The Medina’s Story

Jeff, Audrea, Gideon, Scarlett, and Lexi

 We met during seminary at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth in 2005, married that same year, and had our three living children in three consecutive years. SWBTS is also where Audrea graduated with an M.A. in Christian Education (2008) and I finished a Ph.D. in Church Vitalization with a minor in Islamic Studies (2017).

 Audrea suffered from a botched D&C following a miscarriage in 2011, losing 95% of her small intestine and altering the trajectory of our ministry expectations. This crisis of health necessitated intensive medical care and an eventual move in 2018 to Omaha’s University of Nebraska Medical Center for their Intestinal Rehabilitation Program. Four years of living under quality, proactive, comprehensive care, Audrea’s health, through God’s perfect plan and a new clinical trial drug, improved to such a degree that her health journey was no longer the major governing factor in our family decisions. In fact, her team of doctors encouraged her to live however, and wherever, she so desired, and with their blessing. As part of the clinical trial program Audrea is in, she travels back to Omaha twice a year for routine check-ups and medicine pick-up. She is under the care of a trustworthy Gastroenterologist in Santo Domingo.

 This brings me to God’s perfect timing in all things. Through much prayer, fasting, His word, affirmation through spiritual leaders, a vision trip, and a board’s vote, God solidified His calling for our family to join current missionaries, Bill and Peg Pearson, in the capitol city of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, where they serve the English Church. Bill and Peg planted this first church sixteen years ago upon retirement, and have, additionally, planted five more churches around the country. Their calling has produced fruitful evangelism; our calling is to invest in, and disciple, believers into spiritual maturity while guiding them into a lifestyle of missional living.

Soon after arriving, we found out the pastor of The English Church East was leaving to return to the United States. TECE is located in the east part of Santo Domingo, in a community called Alma Rosa. This is where we currently live and work.

We are heavily involved with: discipleship training, pastor/elder mentoring, children and youth ministry leadership development, women’s ministry leadership development, preaching, teaching, evangelism outreach, and providing solid theological education and foundations that our elders and leaders desire.