“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.
iCare Victoria
/in Ministry Updates/by Ashley WolffOn Tuesday, August 1st, STCH Ministries Family Counseling hosted the 7th Annual iCare Conference in Victoria, a conference aimed at reaching out to those dedicated to helping others. The attendees included teachers, counselors, pastors, church staff and other impactful individuals working to make a difference in people’s lives. Attendees received continuing education units for the breakout sessions they attended but more than that, they heard from professionals about various topics that will help them grow in their field.
This year’s breakout sessions included: Don’t Feed the Monkey Mind: How to Stop the Cycle of Anxiety, Fear, and Worry; How Far Is Too Far? Knowing Our Limits in Pastoral Counseling; Where Is My Value? Helping Kids Find Their Worth; and many others. The last session of the day, taught by Karen Oaks, reminded the attendees about the importance of self-care and how to help when you need help. During lunch, author and speaker, Adam Davis shared how to live unconquered and how to face pain and overcome adversity.
STCH Ministries is thankful to all the individuals who made iCare a success, including the presenters for their time and effort in preparing for this event. Also, thank you to Parkway Church Victoria for allowing us to use their facilities for the day. For more information on STCH Ministries Family Counseling visit, https://www.stchm.org/family-counseling/.
Life Outside the Contemporary American “Bubble”
/in Joanna's Journal, Ministry Updates/by Joanna BerryAs we complete our summer mission trips to the Dominican Republic and El Salvador, we reflect with gratitude over all that God did through the hands of 18 mission teams and 258 participants from Maryland to Texas.
Grateful for over 200 children and adults who professed faith in Christ. Grateful for health and safety. Grateful for growth in ministries, growth in our staff leadership and in the lives of our sponsored children. Grateful for mission teams, for their willingness to endure a very hot summer without complaints, for their energy and dedication and their willingness to flex when plans went awry. Their personal reflections affirmed the work of God’s Spirit in lives and families.
From FBC Port Lavaca, Pastor Whittle wrote, “It was a trip that lit the fires of missions for our group. The staff in the DR were full of energy and we loved that they got their ‘hands dirty’ with us.”
One doctor reported his experience, as he worked in a medical clinic, performing ultrasound exams. He shared with some of the children the miracle of creation, allowing them to see a baby sucking his thumb in the mother’s womb!
The IBQ church always inspires—their prayer time together on Wednesday night, their unreserved, heart-felt singing, their dedication to come to church–walking, riding a Moped with several children perched on the back or in a sputtering public car. One team shared a marriage conference with the IBQ couples and also a devotional time with the Moms while the children participated in VBS. Another group prepared a first-ever event for the families of IBQ church, complete with games, face-painting, competitions, hot dogs and an illustrated Bible lesson that impacted both young and old.
As a “newbie,” Clark McCormick, 15 years old, added her perspective, “I experienced life outside of the contemporary American bubble. Even though we can’t speak the same language, we have the same God. They are so passionate about their faith. Serving others pushed me out of my comfort zone, and has made me less afraid to reach out to others.”
Our team witnessed 54 children invite Jesus into their hearts and have ordered a Bible for each one.
At the Higuey boys’ home, one group reported, “Our children did an amazing job of connecting with the boys, playing baseball and various games. The day ended with pizza, s’mores and rain!” Another team treated the boys with a special trip to a local park, where both team members and the boys played, swam and enjoyed a cookout together. It was definitely a highlight for these boys.
Collectively, participants shared, ”We saw the world as it really is in God’s sight. Fears of differentness, barriers of language, skin color and poverty melted away. Our service became a worship experience—building, delivering beds and food to needy families, singing, playing and dancing with children, teaching Bible stories or English lessons and joining our Dominican family in joyful praise.”
Aligned with God’s Dreams
/in Joanna's Journal, Ministry Updates/by Joanna Berry“It can be a Salvadoran dream, or an American dream, but most important is to make sure we are aligning with God’s dreams,” shared Edgar Borja, Salvadoran ministry leader. Reflecting on their mission week, the group from Calvert Grace in Maryland was impacted by the dreams of the Peniel churches to meet practical life needs, while making opportunities to share the Gospel and grow disciples.
