THE WORD “GOSPEL” COMES FROM THE GREEK WORD, euangelion, an ancient military term for the announcement of a victory. Early Christians adopted the word to describe the good news of Jesus Christ’s victory over sin and the hope that faith in Jesus brings to the world. “Go into all the world and preach the Gospel,” Jesus commanded (Mark 16:15). He left to his followers the discovery of effective methods and tools.
For a child living in poverty, how do you communicate euangelion, and the hope and change that faith in Christ can bring? How do you love “out loud,” in practical actions that spell the reality of God’s ability to save the children and families trapped in circumstances like those recounted below?
Harlen, Darlen and Darlenson live with their mother. Their father left the country seeking work, a sadly familiar story. The children are angry and rebellious, failing in school. Debts have accumulated, and Mom has suffered a stroke. In the midst of desperation, she found Christ.
Nayeli and Alfonso live in a shack next to a pigsty. Mom earns 80 dollars per month as a janitor in a public hospital, and Dad earns 200 dollars as a teacher. Both are committed Christians.
Jose, Angel, Maria Isabel and Paulina live in a wooden shack, infested with termites, and the inside walls are partly cardboard. Two girls and two boys sleep on the same bed, using mattresses eaten by rats. The children began to attend a neighborhood Bible club, where they heard the Gospel. Their mom now serves there.
The knowledge of poverty is all around us, but like “white noise,” it hovers in the background of our consciousness. Confronted with the reality, the needs seem overwhelming and pervasive: housing, food, education, safety. We can instinctively turn away, asking ourselves, “What can one person do to impact the quicksand of circumstances that sucks hope out of existence?”
Russell Jerez has served with STCH Ministries in the Dominican Republic as the Director of Construction and in various leadership positions for the last 14 years. Frequently confronted by the dire circumstances surrounding Samuel’s Fund sponsored children, he has learned that hope begins with small actions that meet basic needs.
Recently, Russell, accompanied by his wife, Mio, ministered in El Salvador. There, they reported a transformational moment in their own lives:
During a mission trip to El Salvador, Mio and I had the opportunity to deliver groceries to a Samuel’s Fund sponsored family, where we got to know the family. The parents and their three children recently moved in with the grandparents, who loaned them the use of one of the two rooms in their small home.
Despite their desperate poverty and living conditions, Ana shared her gratitude for the Peniel churches where they heard the Gospel and found Christ. They recently received the news that their children would be sponsored by the Samuel’s Fund program. A joyful smile filled her face. She gave thanks for the bag of groceries we brought with teary eyes, endless hugs and “muchas gracias!” Under the 7-foot-high metal roof, the temperature rose to over 100 degrees inside the 8×8 room. Mio and I also noticed one condition in particular: the family of five shared one bed, a condition with which we were familiar.
When Mio and I prayed for them, we were reminded that we were praying for the Salvadorian version of our own story, and our beginnings: living in one room with three young children in the basement of our parents’ home. We remembered how we prayed and how God has provided, in His time, for our own place.
As we left, our thoughts shifted from prayers to actions. How could we help this family? First, a phone call to order mattresses, then a rough sketch that would use leftover wood, and “Operation Bunkbed” officially began. Working nonstop, the beds were ready for delivery two days later.
Everyone helped to carry the unassembled pieces of the beds—the three kids, Mom and Dad, the pastor, even Ana’s mother. In short order, the four-year-old twins were jumping on their new bed. Wide-eyed, the older brother realized that tonight he would not have to sleep on a double-folded rag on the floor. With eyes filled with tears, Mom and Dad had front row seats to the Gospel in action!
The Apostle James wrote that, “faith without works is dead.” It is amazing to discover that as we move from compassion to action, our own faith comes alive and God’s purpose for our lives is renewed.
Richard shared recently, “I was thankful to build and deliver something for a basic need, like a bed, and I hoped that it would show people that God cares about them. And they won’t give up, even though they have a difficult life. It was a humbling feeling, like I wanted to cry, as I realized how many of God’s blessings I take for granted.”
Swamy remembered, “I was familiar with the impact of receiving a bed. I lived as a child in Honduras, and until I received a bed, I always had to sleep with my grandma. When we delivered the bed we built, I could feel his gratitude mixed with shyness. We assembled it in a corner of the kitchen, as it was the only space available. Sharing that experience was like a treasure, and it continues to bless my heart. It reminds me of the verse, ‘Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.’ I’m grateful for how my life started, and all the credit goes to God for where I am now.”
While it would be inaccurate to believe that just a bed and a new mattress will change a child’s life and his future, a bed delivered in situations of great poverty demonstrates to the child in a simple yet profound way: God is real, He cares, He sees me and my family in the midst of the desperation and chaos around me.
Little Maria will never lead a normal life due to crippling brain seizures and a speech disorder. She had never had her own bed, and when the mission team from Yorktown Christian Academy delivered her bed, she could not stop saying, “gracias, gracias, gracias!”
Elias Marinez is one of the children who received a bed and who recently shared the impact that gift made in his life. He is 21 years old and lives in Bani, Dominican Republic. While in elementary school, Elias was sponsored by the Samuel’s Fund program, and then received a CLEP scholarship for his university studies. Upon graduation with a degree in Computer Technology, he was offered a job in a thriving company in his field of study. Recently, we asked Elias to share what a bed meant to him as a young boy.
bed was in very poor condition. Although my family wanted to buy me a new one, it wasn’t financially possible since my two brothers were starting school, and their expenses were a priority for my family. Therefore, the gift of a bed came as an answer to a prayer.
For me, as a child, it meant more than just a piece of furniture; it was a personal blessing that made me feel seen, cared for and valued. Knowing that something as necessary and personal as a bed had been designed and given specifically for me filled me with joy and gratitude. Having a new mattress and bed allowed me to sleep well and wake up energized to perform better in school.
I remember the bed had a plaque with the passage from Numbers 6:24-25.
The Lord bless you and keep you;
The Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you.
That verse reminded me that behind this gift was love, faith and people willing to bless others.
Today, eight years later, I still use that bed. It has witnessed my growth, my high school and college graduations. As an adult, I understand even more the value of this gift: the bed provided a better quality of life, health, rest and a push to achieve goals. The gift of a bed was, and continues to be, a symbol of God’s provision and care for my life and my family.
Russell has directed the construction of hundreds of beds as well as many other projects. He said, “More than ever, I see everything as a tool to serve God. Perhaps it’s my construction mind that gives me that perspective. Experiences, the needs around me, assets, knowledge — they all can be used to serve God. More than that, they are the tools that God uses to show us Himself. I pray that I am always willing to see, willing to use His tools, willing to be used for His purpose and His glory.”
Mission teams in the Dominican Republic and El Salvador, and starting soon in Belize and the Rio Grande Valley, communicate euangelion, the good news of the Gospel. They do this through Bible stories, songs, games, crafts and through meeting various needs, all wrapped in love, all temporary in nature. After the music, games, stories and colorful crafts have faded, the gift of a bed remains. It is a tangible, visible proof that “I matter, I have value, someone loved me, chose me and gave me a free gift.” What an amazing illustration of the Gospel.
