What is joy? How would you describe it?
Throughout our several years of living and serving in the Dominican Republic I have gained a better understanding of joy and what it means to have joy in the midst of the chaos around me. The Bible teaches us that joy is a gift from God. I was recently stopped by a group member and asked if I’m as happy on the inside as I appear on the outside. I was caught off guard by this question because I was simply serving him a hot cup of coffee. “Yes,” I said. I explained to him one of my favorite parts of what I get to do is serve the groups who come. If giving him a cup of coffee brings happiness to his day, it brings happiness to my day as well.
The past couple of months have been full: full of emotions, full of discerning God’s leading, and full of His faithfulness. There are overwhelming emotions that come with what I am about to share with you.
Let me catch you up…
When we flew back to Fort Wayne in March for spring break we were informed by Joe and Shannon, the directors of Solid Rock International, that they felt it was the right time for them to move on from SRI, and that they were resigning. This took us by surprise. They informed us that they would recommend us for the position to the board if we were interested in pursuing it. After 24 hours of praying and discussing, Jeff and I said we were interested and we would like to be considered for the position.
Fast forward a couple weeks, and we submitted our applications and resumes to the personnel committee of SRI, which was followed by an interview a week later. Last week we received a call from the SRI board president and personnel chair to be offered the Executive Director (Jeff) and Director of Development (Kamanda) positions.
We will be transitioning to the states in early July. Jeff, Brantley, and I just returned to San Juan yesterday from a quick trip to Fort Wayne, Indiana. We closed on our new (and first!) home last week. While we were there we tore up flooring, knocked out a wall, and began making a priority list of things to be accomplished before we move back this summer. We are excited to see everything come together. We have also created an Amazon list of items we will need in our new home, if you are interested supporting us in this way.
We do not take lightly your generosity, sacrifice and support since our family began full time ministry in 2013. At that time Braegan was only 7 months old and Jeff and I were also young. We have grown so much in our time in San Juan. This is very bittersweet.
We are thankful that with our new roles we will still get to be connected with the ministry, albeit in a new way. We are also thankful that our family will still be able to make trips to the DR.
We are excited for this new season. Please pray for the details that still need sorted out as we move forward. We want to savor these final weeks of full time living and serving in San Juan. My mind has not fully grasped what is ahead, and I believe that is ok. God has gone before us to prepare the way, and He is carrying us through. We are filled with joy and humbled by this opportunity before us.
How you can pray specifically:
*Jeff – Jeff has really enjoyed working with the Zimmermans, so he could use prayer as he transitions into a new role without the support from them he has had over the past 11 years. Additionally, that he can stay connected with his Dominican friends he has made while serving in San Juan. Also for wisdom and leadership.
*Kamanda – I am excited for this new opportunity and to get to be a part of our home church community. My prayer is that I can better advocate for our staff on the ground as they continue to serve the teams who visit the DR. I also pray for patience and endurance as a mom as I support the kids through this big transition.
*Braegan – Braegan is excited, but she is also nervous. She had some time in public school when Brantley was born and during COVID. She will be entering 6th grade in the fall. Our prayer for her is to be a light to those around her and to not shy away from the truth and her faith. The school she will be attending has a large hispanic population and she is thrilled that she will still get to speak Spanish.
*Brantley – As you know our little guy has some big emotions. Prayers for him as he adapts to life in the US. He will be attending Preschool in the fall.
*Blue – We are in the process of trying to get everything together for our dog to be able to travel back to the US. Prayers that this can be a smooth process and for his adjustment to a new country.
*Our Staff in the DR – Please pray for our American and Dominican staff serving. We understand the challenges that come with full time ministry. We plan to find someone to fill our vacancy and give leadership on the ground.
I’ve done a lot of reminiscing these past few weeks; I wrote my first blog on the SRI platform on May 21, 2013. Only God knew where we’d be heading 11 years later. He has been preparing us for this transition to lead Solid Rock International into this next season of ministry. We are stoked, and we are glad you are along for the adventure He has us on.