Dominican Republic 2003
Dear Praying Friends:
Wow -how faithful is our God!
Obedience is what HE asks of us. When we submit our way unto Him and plant our feet upon the Solid Rock we discover HE is already there waiting for us with outstretched HANDS! He met me there in the Dominican Republic. I left with a heart of expectancy but an unsurrendered mind –a war, a son, a nation, a BATTLE! Then I found my center once again. Obedience ordered my steps. Surrender to a Sovereign God centered my life. His unfailing comfort brought assurance. I was to be in the Dominican Republic and Carey was to be marching towards Baghdad and the same God was orchestrating our way! For HE says “I Know the plans I have for you, plans for good and NOT for evil, plans to give you a future and a hope WHEN you call upon my name!” That’s it! I will never be taken any place where the grace of God will not equip me. That revelation brought sweet surrender and rest every day!
Thank you for laboring for me in prayer and many of you did just that. I was carried by prayer and as I carried the Gospel, God carried Carey for me! What a work of grace! Glory to the Great I Am who WAS and IS and WILL BE SUFFICIENT! Do you KNOW that today! I do in a fresh way! HE IS ABLE! Praise His Holy Name– the name above all other names –the Mighty Name of Jesus who pulls down strongholds, sets the captive free, pours the oil of Gladness us and then promises to be beside us! Hallelujah– is there anything more that you need? HE IS ABLE! Believe it. Receive it. Take it up. Proclaim it. HE IS ABLE!
Chita and Frank Drinkard were my gracious hosts in Santo Domingo. It was stifling tropical heat every day but the constant breeze of God’s Spirit constantly refreshed us in every place. I began my time there by going to church on Sunday and experiencing the worship of this multi lingual church pastored by a bi vocational medical doctor. The worship was rich for me even though it was in Spanish and his message was clearly proclaimed from the Word of God. Sunday evening a Bible study in Spanish led by Frank to a family with 6 children was held at their home. Even though I did not understand the language, I KNEW I was to pray for the children there who did understand my words and I did with great joy. The next day I was interviewed on a local secular television program by a young, energetic glamorous woman who probably didn’t routinely offer her show as a vehicle for Christian events BUT one of the church committee ladies had a friendship with her so she agreed. I had a translator with me and the women who know the language were amazed at her answers and response in dialogue as we “shared.” We were there to invite viewers to a our Ladies’ event entitled “Beauty of the Heart.” My remarks were geared to the inner beauty of a woman’s life. She got it!—-then publicized our event the way we needed! All was a work of grace!
That evening we attempted to add a meeting on a university campus but since the posters included a scripture the students were discouraged from the administration from attending and we only shared with a handful of teens. We had submitted the evening to God and gave it to Him. Sometimes we do not see what He is doing. We want to see it but we do not. He still blesses our obedience. The Ladies Conference brought in over 250 women who arrived early, had supper and stayed late for fellowship! Late is the norm in the culture and that night I hugged and kissed more women in one night than ever I have any where! They were so responsive. There was an empowering and grace that only God gives and that I recognized was His alone.
The next day I went with Chita to pray for The American School in Santo Domingo. There was a group of parents and a Christian administrator and we prayed for God’s Hand to continue to be upon the lives of the students,for the enrollment to be stable and for the financial needs. There was a missionary there whose son was suffering depression as a teenager and we prayed for a break through in his life. The next day I was involved with a Bible study at Chita’s with three other missionaries serving in the DR. The team represented around the table were bringing the Gospel to the professionals/educated class, the middle class of working folks and the Bario–the poor. It was a privilege to share and affirm each of them and to give them my books for encouragement (Chita, Dana, Lisa, Karen).
