The Season of Advent

Love.

"For I am convinced that neither death nor life,

neither angels nor demons,

neither the present nor the future,

nor any powers,

neither height nor depth,

nor anything else in all creation,

will be able to separate us

from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Romans 8:38-39

Here in the Dominican Republic we do not sing the Christmas hymns on Sunday mornings during this Christmas season. But the songs we are singing are about God's love especially what Jesus did on the cross and His resurrection. When you look at the manger and see baby Jesus, remember also the cross and the stone as well. This is the true meaning of Christmas and the precious gift that God has given us so we will never be separated from His unconditional, agape love.

Song: It Came Upon the Midnight Clear

Joy.

"And again, Isaiah says,

'The Root of Jesse will spring up,

one who will arise to rule over the nations;

the Gentiles will hope in him.'

May the God of hope

fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him,

so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."

Romans 15:12-13

Here in the Dominican Republic Christmas is not celebrated with presents as much as presence. The giving of presents in more reserved for January 6th known as Kings' Day, when the magi of the east came and visited Jesus bringing with them gold, frankincense and myrrh. The magi of the far east were not God's chosen people, Israel yet God guided them, foreigners to Christ to worship him. What joy we have that Jesus came for all peoples, all nations. Not just the Jewish nation, God's chosen people.

This joy is for you, my dear reader. I pray that you are filled with joy each and every day.

Song: O Come All Ye Faithful

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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...

September Newsletter

SHANNON’S CORNER Connect. Nurture. Grow. Thank you for your faithfulness in praying for this ministry. Each debrief is a sacred invitation—a chance to step into someone’s story, even if only for a short stretch of the journey. It feels a bit like being allowed to glimpse a painting still in progress. We may not yet see the final picture, but we trust the One who promises to complete the good work He has begun until the day of Christ Jesus (Phil. 1:6). Recently, in an online debrief, the missionary shared: “ I am in a much better place since our initial meeting. Taking the time to process my lived experience overseas and to grieve the losses, I now feel I have the capacity to move forward here in my new season of life. ” We also had the joy of walking alongside three third culture children. To see their eyes light up as their stories were received with understanding and care was priceless. These children do not often have many who truly grasp their unique li...

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...

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