Education is crucial for the future of children. Accordingly, every church in the Peniel network either already has a school, or is in the process of growing one, starting from preschool. Parents who wish to enroll their children receive a significant tuition discount if they also attend church once a week. The mission team spent 4 afternoons doing teacher training and introducing effective teaching techniques. The team reported, “Before we left, teachers were already adapting new strategies to use in their classrooms.” Jobs are scarce, and competition is fierce. The Peniel churches have partnered with the government to create a job-training center. Although religious teaching is forbidden, breakfast is served to those who come early along with a Bible lesson and testimonies. And after the training, there are free ESL classes, which use the Bible as their textbook.
Soccer is a huge attraction in El Salvador. Churches develop their own leagues and for those willing to come to church once a week, all fees are waived. The Calvert Grace team brought a sports camp to the school at El Riel. In addition to Bible lessons, they rotated between 6 different sports, including Ga-ga ball, baseball, football and frisbee. They ended with giving each child their own soccer ball!
Team members reflected,
“We got to interact with a beautiful little girl and chose to sponsor her. I will always remember the light in her eyes, and later the joy radiating from the mother when they were informed of our sponsorship.”
“The children lined up and cheered for us. It was a hero’s welcome!”
“I was inspired by the Salvadorans to be intentional in meeting needs while sharing the Gospel.”
“Families, previously isolated due to violence and Covid, are coming out of the shadows. It’s a great time for STCH Ministries to be involved.”
Pray with us as we take the next steps in our partnership with the Peniel churches, and the future involvement of more partner teams.
Shearer Hills Donations and Visit to Boothe Campus
/in Ministry Updates/by Ashley WolffSTCH Ministries is thankful for partnerships with local churches like Shearer Hills in San Antonio. Back in June, they chose STCH Ministries to be their mission’s emphasis for VBS. They held a competition for boys vs. girls to see who could raise the most money throughout the week and also collected breakfast food items and household products. By the end of the week, the children raised over $2,000 and collected a large number of tangible items.
Last week, a group of pre-teen girls from Shearer Hills traveled down to the Boothe Campus to deliver the items and a check. The commissary staff was amazed at the number of items delivered which included cereal, pop-tarts, toilet paper, paper towels and two bikes. During their visit, they toured the campus and had the chance to meet some of the children who live on campus. They shared what this opportunity meant to them and started planning their next trip down, where they hope to spend the night and do service projects on the campus.
We want to thank Shearer Hills and all the other churches that make an impact in the lives of children and families by partnering with STCH Ministries. We could not do what we do without people like you!
New Beginnings
/in Ministry Updates/by Ashley WolffExciting news from Boothe Campus! Three of our students were recently baptized, taking a significant step in their walk with the Lord. Two of them decided to follow Christ just a month ago at camp, while the other, who committed his life to Christ several months back, had eagerly been waiting for this special moment. Seeing the joy in his heart was truly heartwarming.
The baptism day was wonderful, with family and friends joining us to celebrate this meaningful event. The entire campus came together to support the students. It was a beautiful display of our close-knit community!
All three students are thrilled about their new life anchored in Christ. Please continue to pray for them as they grow in faith and love.
We Have Lift-Off
/in Joanna's Journal, Ministry Updates/by Joanna BerryAfter months of prayer, and four vision trips with staff and select pastors and leaders, Schulenberg Baptist Church became the first official STCH Ministries team to serve in El Salvador!
They traveled to El Riel and met pastor Anselmo. STCH Ministries had previously assisted them to put a roof, and later windows on their multi-purpose church building. The Schulenberg team used that resource to impact the surrounding community. As the pastor shared, “The church building has given us a higher level of credibility and influence in this poverty-bound community.”
The children waited expectantly for the group to arrive, waving from the upper level of the rugged terrain, and the welcome continued in the newly windowed church building with banners, balloons and songs. The atmosphere of joy and celebration continued through the week as the mission team participated in a uniquely STCH MINISTRIES-SALVADORAN ministry event with children, family and leaders.
