To pass the time as I flew down to meet with our staff in the Dominican Republic, I found myself scrolling through photos from the past year. One screenshot, in particular, caught my attention. It was the text below from Molly during her first week of classes at Geneva.

The following day, I shared the text with the staff during our devotional time as a means of encouragement as we studied the book of 1 Thessalonians.

At the outset of the book, the Apostle Paul explains that the church’s witness in Thessalonica had quickly spread throughout the entire region.

“You also became imitators of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction with the joy of the Holy Spirit, so that you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. For the word of the Lord has sounded forth from you, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith toward God has gone forth, so that we have no need to say anything. For they themselves report about us what kind of an entrance we had with you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve a living and true God, and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath to come.” (1 Thess. 1:6-10)

I stressed to the staff how amazing it is that, by God’s grace, word of their service to Christ’s Church in the Dominican Republic and beyond had been a topic of discussion in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, 2700 kilometers (and an ocean away) from our offices in Santo Domingo.

God is good! And you are greatly appreciated for your prayer and financial partnership in equipping Christ’s Church for greater biblical fidelity and ministry effectiveness!