Letter from Mike: Dominican Republic – September 2021
“The wants of the cause are laid before us; the empty treasuries appeal to us most pathetically for help. One dollar now is of more value to the work than ten dollars will be at some future period.” Counsels on Stewardship, 134.
With the many lockdowns and restrictions still being imposed in countries around the world, you might think that God’s work is not moving forward. But Jesus forecasted, “This gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.” Matthew 24:14, NKJV. God’s honest worshipers still see these words as their marching orders, regardless of the circumstances!
In the Dominican Republic, Pastor Leonel recognizes Matthew 24:14 as his life purpose. On an island where hurricanes and earthquakes are frequent, natural disasters claim too many lives—so Pastor Leonel labors feverishly to get the message out before it is too late. He preaches the Three Angels’ Messages with power, and the Holy Spirit does the rest. Many people have been responding!
When Pastor Leonel held evangelistic meetings in Joel’s town, Joel attended eagerly. A Pentecostal, Joel was familiar with the Bible. While reading the Word one day, he had come across a text about the Sabbath. He wondered, “Is Sunday the Sabbath?” Curious, he began studying intently to ascertain the truth. As he dug into the Scriptures, he began to see that God’s Law had not been done away with, as he had been taught. When he read the Ten Commandments again, he saw them in a completely new way, especially the fourth commandment. He looked at his calendar and saw that the seventh day is on Saturday. He looked up “Saturday” in his dictionary, and the definition reaffirmed that it is the seventh day of the week.
Joel was convinced about the Sabbath, but now he had a dilemma: Which church keeps the Sabbath? He knew there must be one, so he took his quandary to God in prayer. About this time, he received an invitation to attend Pastor Leonel’s evangelistic meetings. The sermons on the Sabbath, the Mark of the Beast, and the Spirit of Prophecy captured his attention. This must be the commandment-keeping church that he had read about in Revelation 12:17! God had answered his prayers and led him to the remnant.
Pastor Leonel and Joel studied deeper into God’s Word together, and soon Joel joined God’s family on Earth and in Heaven through baptism. Joel has been sharing the new truths he has learned with his family, his friends and anyone who will listen. Pray that God will use Pastor Leonel and Joel to win many more people to Christ.
Please join Pastor Leonel in proclaiming the Three Angels’ Messages in the Dominican Republic! To speed this work forward, mark your gifts “DR Evangelism.”