The group built tables,
held VBS classes and taught ESL during school hours. In the afternoons, families came down from the surrounding hills and formed fellowship circles with the group. “We bonded instantly. We weren’t ready for them to return home as we loaded them up with a generous bag of groceries!” One group trudged up hills and down, over and around creeks, to visit a child on the waiting list for sponsorship. It was a unique God appointment for sponsorship. Three additional children were also chosen for sponsorship.
In the evenings Pastor Dave brought the message in two different churches. “The Spirit of God moved freely,” one participant reported. “We had great translators, but even in situations where there wasn’t a translator, we realized that language is never a barrier for God.”
STCH Ministries is grateful for this first joyful mission week in partnership with the Peniel network of churches. Our goal for 2024 is to host small teams of 10-15 participants, especially in the fall and spring of the year. Please pray with us about this opportunity, and let us know if your church would like to join in this mission opportunity.
Mission Trip Guarantee
/in Joanna's Journal, Ministry Updates/by Joanna BerryOn every mission trip, there will be bumps on the road—100% GUARANTEED! Canceled, or rescheduled flights, miscommunication, a power outage and no A/C, noisy music, a mattress that is too hard, a child with a queasy stomach or fudge at the boy’s home that won’t firm up because of the heat. Teachers scheduled to teach canceled at the last minute because of illness. Gospel presentations were drowned out by trucks with loudspeakers blaring their wares. But GUARANTEED—on every mission trip God shows up in unique ways. We are challenged to yield our desires and plans to the sovereign God we serve. Families are blessed, pastors and leaders are strengthened, life-long connections are formed, children find their “forever-sponsor-family” and others are born into “God’s-forever-family” through faith in Christ.
A grandmother brought her daughter and two granddaughters on the trip. She shared what a joy it was to serve together. Not intimidated by culture and language, she saw growth in her granddaughter’s leadership skills.
A courageous mom with three young children eagerly signed up for the trip, returning from the year before. Tearfully, she shared the impact
of the trip on her family. “We were surrounded and supported by love every moment.”
God showed up when a pastor invested in a STCH Ministries leader, and changed his perspective on leadership. He showed up in the dedication of an endodontist who courageously treated difficult issues with excellence, while also training Jose Regalado, our Dominican third-year dental student.
One of the most impactful experiences happened on the banquet night. A young Dominican translator, Elias, shared his testimony. He told of the benefits of sponsorship—his education in grade school and now in college, food deliveries from the Texas Baptist Hunger Offerings during times of duress when his dad didn’t have a job, and the time he received his own bed at 10 years of age. Elias’ testimony gave meaning to all of the investment and work that teams do! Some of the team members who delivered the bed to this young man over eight years ago were present.
Yes, there are obstacles, as there are with any worthy endeavor. Ultimately, the efforts invested by mission teams are worthy, because HE IS WORTHY!
Living a Legacy
/in Print Edition, Vol. 71, Issue 2/by Eron GreenI 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
Rescue, Redemption and Revival
/in Print Edition, Vol. 71, Issue 2/by Crystal WilliamsCHRISTIAN SINGER AND SONGWRITER LAUREN DAIGLE released her Grammy award-winning album, Look Up Child, in 2018. The second song on the album is titled Rescue, which speaks of God being our shelter and rescuer, even in the darkest situations like the one Kisha found herself in.
“In the middle of the darkest night
it’s true, I will rescue you.”
Kisha and her children lived in the chaos and fear of an abusive home for twelve years. Moved to tears, Kisha shared how tough her life was. She was also the only one working in the house and felt she missed out on significant moments in her children’s childhood.
Kisha also recalled that anything relating to God was rejected in their home by her husband. “If I did bring up anything to do with God, it got shot down immediately.” In the end, Kisha never lost her faith in the Lord during those twelve years. On the contrary, Kisha continued to pray for a way to leave their home with her kids in search of better living conditions and a better life.
Rescue
Kisha knew she was ready to get out. She took the step of faith to leave the abusive relationship with her four children in tow. Though uncertain about what would come next, she did not stop praying for God to provide. Shortly after, her cousin told her about Homes for Families. After doing mission work in the Dominican Republic with their home church through STCH Ministries International, Kisha’s cousin reached out to her and told her about STCH Ministries. As he shared details about Homes for Families, Kisha knew that was exactly the kind of place she and her children needed. She no longer felt helpless or without clarity as to where to go next. “That sounded exactly like what I was looking for to get me back to where I wanted to be, which is with God and for my children to know me better.”