On Wednesday I boarded an air conditioned bus for Santiago! It was a pleasant, restful cool ride! What a treat! I was picked up there by Shana’s husband Butch and her three children Drew, Zach and Bridget. What a sweet family. The work of Shana and Butch is to teach English classes to the Dominicans. Their Ladies event was to be a fashion show/dinner at a hotel and their home was filled with models, clothes and flowers to be arranged when I arrived! The next morning, I met Hollie, a lovely young lady from the Jackson Mississippi area serving as a journeyman—giving two years of her life to the DR. I was invited to the home of an American Sandy Warren who graciously opens her home for English speaking classes. There were 4 classes ranging from beginning to advanced. I shared with the conversational class helping them “practice” and then addressed the whole group of about 30-35 women on “Assurance”–How do I KNOW that I KNOW God. You know we can know because of God’s Word. They were very responsive. It was pure delight! I had lunch with Sandy and Hollie took me to visit an eye doctor because I had stepped on my glasses in the middle of the night and the lens had popped out! His wife needed to be invited and we did so personally–again an opportunity seized. Shana had been praying for her. That night their event was to be a fashion show/dinner in a hotel. We had about 80 at the event and once again God equipped me in ways I cannot describe. When I finished my presentation and we were preparing to eat– a young woman came up to me weeping and she said “Billie, Billie, I am the one you came for. I have no inner beauty.” That night she met Jesus and He gave her His beauty, A wife, husband and mother in law in this same family came to salvation that night. What a God we serve!
The next day I boarded my air conditioned bus went back to Santo Domingo. One of the most touching opportunities was in Santo Domingo with Chita. She took me to see a lady named Alba who had knee surgery. She was a beautiful Christian in her late seventies and she shared her faith story with me through Chita translating to both of us! She had been drawn to an English aunt who always went to her room after dinner and read a little black book. Alba was intrigued about its contents. As time continued and she became a teenager, the aunt passed away. The family was asking different members if there was something of the aunt’s they would like to have. Alba remembered the little black book and requested it. No one knew what she meant. When boxes of the aunt’s books were opened, she saw the little black book. It was marked with scriptures and notes obviously written down by a seeker of the word and one who knew the author. Alba treasured the book but could not understand it. Always seeking someone to help her, she went to confession and made it a prayer request. Pulled out of the confessional, she was admonished never to read that book–in fact she was forbade to do so! Still she longed to know what it said. Sometime later she moved with her parents to the city and there across the street was an evangelical church with an American pastor.
One Sunday with the window opened, she began to hear praise music and Alba said “At that moment I knew Jesus was all I needed so I went to the window and cried out It’s Jesus, It’s Jesus that I need –come!” And HE DID! She began to attend that church and to learn to read the word of God. Both she and her husband are apart of the church where I did the Ladies’ Conference. She went on to tell me that her only child, a daughter named Mira married to Fredrico is NOT a Christian and has a muscle disease. She mentioned an only sister Carmen Rosa in New York City at age 73 who is NOT a Christian and who has lived for the world and been broken and crushed and now has severe arthritis. Alba mentioned how she prays for them and then I KNEW why I was there. I was to pray for these who were on her heart. I began to pray fervently and Chita interpreted and yet we three were a three fold chord tied by the Spirit of the Living God! Then Chita told her that Carey was a Chaplain and that he was in the war heading for Baghdad. She then began to pray for Carey in her language as Chita interpreted and yet we were once again the three fold chord held by God’s Spirit and she thanked God for bringing me to her house and I thanked God for her life in Him. It was a gift to me.
The results of these two special events in Santo Domingo and Santiago were these:
13 decisions for Christ
18 who wanted someone to come and talk some more to them about the Christian life
33 who wanted to be invited to other events like these.
8 who said “I am not ready yet.”
Only God knows the hearts of men and women, but HE did encounter them!
He encountered me.
Every day as I laid down my concerns especially Carey in prayer, I took up His assurance and my heart burned to share the Gospel with all that I met–to pray for them –to be available and my God who is faithful and true– took me farther a long the path of the righteous to a new place I’d never been before- surrendering and obeying with joy in the midst of anguish. A year ago He knew where Carey would be and where I would be. He planned it and it was good. I know this is lengthy but you who know my ministry know my heart. I am not ashamed of the Gospel. He said “Go.” I did and once again HE PROVED HIS FAITHFULNESS! Hallelujah to the Lamb!
“Father, thank you for these who pray and prepare the way for those who go. Touch each one with your blessing this day in a wondrous way as only YOU can all because of Jesus!”
You are in my heart forever,
Love,
Billie
