Change of Seasons

We love our work in Honduras and are passionate about doing it well. We strongly believe we have been called to live and work with the Honduran people, many of whom we call friends. This year marks our 11th year as full-time missionaries and Sharon’s 30th year of missions’ work in Honduras! We also celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary in January! Missions and marriage have both have been extremely rewarding adventures!

In September of 2024 at a missionary conference in Honduras we met with a couple in Member Care who strongly encouraged us to do a missionary debriefing. In December we did the debrief (five-days of intensive counseling) in South Carolina with a missionary couple who are trained in this process. During the debrief we came to realize how depleted and worn out we were physically, emotionally, and spiritually. This has been affecting our ministry and our marriage. It was highly recommended we take a sabbatical as soon as possible if we wished to continue serving in Honduras long term. Which we do! Although our path forward was now clear, walking it out has been difficult and challenging. However, we have been encouraged time after time as we have seen the Holy Spirit leading us along this path.

Honestly, at that point, we barely knew what a sabbatical really meant. Therefore, we are choosing to follow The Navigators’ sabbatical guide. They are a Christian organization with a lot of experience in guiding missionaries through the process. In February, we attended a four-day Sabbatical Orientation Workshop, which really helped us understand how to plan and implement a successful sabbatical.

This is some of what we have learned so far…Sabbatical is not a vacation. In fact, it is a structured and supervised time to replenish and restore us to health for continued long-term ministry. We will meet regularly with an advisor and a team as we work through our sabbatical plans. The five phases are: Release, Rest, Reflect, Realignment and Re-entry. We know that taking a sabbatical is a privilege and are so grateful for this opportunity that God has given us. We are currently in the Release phase and are turning over our ministry responsibilities to other people. It is hard for us to relinquish these labors, but we are trusting in the Lord to meet each and every need they represent.

We have been very encouraged by the reactions of people as we try to explain this time of sabbatical. And verses in the Bible like Mark 6:31-32 are also helpful, “Because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, [Jesus] said to [his disciples], ‘Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.’ So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place.” Our souls feel that need for rest, but, like the disciples, it took an outside force to move us in a healthy direction.

One of the added pressures as we begin this time is financial. We are trying to do our sabbatical as frugally as possible, but the expenses will certainly be greater than our normal life in Honduras. We have decided to do our sabbatical in the United States because there are so many low-cost resources available to missionaries. Such as: professional counseling, retreat centers and access to nature. We are stepping out in faith on this. If you would like to partner with us on this new adventure click here: Honduras Support

We are thankful for:

• The opportunity to go on sabbatical; an invitation from God to rest and reconnect.
• Our faithful prayer warriors and generous financial supporters.
• The grace and understanding we’ve received from those most affected by our sabbatical.
• The abundance of resources for missionaries and the hearts of those we have reached out to.

Please pray for:

• Spiritual, emotional and physical healing & refreshing.
• Relief from increased migraine headaches for both Sharon and Chris.
• Our marriage. It is hard right now and we feel like we are under spiritual attack.
• Those who are taking over our ministry responsibilities.

Chris and Sharon