By Meredith Chase, Director of For the Widow Ministries
Our trip at the beginning of September was refreshing, encouraging, and awe-inspiring. It has given me great hope that God has something amazing in store for this ministry. I am so thankful and honored that God chose us to be a part of this journey of caring for widows in need.
The Impact
- 5 days of being the hands and feet of Jesus.
- 5 communities visited and impacted in God’s kingdom.
- 29 hours visiting with widows.
- 10 widows assessed and ready to be sponsored.
- 425 lbs of rice and beans delivered.
- 45 people received the Word of God – the truth about Jesus Christ!
Our family grew exponentially.
We formed friendships that will last a lifetime.
And God got ALL the glory!
Our Mission Team
Our mission team comprised six people who were “testing out” our process for taking future teams to the Dominican Republic. Great news! We have an excellent process and are ready to bring you with us.
We flew from the United States to Santo Domingo, boarded a bus, drove 4 hours to Barahona, and arrived at our new mission house for the week. The most wonderful family greeted us… the Julian family! They graciously served us this week so we could serve the widows in their community. And wow, God blessed every member of this family with incredible musical talent. Being a part of their family this past week was an absolute joy!
A Daily Recap
Day 1 was spent in a community of about 1,000 people called Los Robles. Here, we met three new widows and shared the gospel and rice and beans with others in the community. Our time with the widows is always so beautiful. We get to learn about their lives, families, struggles, joys, and so much more. Nosilia has a beautiful smile and cares for three of her grandchildren. Gloria is witty and hilarious but has the greatest need of all our widows regarding living conditions. Antonia desires to be an independent, self-sufficient woman but needs some help getting started. One thing they all have in common is they need the joy of the Lord in their lives, and we are excited about the opportunity to show them, “in action,” what God’s love looks like.
Day 2 brought us to Mena Arriba, a community of over 2,000 people. We met three more widows in this community. Betania is a very young widow in her 40s who lost her husband five years ago and has four school-aged children to care for. Jungara is grief-stricken from losing her husband a year ago, along with her entire way of life, position in the community, and means of providing for herself and her family. Antonia, our second widow with this name, is shy and quiet (as is her son) but seems strong and resilient. These women are missing out on the hope, peace, and joy that come from a personal relationship with God.
Day 3 was a change in scenery. We went into the mountains to a community called La Guazara. I LOVE the mountains of Barahona! There, we met three widows who already know and love Jesus. Santa blessed the Lord for answering her prayers for a Bible. Agripina was reserved and quiet but lit up when we worshiped Jesus together. And Rellita was so funny and sweet. She takes great care of her home and has a beautiful backyard with all kinds of fruit trees.
Day 4 was a day of rest. However, we did get to visit the widows we served through another ministry in Santa Elena and Barahona for the past four years. We love these women so much! We hope to remain in contact and check in with them regularly. They are the reason we started this ministry! An hour at the beach, a plate of whole fried fish, and a trip to the Larimar school gave us the rest needed to continue on to the final day!
Day 5 was bittersweet because we knew the trip was coming to an end. We started the day in the house of the Lord with Miqueas and his family. What a joy to be welcomed into this family of believers and worship God with them! The last widow we visited was Elvida. She is 90 years old and looks like she is 70. Maybe her 14 kids and 40+ grandkids are responsible for keeping her young. Or perhaps it’s her love of Jesus! Her granddaughter, Alexandra, sang the most beautiful rendition of “Christo Yo Te Amo” to end our trip on the best note possible.
The Ripple Effect
Our goal for this trip was to positively impact widows’ lives in the name of God. What God demonstrated was the ripple effect that happens when we care for widows. They are not the only ones impacted … their children, grandchildren, families, neighbors … and the people who are there to help them … are all affected when we follow God’s command to “care for widows” (James 1:27). It was amazing to see and be a part of!
