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March Newsletter

SHANNON’S CORNER
March 2019

In the book of Ecclesiastes in chapter three it talks about a time for everything.  “There is a time for everything and a season for every activity under heaven,” which the changing of seasons reminds me of this verse and the ones that follow.  Here in the Dominican Republic the weather is getting warmer as we are in the season of spring.  Recently, I was sitting outside on my porch reading, the clouds rolled in, there was a cool breeze and the smell of the anticipation of rain that would come. The rain came, the beautiful sounds it created; the smell of the earth; and the coolness and breeze.  How refreshing it was to sit there in the anticipation of rain but also while it rained the music it played was beautiful. As I sat there listening to the rain a song that we sang in church came to mind called “Nuestro Dios” (He is Our God) by Sovereign Grace.  There is no one else like our God.  He is holy, there is no one else as glorious as the Holy God.  No one compares to our God. 




Just as creation goes through seasons, we also go through a number of seasons in our lives, spiritually, physically, relationally, psychologically and even in our jobs or ministries.  There have been many seasons that I have walked through or am walking through for myself as well as with others.  How each season that we go through can have not only an impact on our life but on the lives of those around us.  What kind of impact are the seasons of your life having on you and those around you?

One of the questions I ask our missionaries and interns when I am checking-in with them is this, what is God teaching you?  This season of my life, God has been teaching me his various names and attributes.  One name of God that I have never heard before and which I have been studying is Jehovah Mekoddishkem.  It means “The Lord who sanctifies” or “The Lord makes holy.”  As Christians, God makes us holy through the blood of Jesus Christ.  But what intrigued me was God making the Sabbath holy.  A day that is set apart from all other days of the week to rest from our normal day in and day out work grind in order to sit in the presence of our Lord.  Growing up my parents modeled Sabbath rest by taking their Sabbath on Mondays.  I did not completely grasp nor really understand the true meaning of Sabbath rest until I started partaking of the Sabbath rest for myself in Honduras. It was a day that I would long for and awaited for in great anticipation.  The Lord is calling us to enter into his name, Jehovah Mekoddishkem. Enter into his rest.  How are you entering the Sabbath rest in your life?

This spring season I have been teaching Sunday school to the 7-10 year old class.  It has
been challenging in trying to get 10-14 kids to not only listen but to not be picking on one another.  The kids are learning the different attributes of God.  The attributes that I have taught have been on liberator, victorious, king, holy and worthy.  Thankfully, I have been able to find various object lessons to help demonstrate these various attributes of God.  It has been a delight to see how the kids have responded to the various demonstrations. My favorite object lesson was on God’s holiness using water and oil.  Through Christ, God makes us holy, which means to be set apart from this world. The water represents the world and the oil represents us as believers.  Water and oil do not mix demonstrates that as believers we are in the world but not of the world because God has set us apart as his holy people. It is in this set apart that draws non-believers to God.  Some of the responses the kids gave me as examples to live lives set apart were obeying their parents, not fighting, not saying bad words, and reading their Bible. How are you living your life set apart from the world?

“Say to the Israelites, ‘You must observe my Sabbaths.  
This will be a sign between me and you for the generations to come, 
so you may know that I am the LORD, who makes you holy.’”
Exodus 31:13

PRAYER REQUESTS
Praise the Lordfor safe return of Eric, Kindsey, Makenna, Gentry and Malia!
Praise the Lord for Jan’s safe return from the states!
Praise the Lordfor Kaela’s safe return from the states!
Praise the Lord for the group that went to KAI Guatemala was very beneficial!
Praise the Lordfor Dave and Connie’s time here in January-March!
Praise the Lordfor Susanna continuing to teach our healthcare workers regarding medical things and our house parents CPR!
Prayfor our Women’s Retreat April 5th-7th.
Prayfor Robin Sweitzer’s visit to the DR March 26th-April 3rd.
Prayfor wisdom and discernment as we finish approving summer intern applicants.
Prayfor training in April 12th-22nd.
Prayfor my quiet time with the Lord!  To be filled daily by my God.

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