A Leader of Hundreds. A Friend of All.
Meet Teresa
A mother of three. A grandmother of nine. A leader of hundreds. A friend of all.
Teresa is the president of the neighborhood association in Consuelo, a high-crime, low-income area in the Dominican Republic. At Mission: Hope, we often refer to people like Teresa as agents of change. Our local teams work closely with community leaders like Teresa—people in positions of authority who are willing and able to lead Kingdom work and bring restoration to their remote communities.
While Teresa has proven to be a change agent in her community, she's so much more.
Recently, our team led a vision trip to the Dominican Republic with a handful of donor partners, and we met Teresa. It was a divine encounter that impacted each of us.
As Teresa led our team through the dusty streets of Consuelo, we watched children run to her. Women, both young and elderly, greeted her with hugs and stopped to share a word.
She is welcoming. Safe. Humble.
When she and her late husband moved to Consuelo 20 years ago, homes didn't have power or access to clean water. The community lacked proper roadways, so garbage trucks were not able to collect trash. Community leadership was self-serving, and people suffered as a result.
Then, Teresa's late husband became president of the neighborhood association. Together, they raised their family to know the Lord and faithfully led their community toward the Kingdom. When he died several years ago, the community voted Teresa to continue his legacy.
Today, the neighborhood has some paved roads and an organized trash pickup system. Most homes have power and clean water. Teresa has worked to educate her community on the importance of stewarding the land they call home.
More than anything, Teresa is a selfless advocate for those she serves. She always says "yes" to helping others. She gives a voice to the voiceless and is a mother to the motherless.
Teresa is a true change agent. She is technically the biological mother of three, but in reality, she is a mother to all.
We’re thankful for the leadership and selflessness of Teresa and others like her around the world.
Help us train up more indigenous leaders like Teresa to be agents of positive change in their communities.
