a voice in the Dominican Republic: Psalm 67: 3 "Let the peoples praise you, O God: let all the peoples praise you!"

Around a year ago, a man by the name of Leonel was in the middle of robbing someone when he was shot in the stomach and head and then crippled under his motorcycle that had been lit on fire and thrown on top of him. He laid in this condition in the middle of a field for around three hours in the early hours of the morning before being found and taken to the hospital. His mouth was sewn shut for twenty days to repair his jaw, and the bullet was taken out of his stomach. Leonel should not have lived. In time, Jessica, the MGM nurse here, crossed paths with Leonel. His leg was still severely burned and infected. The infection was so bad that his leg had turned green and most everyone thought he would lose his leg. Through many many months of taking care of his leg, it has slowly begun to heal. But he has not only been healed physically, but also spiritually.

Through Jessica's encounters with Leonel, she was able to share Truth with him on a daily basis. He was never angry or opposed to her sharing Truth with him, but he continued to tell her, "maybe later, maybe later." Week after week, Jessica would see his untouched Bible lay in the same place. But as time went on, she noticed that it had finally left that dusty, old place, and had been moved, opened, and read. After three weeks, Leonel finally accepted Christ as His Savior. Before Leonel was a thief who was very angry, mean, and dangerous. He hated the men that hurt him and wanted revenge on them. His face had a permanent look of pure anger. After receiving Christ, his whole demeanor has changed. The people in his village have noticed and cannot believe the change they see in him. He is now gentle, humble, and kind. He no longer wants revenge but instead wants to share the truth of the Gospel with others!

The Whitefield's pastors caught wind of his story and visited Leonel on Monday, February 10th. God knew that Leonel needed men to affirm, encourage and uplift him. The men encouraged him to remain steadfast under trials, and that it is always the best to remain obedient to God, for He is good and faithful. The encounter really demonstrated how members of the Body of Christ need each other to continue steadfastly. It reminded me of the early church in Antioch. News had come to the Jerusalem church that many people in Antioch had come to know the Lord, and they sent Barnabas (son of encouragement) there. Barnabas encouraged these new believers and exhorted them to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast purpose. The Whitefield's men see that it is imperative that Leonel is discipled and that his roots grow deep in Christ, so this Tuesday and hopefully from now on, Leonel will join the men each week in their pastoral meetings. In March, we are also hoping that he will attend the pastoral training held at Ney's house (he did end up doing this training). Leonel has had visions of preaching and sees God's calling on his life to share His Truth with others. As the Lord wills, we pray that someday down the road, Leonel could join Whitefield's in its mission to disciple and shepherd the flocks in the sugarcane fields.

Leonel lives in Village 51, a very spiritually dark place. There are many gangs, and a lot of drugs. It is impoverished and there is no electricity there. There are many people, even small children, who are sexually abused and as a result, many suffer from sexually transmitted diseases. For most of the villagers, there is no way out of their situation. They are stuck in this place with no hope to ever leave their circumstances.There is no church building there because it is too dangerous.The temptations, opposition and persecution Leonel faces on a daily basis is unimaginable. We trust that God has a specific plan to shine His light in Village 51. For months, Jessica, the MGM nurse, has been going to Village 51 every Sunday to teach the remnant of people there who are interested in hearing the Word of God. The desire and intention is that Leonel would eventually take over for Jessica after he has grown deeper in Christ and the Word . Every Sunday, Jessica, Beka, me, and other friends go to the village. Jessica teaches, and I run the children's ministry. The prayers are that God would continue to build up the church there and that Leonel, if it is his calling, would shepherd the flock in that village. We know that against all odds, Leonel lived and that God preserved him for a specific purpose.

Prayer Requests:

Pray against the footholds and schemes of the Enemy in Village 51.
Leonel would endure through trials and that God would continue to grow his roots deep in Christ. Pray that God would bring faithful believers to encourage him, disciple him, and bear his burdens with him.
God would continue to encourage Jessica's heart as she goes out every week to share truth with these people. May the soil in Village 51 be rich and receptive to His Truth and may He bear much fruit there. May His light shine forth and many people receive Christ.