This spring break and Easter holiday we were so blessed to have our oldest daughter, Blythe, visit us---here we are at our church's Easter service.
Earlier this year our oldest, son Shane, came to visit with his girlfriend, Geraldine. So grateful to get to spend time here with our older kids. A big answer to many, many prayers!! We are reminded of this quote,
"Reconciliation will never make its way into our worship services until it makes its way into our homes." AMEN!!
Regarding our other ministry here, we continue to see God's hand in new men's groups forming in the Santiago area--all led by Dominicans now---as well as spiritual growth of the believers in our local community of Lajas. Please continue to keep all these believers in your prayers.
A verse that comes to mind so often as we pray for our community here is
Joel 2:28--"I will pour out my Spirit on all people...your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions."
That is our prayer---that Dave and the older "mature men" here will continue to dream dreams and that the young men will catch God's vision for their lives!!!
DISCIPLESHIP...
We wanted to share with you a story that represents what discipleship here can look like. Here is Pastor William Gomez and his family...
Pastor William was the first Dominican pastor Dave worked with here to really embrace men's ministry and God's heart towards the needs of Dominican men. He was a huge "door opener" for Dave when we began to focus on discipleship here. Pastor William had ministered on the island for more than twenty years but he sensed God wanted to take him in a new direction, providing deeper healing and freedom in Christ for him personally and then for other men through his ministry. Pastor William is a beautiful example of being open to God and His will and God's transforming power in a surrendered life. Dave has come alongside William encouraging him to make wise use of his time and talents. Dave has also worked with him on practical life skills, like family finance management. Three years later, William now owns his own home and his own vehicle and he is looking into buying health insurance for his family. He has a family budget and is learning how to wisely use his resources and encourage other men to do the same. This has gone a long way to boost his own dignity and keep him from being too dependent on outside funds and the problems that can go along with that. He is a work in progress, as we all are, but we are so very encouraged by the changes we have seen in him these past few years and the freedom and joy in the Lord that results from this kind of obedience and transformation. Not to mention, how ministry flows from this kind of surrendered life!!!
A mentor of ours recently reminded us that ministry is really just "hanging in there" with the people God places in your life---living life out with them and "repeating" God's truth to them over and over---in word and deed.
Here are a few of those moments we have with our neighbors here in Lajas...
Rachael playing pool here with the neighborhood girls in her small group...
Cherry making "habichuelas dulces" (an Easter tradition in the Dominican)with the women in her small group here...
MARRIAGE MINISTRY...
Dave's niece and nephew, Angela and Ronnie, recently sent us the movie, Courageous (available in Spanish). We watched it as a family and thoroughly enjoyed it. Next, we invited all the members of the small groups here in Lajas, to watch the movie on our gazebo. It was so well received. Later, we showed it to two more couples in our home. Now we are planning to show it at the community basketball court here later this month. Thanks Ronnie and Angela for blessing us and many others!!!
FAMILY MOMENTS...
Our daughter, Rebekah's, girls soccer team won their last tournament in Sosua---a great weekend for all!!!!
Last month Cherry was blessed to be able to return to the states, to Florida, to be with her mom who was hospitalized for a ruptured appendix--at 90!!--we are so grateful that Cherry could be by her side during this time and that her mom is recovering nicely in the home of Cherry's sister---please keep her mom, Josephine, in your prayers.
Happy Spring to you all!!! Please check the right-hand panel for our prayer requests, some words to encourage you and more on the men's group study and what books we are reading now.
A big thank you to you all--we keep you in our hearts and in our prayers.
By God's grace and for His glory,
The Dave Schwulst family