So, when her cousin introduced her to Homes for Families, Kisha did not hesitate to take the necessary steps to get there. “He answered my prayers,” she stated about finding STCH Ministries, and in October of 2022, Kisha and her children arrived at the Homes for Families Bluebonnet Campus.
Redemption
Not only did God rescue Kisha and her children, but He has also redeemed her relationship with her children by giving them a safe place to bond further and grow together as a family. Kisha is a mom of four, Damien (age 12), Victoria (age 10), Caleb (age 8), and Gabriel (age 6).
“I was angry, very angry, when I first got here,” Kisha admits. However, with the help of staff on campus, she has learned healthy ways to control her anger. Kisha’s children have noticed the change in her as she has noticed a change in them and their relationship with one another as siblings. “STCH Ministries has been a blessing. God has done amazing work.”
The Homes for Families program allows families to remain together during resolution. It is a safe haven in a loving, Christian atmosphere with resources to help transition mothers and their children into independent living. “In coming here, I have seen changes in my kids; I’ve seen changes in myself.”
God has also redeemed Kisha’s time with her children. “I get to spend time with my kids, and I’m learning to be the parent that I didn’t get to be. I enjoy every minute of it.” One of the most significant impacts Homes for Families has had on Kisha and her children is the lessons they have learned while there. More personally, Kisha shared how her time there has taught her to forgive their father. “I’ve learned that me forgiving him is not for his benefit but for my own.”
Revival
“Revival begins when you draw a circle around yourself and make sure everything in that circle is right with God.” – Anne Graham Lotz
For months Kisha had been praying that God would speak to her in an intimate way, reminding her of how much He loves her. One Tuesday night in February, during Bible study, Kisha noticed a female cardinal fly down and land in front of the patio door. Soon after, the cardinal moved towards the grass where a male cardinal had just landed. Kisha noticed the two touch beaks. Upon taking a second look, she realized the male cardinal had also provided the female cardinal with a worm. “I knew at that moment that was for me,” Kisha shared. God was reminding her of His love and care for her as she watched the cardinals together. Through that moment, she witnessed the male cardinal providing for the female cardinal the way God had provided for her. She knew God had answered her prayer for reassurance of His love for her that night.
“I have prayed more than ever before,” Kisha shared about her time at Homes for Families and her spiritual growth. She has also reached out to hurting family members and friends, writing to them about her experience and about God. Where God was once a rejected topic in her previous living situation, Kisha now sees revival happening in her home. Her children are experiencing a closeness with God she never witnessed before.
Her older son, Damien, surrendered his life to Christ and got baptized in January of this year. That has led to the rest of his siblings also getting baptized upon learning about God and giving their lives to Jesus. “They all like to pray now. They each take turns. They won’t eat until they have all prayed,” Kisha shared. From dinner time prayers to seeing a change in how her children treat one another and witnessing them now identify as children of God, she thanks God for His work in their lives. “Recently, my oldest, who is in the 5th grade, came home from school one day and told me that he felt God was calling him to minister to kids in his school.” Kisha encouraged him to do what God had called him to, knowing the importance of helping others.
________________________
Kisha would like to go back to school to become a counselor in hopes of helping other women who currently find themselves in the same situation she once did. “I want them to know they are not alone and that there is help out there.” Kisha also looks forward to helping point others to Jesus, the only One who can truly rescue us from all darkness and all brokenness.
Without her cousin sharing about STCH Ministries Homes for Families, Kisha would not have experienced the rescue, redemption or revival she has now. “I tell him almost every time I see him, ‘Thank you’,” Kisha shared. “He sees that being here is doing amazing things in our lives, and he tells me often how he is very proud of me.”
If you or a family you know needs help during a time of crisis to transition into a successful, independent future, you can find more information about Homes for Families at www.stchm.org/care/#families.
From Desperation to Transformation
/in Print Edition, Vol. 71, Issue 2/by Joanna Berry“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.