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.

WHEN CHILDREN ARRIVE on STCH Ministries Homes for Children campus, they receive a safe place to call home with warm beds, hot meals and clothes, if needed. More importantly than meeting the physical needs of the children on campus, Homes for Children is helping provide for their spiritual, mental and emotional needs. Caseworkers, houseparents, counselors and other staff work to help the children in care find true healing from their past. In 2022, STCH Ministries saw 193 people accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior through our nine ministries. On the Boothe Campus alone, we saw 14 children dedicate their lives to Christ, and Savannah was one of them.

Savannah moved to Boothe Campus for the first time at the age of 7. Like many children arriving on campus, she did not know what to expect or how her life would change over time at Homes for Children. Over the years, Savannah left and returned to the campus a couple of times and ultimately arrived back in 2021. This time was different for Savannah; she was older, more mature and knew what to expect. There was also a foundation started in her walk with Christ.

Something that makes the Boothe Campus unique is the ability to share about Jesus with the children on the campus. Each cottage attends local churches on Sundays, while Awana and chapel are hosted on campus on Wednesday evenings. More than that, the houseparents work to lead devotionals in the cottages and pray with the children. They live out daily what it looks like to have a true relationship with Christ.

Before coming to Homes for Children, Savannah did not have much knowledge about Jesus or what it meant to have a relationship with Him. “I definitely didn’t know Jesus back then,” Savannah shared. When she returned in 2021 at the age of 12, she was placed in Marshall Cottage. Her houseparents, the Fishers, shared, “When Savannah first came to us, she was enthralled with the world and the pull to follow the lost world’s standards.” Because of this, she acted out and sought attention in unhealthy ways. She needed to find her voice and discover healthy ways to communicate.

Savannah pushed the boundaries set by her houseparents in the cottage. She wanted to make her own path instead of following the one God planned for her. As time progressed, she opened up to her houseparents and their biological daughter, Ruby. Savannah started listening more intently during devotional times and asking Ruby questions about Christ and what it means to become a Christian. She could see something different in the lives of those around her and wanted to know more.

During the summer of 2022, Savannah attended Camp Zephyr, which became her favorite memory while at STCH Ministries. She started to feel God working in her heart during the week. “It was a really good experience, especially worship time, it just really hit me,” Savannah shared. Then, a few months later, Savannah made the life-changing decision to give her life to Christ.

While attending church one Sunday with her cottage, Savannah knew it was time to pray and ask Jesus into her heart. She asked Ruby to walk down with her. As Savannah prayed, Ruby stood there as a supportive friend and cried as she watched her new sister in Christ dedicate her life. “I think that’s just really sweet,” Savannah shared, “she just really helped me through everything.” Before coming to Homes for Children, Savannah struggled with making friends. She never had a true friend to support her, so Ruby being with her in that moment meant the world to Savannah.

At the time, Savannah did not realize how much prayer could truly impact so many different aspects of her life. For the first time, she felt free. “It felt like freedom like I wasn’t held captive anymore,” Savannah shared. “I can definitely do a lot more things now.” Since the day Savannah surrendered her life to Christ, not only has she seen a difference in herself, but her houseparentsand friends have also seen a difference. She now lets people in and shares her feelings, which allows her to heal from past hurts. “I am definitely a lot more honest,” Savannah shared. Savannah struggled with honesty before giving her life to Christ and would lie out of self-preservation. She no longer feels like she has to hide behind a mask and allows people to see her for who she really is, a daughter of the King.

In March 2023, Savannah’s housepop was able to baptize her at their church on a Sunday morning. It meant a lot to Savannah to feel the support of her houseparents and her friends. Savannah no longer feels like she has to be a follower of the world. She is stepping out as a leader in some areas, while in others she is following what is right and just. Most importantly, she is following Jesus wholeheartedly. “I enjoy being a better person and a better influence to other people, it’s better than who I was before I knew Jesus,” Savannah shared. “It’s just a good feeling.” Savannah’s housemom shared, “She is in the process of sanctification like all Christ followers and each day we see her growing more and more to be like Him.”

During the 2022-2023 school year, Savannah decided to show goats as a part of the 4-H program on the campus. She showed her maturity, honesty and determination during the season and because of this, Savannah received the opportunity to raise and show a steer for the 2023-2024 school year. This opportunity is not extended to all students, and it is an honor to be able to do so. This is just one example of how Savannah’s new identity in Christ is affecting other aspects of her life. She is excited to be a leader in her cottage and an example to the younger children on the campus. She wants her life to be an example, just like her houseparents and Ruby were to her.

Savannah is forever grateful for the many relationships she has built over the last seven years because those relationships led to the greatest relationship of all. She is especially thankful to her houseparents and their daughter Ruby for walking with her through this time of her life. STCH Ministries is thankful for the dedication of our houseparents, who work daily to help heal the hearts and change the lives of the children in their cottage. Ultimately, we give God all the glory for the work He is doing not just on our Homes for Children campus but throughout STCH Ministries.