Summer 2025 Update

We are so thankful to each and every one of you who support our ministry! We love and appreciate all of you so much!! God has bleesed us in so many ways and we are tremendously grateful. This year has been full of many highs and lows with Linda's back surgery and recovery as well as many other wonderful exciting opportunites! We are thankful for everything God is doing and the doors he is openign. Isaiah 43:19 Behold I am doing a new ting now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert

Haiti: Where our heart truly lies. We know God has not forgotten Haiti...our beloved. We continue to serve as missionaries with World Outreach Ministres and remain afflilate members of Mission Flights International. The airport in Port au Prince remains closed due to civil unrest. It is not expected to oepn until at least March of 2026. Cargo shipments and alternate transport are $4.25 a pound (subject to change). Please pray that the country would stabilize for the safety of everyone and the airport could open again. Leanne's husband has suffered a stroke. He has returned home and is learning to walk again. Please keep Efran in prayer. The family continues to care for the abandoned baby from the streets.

Our amazing Kia truck continues to run and be a useful transport for food from the village into the city. Somehow they have been able to get through gang territory. This by itself is a miracle. Praise God! Linda continues to counsel individuals via zoom that have been traumatized by assault, kidnappings, fleeing their homes, and loss of loved ones. We are praying about the logistics of seed distribution again this fall and whether we can get the seeds into Haiti without putting people at risk traveling to pick up a shipment. Please pray for discernment and clear guidance on all the details. We absolulely love the book When Helping Hurts. Sometimes we may "want" to do things that appear to help, but it actually hurts people. It is not always easy to make those kinds of decisions especially during these extremely dangerous cirumstances. Please pray for current flooding that is contributing to the difficulties in Haiti.

Guatemala: Linda will be traveling to Guatemala August 16th during our summer closure for gymnastics. She will be assisting with various projects some of them related to the recent significant earthquake in Santa Maria de Jesus. We hope to gather supplies for the village of: Gloves (M/L), Tegaderm, Glucometers with strips, Electrolyte pakets, zince diaper rash cream, lice treatments. Any donations of these items or funds to purchase these items would be greatly appreciated! The biggest issue right now is water. Please pray for the water supply to be restored to normal function. They are told it will be several months before clean water will be available.

We have also received a donation (thank you Sylvia) of Jesus dolls and will be distrubuting them. This trip will support some of our long standing conntections including Angelo with Casa Mi Abuelos and the family of Javier Castillo. Please keep the family in prayer. It has been three months since Javier suffered a fatal accident falling off a cliff while fighting a forest fire. This has been a huge loss for the family, the community, the fire fighters, and for us personally as well.

Georgia: The cabin is up and running! We are so thankful for what the Lord has done in providing a safe place of retreat to recharge and relax. We are currently planning women's retreats for 2025/26. These retreats will help support adoptive/foster families learn strategies for raising kids from hard places, missionaries preparing to go on the mission field (homeschooling and parenting on the field), missionaries integrating back to life in the USA temporarily or permanently, and various other retreats geared to support those in need. Please contact us if you are interested in bringing a group or joining a retreat. We are in process of remodeling and opening a Tea House in Washington, Georgia to help support missions. Our goal is to have it up and running by March 2026. Please be in prayer as many costly renovations must be done to the large historic home. We are also restoring a home into a pink cottage. This will be a relaxing location for healing from trauma.

North Carolina: We continue to serve local ministries that support the community. We are blessed to own Union County Gymnastics where we host various Special Olympics events. Christelle, Melissa and Phuong all competed in the State Games for Gymastics this year and did very well bringing home many medals! The team is growing and God is good! The girls also attended their first prom. We are very blessed!

In August Ron will be traveling to Oregon to pick up our van from Calvery Chapel Hillsboro. The van will be used for Special Olympics as well as other community projects. Please pray for safe travels as well as funds for fuel and that the van makes it across the USA safely.

We pray the Lord blesses each and every one of you! If you feel called to donate, please consider making a contribution for our programs in Haiti, Guatemala and the USA. We greatly appreciate your continued love, prayers and support! In His Glorious Name, Ron, Linda and the entire Sheppard Family