By Michael Shaul
From the Dominican Republic:
Dulce has a heart of gold, but it wasn’t always that way. Her two rough-neck granddaughters bore witness to her legacy of toughness. When we first got to know the little family of three, the little ones were the instigators of all kinds of trouble. Dulce’s response: harsh words and the back of her hand.
But the Spirit of God loves to bring fresh waters to dry ground, and after a year, he has planted peace in the center of her family.
This grandmother, who lives on a few bucks a day, was our first convert in Guachupita. Through the First-Year Missionaries of 2006, she was introduced to the LORD and came to make him king of her life.
It has been nothing short of amazing to see her faith grow and her heart transform into the beauty of Christ. Although she came from a background heavy in poverty and superstition, she has latched onto every truth we teach about the ultimate authority found in the Name of Jesus. The old has gone, the new has come.
As the mother of the house church in Guachupita, she has been a sponge of truth, soaking up the Word of God.
But there was a very clear problem with Dulce’s growth; she cannot read.
During church meetings, she would always close her eyes and repeat the Scripture whenever it was read aloud, attempting to take to heart every ounce of life.
Oftentimes, her eldest granddaughter, Emereli (in picture), would read to her from a pocket New Testament.
Pages were missing and the small print made it a grueling task for the nine-year-old. Then someone had a great idea.
Our First-Year Missionary Emily had her family visit. While here, they learned of this need and quickly jumped into researching a solution. What they found was something I had not thought of: an audio Bible. They graciously sent down a small player which can run off of solar power for when the electricity turns off.
Watch out… Dulce’s got the Word!
She has now become the community boom box of truth, playing the Bible out-loud, day and night. The neighbors love it and always ask to borrow the coolest Bible in town.
Just today, she told us the exciting story of the time when Jesus walked on water and commanded the sea and the storm.
“Everything must obey Him,” she said with a matter-of-fact tone. His Word is power and life, and our sweet Dulce is fruit of that truth.
Michael was born in Omaha, NE, where he was raised in a Christian home. He was exposed to missions and a higher call to life in Christ while on a missions trip as did his wife, Kristen, who is from the Atlanta area. After each separately left everything behind to serve in Mexico, they were married after two years of working together. They now serve in the Dominican Republic where they are committed for life to see His Kingdom come to the island. You can follow Michael’s blog here.
For more on First-Year Missionaries, check out their website :
