelve? Jesus healed, taught in the synagogue and fed 5,000 and crowds followed. However, the greater amount of time He invested in those disciples began a multiplication process that continues today.

“Go into all the world,” commanded Jesus just before He returned to His Father. Wait! That’s not the full commandment. What about the rest of His directions? “Make disciples… teaching them to observe all things I have commanded.” (Matthew 28:19-20)

Sharing the Gospel message takes minutes, and it is an essential beginning. Fulfilling all that Jesus commanded is much more complex and expensive in terms of resources and life investment. However, through many teams who return annually, building relationships, and partnering with Dominican ministries, Jesus’ Kingdom-building commandment can be fulfilled.