A local Hastings couple has big news to share.
Tim Stanley, serving with his wife Laura and family at Doulos Discovery School in Jarabacoa, Dominican Republic, has just been named the school’s next executive director. Laura serves as a 3rd grade teacher at the school.
With “doulos” the Greek word for “bondservant,” Doulos Discovery is a religious PreK3-12th grade school in Jarabacoa, located near the center of the island in the western part of the Dominican Republic. Jarabacoa is known as the city of Eternal Springtime, nestled in La Vega Province at approximately 1,735 feet above sea level, surrounded by mountains and four major rivers.
Tim shared more on his appointment as executive director in the December newsletter from Doulos.
“My name is Tim Stanley and I have the privilege of serving as the next executive director of Doulos Discovery School,” he shared. “This role has been years in the making for me and my family. Since the first time that we stepped foot on the Doulos campus over 15 years ago, I knew that Doulos would be a major part of our lives. Early in our marriage, from 2008-2011, my wife Laura and I lived and worked in Jarabacoa at another local school. Whenever we visited Doulos, we could sense there was something special about the staff, students, and even the physical campus of Doulos.
“I could always sense that God was on the move in the midst of everything and His work seemed evident at every turn. Over the years as I had the opportunity to visit Doulos through visiting friends or bringing groups to serve, that same sense always greeted me upon arrival.
“Over the years, our desire to be a part of this incredible Doulos community continued to increase. In early 2023, Laura and I started talking about how the Lord had been stirring in our hearts to return to the D.R., and this time serve at Doulos. That March, I led a team serving at Doulos and during that time the Lord made it clear that we were supposed to return to the D.R. The amazing thing about all of this was that Laura and I were completely in agreement throughout. Within a few months, we sold our home in Minnesota, most of our belongings, and prepared to serve at Doulos.
“In June 2023 we left a community in Minnesota that we loved and that cared for us in incredible ways for over 12 years. Though it was hard to leave, we knew that God was clearly calling us back to the D.R. Over the past 18 months, our family has grown more and more to love Doulos, the city of Jarabacoa, and the Dominican Republic. As we recently navigated the decision for me to accept this executive director role, it was largely a “no-brainer” for everyone. Jarabacoa has quickly become our home.”
Tim closed out his newsletter comments by sharing the journey of Doulos Discovery, both to date and towards the future.
“God has our Doulos community at an especially important chapter in its history,” he said. “We have more staff than ever, more students than ever (more applicants than ever as well!), and a piece of land to dream, pray, and plan around. Not only do we have “big” numbers, but our impact continues to grow as we continue to refine our model to help each student reach their full God-given potential. My hope for these next several years is that we will continue to develop our students (and our staff!) in ways that will equip them to significantly impact their families, communities, and the greater D.R. for Jesus, while also making great strides in moving Doulos to our new permanent home.

Journal readers can learn more, support, and keep up with the work of Doulos Discovery School by going to www.doulosdiscovery.org.