Solid Rock International, Dominican Republic

Melanie Wake

In 2018, when I was called to go on my first mission trip to the Dominican Republic, I was met with opposition from my husband, Jason.  He could not understand why I needed to go all the way to the DR to serve, but I knew in my heart that it was the place God was calling me to. I had affirmation upon affirmation that the desire in my heart had been planted there by God, and I had a choice to make. Either ignore the calling or step out into the unknown and follow where God was calling me. I decided to go, even though there were many obstacles to overcome before the January 2019 trip.

When I left for the Dominican, my husband had not grown any more enthusiastic about me going than when I first told him about God’s calling for me to go. I had set my mind that I was going to focus on what I was called to do, serve in my capacity as a nurse and share the love of Jesus with those we encountered. The week proved to be so much more than I ever dreamed it would be! I saw the love of Jesus in action like I had never seen it before. Many of my teammates had poured into me with prayer, specifically praying for me and my husband and for his heart to be softened. When I returned home, he immediately seemed different to me. He wanted to hear every detail of the trip! Within less than 24 hours, he told me, “I see something in your eyes that I want to be a part of. I want to go with you next year.” I could not believe my ears!

Fast forward to January 2020, we go on our first mission trip together. One of my greatest prayers in the months leading up to our trip was that Jason would experience God in a way that he had never experienced before—that he would see the love of Jesus in action and want to be a part of it. We had not even been in the DR for 24 hours when God started chasing after Jason’s heart. The first night there, Jason put his arm around me and started praying. This was a first in our 19 years of marriage!

Monday night, Jason was not able to sleep. When I went to get my coffee around 5am, he was sitting in the dining room with a notebook and a Bible in front of him…a sight I had not seen before. He had tears in his eyes as he handed me several sheets of paper with his testimony written out. He shared his testimony with our entire team later that evening. On Saturday, Jason made the decision to get baptized. As the week ended, he confided in me that he felt a bit guilty about how much he received on the trip versus how much he gave. I reassured him that God used this trip to open his heart to the love of Jesus. When we return in the years to come, we have a story to share and God will show us the work that He has assigned for us.