Dorothy Ruelas was born in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico and lived there her whole life, until God moved her to the USA in 2006. She and her husband, Juan José Ruelas have 2 children: Carla Beth Arriola and Joshua Omar Ruelas, and 5 grandchildren. Her parents were missionaries to Mexico for 36 years with the IMB. They taught her to love and serve God in the mission field. Both did prison ministry at some point in their lives.
When Dorothy and her husband moved to the USA, she thought she was moving to follow her kids, Carla and Joshua and their families, yet she found out later on that it was GOD that had moved them, because God had a special ministry for her. Even though she had participated with her mother in the ministry with the men at the penitentiary in Guadalajara, she had never ministered the way God led her to minister once she got to the USA. At the end of 2007, God led her to begin writing a young man who was on Texas Death Row, whom she had never met. After some months, Dorothy and her husband began visiting him. Being 100% bilingual, this young man introduced Dorothy to a number of Spanish-speaking inmates on Death Row, whom Dorothy began to write to and now visits several of them. Dorothy’s purpose was to love these men to Christ. Let them feel God’s love through her love for them; to share the Gospel with them, so they could have eternal life in Christ.
When Dorothy began writing to other Hispanic inmates, one of them asked her why she had written him. He then answered himself: “I know why. God sent you. I just finished reading the New Testament and ended in tears, as I realized what Christ did for me. I deserve to die for my crimes, but Jesus did nothing and was also executed in a terrible and painful form.” Other inmates have openly expressed to Dorothy how they are thankful God sent them to Death Row, because it was there that they came to know Jesus Christ. “If I would have been left in the “free” world, my style of life would have made me die anyway, but I would have died without Christ. Now I am sure where I will go if I am executed. I will be FREE INDEED!”
There is so much to be done on Death Row; so much need, both physically and spiritually, showing them they are important to God, and that God loves and forgives them, no matter their crime. Society believes these men have no redemption, nor are capable of transformation, but Dorothy has been greatly blessed and humbled to witness the way God DOES transforms the most hardened hearts and now are new creations in Him… from anger to love, from causing harm to serving others, from darkness to light. They now shine the Light of Christ in that dark place called Death Row.
The ministry God put in Dorothy´s hands does not stop with the inmates. Dorothy has reached out to their families, many who have abandoned their family member on Death Row. She has seen with joy how broken relationships have been mended. She has shared the love of Christ with these families. Many of them (especially the wives of inmates and their children) struggle to make ends meet. When it is in her capacity of doing so, Dorothy has made economical donations to the family, or helping them out with the expenses to make the trip to visit their loved one on Death Row. Other times, she has sent birthday presents to the children or grandchildren on behalf of the inmate.
There is always a need for Bibles and Christian books. Dorothy has purchased and sent many to inmates. The ones strong in their faith in Christ share the gospel with others there and also pass on their Bibles (they then inform me they have given their Bible away to someone who needed it and need another Bible)
Dorothy was called to Death Row Ministry the end of 2007 (one year after moving to the USA from Guadalajara). She had no idea how it would expand from one inmate to now having ministered to approximately 30 inmates. 10 of them are already with the Lord…FREE INDEED.
People who do not deserve love, need it the most….that is why Jesus came.
You may not feel Death Row is you calling, but will you partner with Dorothy through prayer and giving to better serve these men and their families? God bless you.
Matthew 25: 36,40 – “…I was in prision and you came to visit Me….Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me.”
Ezekiel 33:11 – “As I live, says the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live.”