“I would go to the mountains and ask God what He wanted. I asked Him to speak to me. I told him when it was thundering with lightning, ‘Either kill me or show me.” And He showed him. Pastor Ezekiel Perez is the pastor of a thriving church in Azua de Las Lomas. Abandoned when he was 8 months old, his grandmother raised him. In many Caribbean and Latin American countries, abandoned children are raised by many families in the neighborhood.

Due to not having a birth certificate, he was unable to attend school at a young age. However, the principal helped him obtain the necessary documents. As he grew in stature, he became a very adept baseball player.  He was scheduled to sign with the Minnesota Twins and had it not been for an injury incurred while helping his grandfather carry 75–100-pound bags of coffee down mountain sides, he would have signed with them.

What to do?  Where to go?

Pastor Ezekiel chose the definite call of God on his life, attending an Assemblies of God Bible Institute where he graduated with honors.

But what about the roots of bitterness and a lack of forgiveness from being abandoned at a very young age?

Although now college educated, he was a young man called of God but yet holding on to deep wounds within. Like so many pastors and leaders, Pastor Ezekiel needed a coach or mentor to walk with him. That is why LoveServes is so vital in the six countries we work in (Brazil, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Jamaica, United States and Venezuela).

LoveServes is driven by the fact we live in a world where the majority of people do not know Christ. That is our why. However, the how and what is exciting.  Because we are passionate about reaching people for Christ, we must focus on pastors and leaders to touch many people.

A LoveServes coach (Rafael Tejeda) began to meet with Pastor Ezekiel every month, imparting leadership principles and helping him navigate a sordid past. As Pastor Ezekiel was able to not only forgive but also began to walk in freedom, so did the church he pastored.  Eventually, a paradigm shift took place, and the local church began to see their community like never before, moving from an inward look to an outward look. It is a thriving church today. What are the results of LoveServes coaching? What does a paradigm shift look like after spending 12-18 months with a pastor?

For the church in Azua de Las Lomas, one of the poorest areas of all the Dominican Republic, it means that 21 cement floors have been placed in homes, public bathrooms have been built, a ministry to the elderly has been solidly established, and an outreach to young people is flourishing. Furthermore, it means that Compassion Ministry International has been established in this community where more than 275 children receive education and daily meals. Just as important is a healthy pastoral family that does not carry all of the load because the church has been empowered to be the church.

Pastor Ezekiel and one of the children in the ministry program. This is Hansel, he was born without a leg and many fingers and toes. The church here built an indoor latrine for him and his family, so it would be easier and more sanitary.

In candid conversation during a classic Dominican down-pour, Pastor Ezekiel shared appreciation for LoveServes and the value of its ministry to pastors which affects the ‘why’ for reaching the least of these.