As we wrap up five and a half years of serving the Lord in the Dominican Republic, we wanted to highlight some of the many ways that the Lord has been working in our lives as well as the community of Jarabacoa.
Ava- Strong Start to Freshman Year
Ava is always a very busy girl, and that pace has definitely carried into her first year of high school. She has been incredibly involved in multiple activities at Doulos. She is the Freshman class representative for Doulos Student Leadership Council (DSLC), starting outside hitter for the Varsity Volleyball team AND starting wing for the Girls Varsity Soccer team! Balancing everything has been a lot, but Ava has done a terrific job of keeping her activities as well as her academics balanced.
She has also had two distinct ways that the Lord has used her this Fall. The first one was being a peer tutor for the first grade classroom. At Doulos, first grade is the first year where they receive equal amounts of English and Spanish instruction. Having Ava as an additional resource was an incredible benefit for the teacher who utilized her for small group and 1-1 instruction. Ava was also beneficial when the lead teacher was gone for a week. The assistant was struggling with classroom management, so Ava stepped up, implemented a prize box, and helped keep the calm.
The other way is through the strengthening and sharing of her faith. Ava has been really working on knowing the Lord more and working on listening to His discernment. This led her to share a testimony (see video below) with her class during the 36km outdoor ed trip to Valle Tetero. She focused on how the enemy was filling her with lies, especially during the time of her Grandmother’s death, and how God opened her eyes and brought freedom from that. It was a powerful time that led to others, both classmates and adults, to share about similar struggles. We are proud of her willingness to follow the Holy Spirit and minister to her classmates in such meaningful ways.
Mike – Back in the Class
Our calling has always had the simplicity of “Go forth….” Essentially, constantly seeking to listen to the discernment of the Lord and what He has for us as we serve here. Last year, there was a staffing change in the high school that required me to adjust my role. As Melissa and I prayed about it, we felt that the Lord was leading me back into the classroom full time and away from administration. So for this year, I am teaching 5 subject blocks everyday: 9th &10th math, 11th honors algebra II, as well as 11th/12th regular English & 11th/12th honors English. While I valued the time leading the teaching staff at Doulos, I am equally excited to be back in the classroom and working directly with kids. Additionally, I get to have both Brennan’s and Ava’s classes, which allows me to continue to build relationships with students that I have known since we moved here in 2020.One of the things that I love the most about teaching at Doulos is the ability to bring God’s word every day to class. So many high school students are seeking truth from a variety of sources, so being able to bring the truth of the Gospel to counter the messages of the world is quite the honor.
I also get the opportunity to be the guide teacher for Ava’s class. This means getting to be an even stronger influence on her group of friends and classmates. One of my favorite times to do this is during the annual Outdoor Ed trip. These trips get students in an environment where they are taken out of their norm, and have the nothing to do but walk, take in the beauty of God’s creation, and connect relationally with God and the people they are walking with. I was able to talk with many students regarding life, family, struggles, God, theological questions, among other topics. It is a genuine blessing to be able to have time with these kids in such a unique environment, where many drop their protective walls and offer to let you speak into their lives on a deeper level than normal.
Speaking of unique, one special experience I had was working in Asuncion, Paraguay for a week this September. I was an evaluative representative for the Association of Christian Schools International. Basically, I went as a member of a reaccreditation team for a fellow Christian school in Paraguay. During this week I got to know the school staff and students, provide specific feedback and suggestions for the school in the areas of student climate, administration, and policy, which will aid them in their mission to bring Jesus to their students
Brennan – Ending a Chapter & New Beginnings
Senior year is a special time for every student, and for Brennan, this is no exception. He has been diligently working on keeping his grades up, leading the school as Executive Assistant for the DSLC, and applying for colleges and countless scholarships. Currently, he has his list narrowed to five universities. All of them are solid Christian schools that have accredited Mechanical Engineering programs. Finances are a big part of the decision-making process, so please be praying for discernment as we receive financial aid packets within the next couple of months.
It also marks a bittersweet time with Brennan’s senior class. We have spent hours pouring into them relationally…having many of them over to bake cookies, play video games, time at school activities, and through many other avenues. Some of them have solid relationships with Christ, some are still very much in their Christian infancy, and others are still unwilling to accept the Gospel. Our hope is to use these last months that we are doing life closely with them to continue to bring Christ to them in whatever ways He leads us.
Melissa – Flexibility for the Lord
or Melissa, every day is a new day with opportunities to be the Lord’s hands and feet. So much of her time is keeping the lives of the three of us (Mike, Ava, Brennan) going, but the rest of it is really for building relationships and pouring into the individuals that God has brought into our lives. This means that many days have no real “game plan,” which allows for the flexibility of relationships and the Lord’s leading to be first and foremost in her life.For example, as I am writing this, she is having coffee right now with another missionary and her mother who is visiting. Many times, our evening conversations at dinner revolve around Melissa stating, “ I met with _____ over coffee,” “The water guy came and we talked about_____,” I was getting groceries and ran into ______,” “Babe, I’m going to go get together with _____,” “I felt God lead me to text ____ this morning.” And so on and so on.
When thinking about our spiritual gifts, Melissa really has the gift of evangelism and being relational with anyone. My (Mike) parents recently came for a visit and they were like, “Melissa just talks with everyone, doesn’t she?”What is really beautiful about this is the amount of relationships that Melissa has built, in which she is a trusted individual. She is known in the community as a person who is deep, lives for Jesus and will be an honest and solid friend. I always marvel at the ease at which she can be a loving person with so many people so quickly and can turn almost any conversation into an opportunity to talk about Jesus, what He has done for us and then make it personal for that individual.
Prayer Requests for 2026
Prayer is incredibly valuable for us and a wonderfully tangible way for you to partner with God’s work in the Dominican Republic. Please pray for the following areas this upcoming year:
Pray for Brennan’s college decision as well as his transition back to the states in June. Finances play a tremendous part into this decision, and we should receive all financial aid offers from the schools he has applied to by March. Additionally, the transitions for missionary kids back to stateside living is always a culture shock. Please pray for Brennan to deeply rely on the Lord as He transitions back this summer and re-enters American life full time as a university student.
Melissa’s health continues to have its ebbs and flows. She has recovered well from her gall bladder removal, but that, plus issues with her thyroid (She has hashimoto’s thyroiditis autoimmune disease) have meant that she has to be on a restrictive diet. She will go in for some check-ups in the next month, so please join us in praying for truth, accuracy and guidance as we navigate a cumbersome medical system.
With Mike teaching 11/12 English Language Arts, he is in charge of the Senior’s capstone project. This comes with a lot of logistics, but more importantly is a time of deep self-reflection for students and looking at where they are in their relationship with Christ. Pray for Mike’s conversations and activities regarding this to be filled with grace and truth and point the kids to Christ.
After some difficulties in middle school, Ava has had a wonderful start to high school. She has really strived to have healthy relationship during this time of her life and would like prayer for God’s strength to maintain this moving forward. Also, with her playing multiple sports, she would like prayer to stay healthy.