On the surface, the Gonzalez family was living a fruitful, successful life in the Dominican Republic.

But as bills and financial problems began to pile up, the once financially secure family soon found themselves virtually bankrupt. Their comfortable life suddenly felt out of control.

The effects of their struggles began to weigh heavily on them and they knew they couldn’t continue on their own.

They decided to go through family counseling to work through their problems, which brought them to the office of Missions Door missionary and pastor of Iglesia Centro Cristiano Bendición, Felix Abreu. Felix shared with them the love of Christ and how to honor Him with their finances.

Over the coming years they worked with Felix to become debt free and started living a new life in Christ — all while learning about the good news of the Gospel. They are now active in the ministry of the church, and their oldest son was recently baptized.

A Holistic Ministry

From biblical counseling and Christian education to clean water, Ministerios Bendición is a holistic ministry that seeks to serve the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of the Dominican people.

“The lifestyle in the Dominican Republic is very fast-paced,” says Felix. “It has created people who often abandon their family in the pursuit of happiness and success. That’s a very empty life. But when they come to church, they are blessed beyond just the spiritual.”

As an underprivileged nation, there is a great need for quality education. Ministerios Bendición operates two Christian schools that serve more than 600 children in the community. Each school provides a government-approved education with an emphasis on biblical truth, which often leads to the transformation of the lives of students and their families.

Throughout both the urban and rural areas of the Dominican Republic, many communities suffer due to the lack of safe drinking water. Thanks to Ministerios Bendición, five water purification plants provided access to nearly 3 million gallons of clean water in 2014.

Not only do the water plants offer clean water, but they also are an opportunity for economic development, providing employment for locals who often struggle to find work. The income they receive from selling water supports the ministry as well as the local communities.

Your financial support of Felix and Ministerios Bendición will help in providing continued holistic ministry to the Dominican Republic.