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December Newsletter

 SHANNON’S CORNER

Connect. Nurture. Grow.

Merry Christmas! 


Advent invites us to slow down and sit with the holy mystery of what is still unfolding.  Much of the Christmas story was not understood in the moment.  It only became clear after it had happened—through the gift of hindsight.  Hindsight is “understanding a situation or event only after it has happened or developed.”  During Advent, we are reminded that God often works in ways we cannot yet see or fully understand.  How often do we find ourselves in similar places, asking God our why, what, and how questions?

Why is this happening?
What is unfolding?
How did we arrive here?

 

Advent teaches us to wait with these questions, trusting God even when the answers are not yet revealed—when we are living in the dark, watching for light.

 

Debriefing is one way we intentionally look back in order to notice God’s quiet faithfulness.  It is a practice of reflection that helps us seek hindsight—naming impact, recognizing kindness, and acknowledging where God has been present, even in places we did not expect.  It also brings us gently into the present, asking: What is happening now that I do not yet understand? How is this shaping me?  From there, we look ahead with hope, grounded in the security we have as children of God.  Even when clarity does not come in this lifetime, we trust that Emmanuel—God with us—holds us securely.  He knows us deeply, face-to-face.

 

Recently, I was invited to sit on sacred ground as six individuals shared their stories.  Two teenage girls are navigating life between Ukraine and Canada, continuing their education while adapting to different cultures, school systems, and expectations.  Advent waiting is very real for them—their future uncertain, plans tentative, decisions made without knowing what comes next.  Yet even in this in-between space, God is present.

 

Another story was of a global worker from Armenia, whom God met in the midst of deep grief—the death of a dear friend and ministry partner.  Space was made for her sorrow, allowing grief to be welcomed rather than hurried past.  Like the Good Samaritan, Jesus moved toward her with compassion, tending her wounds and restoring her strength: “He refreshes my soul” (Psalm 23:3a).  In Advent, we remember that Christ enters our brokenness not with urgency, but with gentleness and care.

 

I also met with a global worker couple who lived overseas for ten years, including the last two in India.  Through reflection, they began to see how cultural pressures and organizational changes had quietly shaped and strained them.  The husband recognized how he had minimized his own pain by comparing it to the suffering of others, avoiding his emotions in the process.  The wife shared how meaningful it was to realize that God sees her—especially after a long season of feeling unseen by leadership.  Advent reminds us that God notices what others may overlook.

 

One globetrotter, storyteller, and technologist reflected, “I was struck by two things—the discovery that grief is a gift, and your metaphor that grief is an ocean.  At first, the image inspired terror.  But once I realized that grief was a gift, I began to see the beauty within it.”

We live in the liminal space of Advent—the already and the not yet.  It is a space that holds paradox: sorrow and joy, loss and hope, waiting and promise. This is where Christ meets us.

This ministry exists to walk alongside those who serve the nations—ministry workers, their families, and Third Culture Kids—offering care in seasons that often feel uncertain and unseen.  Rooted in Christ’s gentle way of shepherding, our assignment is to Connect, Nurture, and Grow, creating space for rest, reflection, and renewal as they wait on God in the midst of transition and service.

 

Because of your partnership, these servants are welcomed into quiet, safe spaces where their stories are received with care, weary hearts are held, and hope is slowly restored.  In this holy waiting, rest is found, identity and purpose is remembered, and isolation gives way to the deep comfort of belonging—reminding each one that Emmanuel, ‘God with us,’ is near. 

 

As we look toward 2026, advent invites us to watch and prepare – to make room for what God is already bringing into being.  Our hope is to expand this care through deeper partnerships, increased face-to-face ministry, and accessible support that removes financial barriers as we connect, nurture, and grow together.  The $65,500 support goal helps sustain the foundation of this ministry – providing the infrastructure and travel needed to minister to those serving worldwide and ensuring that those who pour themselves out for others are restored, refreshed, and sent forward, anchored in Christ.

 

Where might God be inviting you to join in this work?

 

“Your house and kingdom will endure before me forever, and your throne will be established forever.” 2 Samuel 7:16


PRAYER REQUESTS

Praise the Lord for safety in traveling to Canada and a reliable car to make the trip!

Praise the Lord for connecting and creating a safe space for the 2 TCK girls to process their lived experience!

Praise the Lord for how God worked in the lives of the couple serving in India as they processed their time there and understanding that what they experienced matters, and they matter to God!

Praise the Lord for God meeting the individual in Armenia in the midst of her grief – fresh water to her soul!

Praise the Lord for God showing an individual in our debrief that he matters. God delights in him!

Praise the Lord for experiencing a mini-retreat this Advent season!

Praise the Lord for basketball season and enjoying watching the kids play!

Pray for 2026 fundraising 65,500.

Pray for trip to Thailand, Feb 5th-20th, for a missionary retreat and debriefing 3 TCKs.

Pray for wisdom & discernment to what to say ‘yes’ and ‘no’ and when meeting with people for care.

Pray for students of TCK Connect to feel seen, heard, and connected.

Contact Information:


Donate Online! (Follow the prompts) 
www.WorldOutreach.org/783

 

Mail Checks:

  World Outreach Ministries, Inc.

  P.O. Box B

  Marietta, GA  30061

  (Make a check out to WOM & in memo or in a note write Shannon Eaton #783)

 

Bill Pay:  free option via your online banking

  (Use the same information for checks)

 

Shannon Eaton

107 Old York Rd Apt 5

New Cumberland, PA 17070

(724) 967-1437


Email:  shannon.eaton76@gmail.com

Coaching:  lifetransitioncoaching.shannon@gmail.com

FaceBook:  fb.com/shannonreaton

Instagram:  instagram.com/shangirl94



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