September Newsletter

SHANNON’S CORNER

September 2017

New missionary orientation: Kids Alive had six candidates come through our orientation. Three will be serving in the Dominican Republic and three will be serving in Guatemala. Hearing their stories of how God has brought them to where they are is a delight and a joy to be a part of their journey. I had the privilege to come and share with them some of my fund raising experiences along with doing a workshop regarding member care. In the member care workshop I highlighted the need for each of our singles and couples to pray about developing a core ministry team who ministers to them. I shared with them my experience when I did not have this core team and now that I do how it has made a big impact in my life and ministry. Just being able to answer questions and sharing with them about life on the field has been in and of itself very rewarding. I can remember when Connie Rhodes came to share with my sending church about Peru and answering everyone’s questions and concerns how that was very valuable to all involved in sending me for the first time to Peru.

It was a privilege to get to see our home office staff and meet some new ones since my last visit. A time to reconnect with them and to hear what’s been happening in their lives. Worshipping together every morning and being in God’s word together is such a refreshing and fulfilling time. Seeing how our staff and missionaries interact with one another and the relationships that are built.

Hurricane Irma, Jose and Maria have been terrorizing the Caribbean and we are so thankful that the Dominican Republic so far has not had the damage nor devastation like many of our neighboring islands have had. Please continue to be praying as Maria makes her way this week towards the DR and other islands especially for those who have already lost so much.

PRAYER REQUESTS

Praise the Lord for safety and protection from Hurricane Irma!

Praise the Lord for safety in traveling to the US for the new missionary orientation & conference!

Praise the Lord for our KAI home office staff!

Pray for our missionary retreat Oct. 13^th-15^th.

Pray for our women’s Bible Study groups…for spiritual growth and community.

Pray for the Misio Nexus Conference Sept. 21^st-23^rd which I will be attending.

Pray for the spiritual health for everyone in the DR (kids, staff, leaders, missionaries).

Cory, Cathy, Dave, Connie, Alexa, & Jay

Commissioning Service: Cory

Celebrating Kelly's birthday

Working in small groups

Sharing their story: Dave & Connie

Comments

October Newsletter

SHANNON’S CORNER The Saga Continues… The trip to Malaysia consisted of a two-day spiritual retreat with the theme of ‘Come Away With Me’ and a six-day conference with about 230 missionaries who serve in some aspect of translating the Scriptures. One of the many people who I met was a missionary who served in Cameroon for many years and now is in a new role. As he was sharing, most his words were very negative and depressive. I encouraged him to sign up for a time of prayer and care. At the end of the retreat, this missionary shared with me that he did have a session and I could see that his whole countenance changed, and he was hopeful. His new word he used to describe where he was now is ‘delightful.’ Our time there was creating a safe space for these missionaries to have a place to share what they are struggling with and to connect with Jesus. One missionary is at a crossroads in her life. Another finds himself in the midst of betrayal. A missionary is in a new role as a caregi...

June Newsletter

SHANNON’S CORNER Connect. Nurture. Grow. Building connection and trust are important in any relationship and especially when wanting to create a safe place for people to share and process their stories. Sometimes with kids and teens it can take a bit of time to foster those connections and trust. A question that is implied is, “Are you safe to share my story with?” Often it is through play these connections are built. Both families who I debriefed serve in Uganda, they serve with different organizations in the capital of Kampala, and both families are in transition. The one sibling group were ages 3, 6, and 8 years old and as I worked with them, I was able to apply some of the principles I learned in play processing. The other sibling group were ages 5, 7, 13, and 14 years old which was a bit of a challenge for me with the large age span. The main thing for all of them was saying goodbye to friends who have come and gone while they were the ones “left behind”, and for the one sib...

November Newsletter

SHANNON’S CORNER Gratitude…Happy Thanksgiving! In the last newsletter I shared that God turns pebbles into tidal waves so have I got a story for you. I was asked to read the history of Cherry Run Camp and a piece of its history spoke loudly to me as it has impacted my family for eternity. Around 1934 the pastor of the Rimersburg Methodist Church, Wilson R. Ross known as “Daddy Ross,” and the Men’s Bible Class took an interest in revitalizing Cherry Run Camp as it had fallen into great disrepair and deep into debt. Fifty some years later, my dad was the pastor of Rimersburg Methodist Church, and it was at Cherry Run Camp in the 60’s where he came to know Jesus as his Savior. The story of Cherry Run Camp is one of God’s Spirit moving across generations to form and to sustain a place which has become a spiritual home for many. I am so, so grateful for God turning this pebble in the 1930’s into a tidal wave for eternity. A global worker from across the ocean i...

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