Sunrise in Lajas
"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." (Isaiah 41:10)
Throughout my life I've always enjoyed hiking; especially on nature trails or mountain paths. Besides being good exercise, my faith in God is validated by the awe of His creative genius and the intricate details I see and experience while walking. Since my knee surgery four years ago I'm restricted to walking on level surfaces. Stairs and uneven terrain are strenuous and difficult to maneuver. As you know we've lived in the mountains here in the DR for the last four years. We learned from some of our neighbors that there were some caves in some of the surrounding mountains and that despite my handicap there were some easier trails they thought I could climb.
So we set forth on a Saturday morning, our family, two friends-Jose Miguel and Yokasta and two guides--relatives of Yokasta!! Because of the rain the previous night, the paths were quite slippery and difficult for me to go very far on this hike. Had it not been for Jose Miguel pushing me up by my hind quarters practically the entire climb, I would have never made it there. (Not to mention I weigh 230 lbs and he weighs 150 lbs. soaking wet!) After 2 1/2 hours of climbing, we did reach our destination and WOW!! was it a spectacular sight!! The cave was huge.
The moral of this story is this: how often do I encounter the "slippery slopes" of life and even knowing my own limitations, in my pride I plunge ahead anyway on my own strength only to find myself worse off? The beautiful truth in all this is like my faithful companion Jose Miguel who has been by my side constantly since living here on the mountain, so has my savior, Jesus Christ. He has held me by his right hand either pulling me out of the "slimy pit" or preventing me from falling into one. I can trust Him!! To God be the glory for "his loving kindness endures forever." Amen
SNAPSHOTS OF MINISTRY HERE THIS PAST MONTH...
It is beautiful to see how the small group men's ministry that started in Santiago five years ago continues to spread to many churches---we are grateful to the Domincan leaders dedicated to carrying on this ministry---here is the latest group to graduate from the "Authentic Manhood Bible Study"--their leader, Genaro, is planning to begin another group soon--would appreciate your prayers
We are so pleased with the prison ministry that pastor William Gomez leads---he faithfully ministers and raises up Dominican leaders to continue the work at prisons in Santiago, Moca, La Vega, and Santo Domingo---he is now very well respected throughout the prison system on the island as many witness the Gospel changing lives--setting captives free!!!
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We wish we could capture our life here in this sweet mountain community--this is Rebekah with our next door neighbor, Maria Ramona --she just celebrated a birthday and Beka went over to visit her, chat, have lunch together and sing a few songs with her---sweet times!!
As always we thank you for your prayers, encouragement and support. Please take a look at the right-hand column for new prayer requests, some words to encourage you along your way and an update on our daughter Rachael's upcoming mission experience.
BY GOD'S GRACE AND FOR HIS GLORY,
THE DAVE SCHWULST FAMILY