If you haven’t heard by now, it’s time you’re officially in-the-know; Mykola and I tied the knot at City Hall last year! Amongst a busy missional lifestyle, and many home rebuilding projects, we were ready to jump all-in to solidify building a life together without the capacity to plan and prepare all the details of a typical wedding weekend. We were finally able to get some professional photos taken at the beginning of March and we felt having that official display of our love for one another created the right opportunity to share the news and update the world!
We’ve been hard at work rebuilding our home and merging our lives together in Manchester, New Hampshire ever since. It’s been such a sweet and sacred time to slow down my pace of life, watch the seasons change in one place, and begin building a home base with Nick. I’m seeing pieces of me that I wanted to grow become rooted in this place and parts of me that needed to be pruned away, fall to the wayside.
It’s also been the perfect opportunity to get involved in ministries in Manchester. We’ve been attending an incredible local church sought after reaching the brokenness of this city. There are so many homeless, drug-afflicted and hopeless people in this city and the local church is reaching out. We also hosted our first mission team of the year here in Manchester, in March! The team was from a high school in Texas who sends all of their students out on missions all over the globe for a week. Our team was able to partner with many of our favorite outreach partners, 1269 Cafe, Harmony Home, Roka Kidz Club, Hope City Church’s Homeless Breakfast, and Foster Care ministry. A few students who came last year attended again and it was encouraging to watch them spur on their peers in the ministries they’ve grown to love! My co-workers Matt & Kaitlin also got married last year and moved to Manchester full-time in February. It’s such a joy to be doing ministry with them in this city that has captured each one of our hearts.
This team had a few young men questioning their faith and walking in this week to complete the checklist of graduation to-dos. We watched them wrestling with thoughts like, “why am I here?” “why does brokenness exist in the world?” “how does God really want to use me?” throughout the week. Yet they left marked and changed. Three of these young men left the week having built a real relationship with Jesus and declaring a commitment to live for Him as their Lord and Savior forever! It doesn’t get any better than that! And another young man, rededicated His life to Christ.
Breakthrough for the next generation happened as they brought encouragement, love, and opportunity for breakthrough to those who needed it most. This is what the Christian life is all about. We always have an opportunity to grow in knowledge, understanding and relationship with our Creator and our Lord and Savior, Jesus, while also spurring on the world around us to do the same through faith-filled conversations and good deeds.
We hosted another team here in Manchester, last week, but I’ll save that report for my April newsletter. It was another incredible week! We’ll also have 2 more teams coming to Manchester in May and July this year! I’m thanking God for the opportunity to do what I love in leading missions right in my new hometown!
I also want to give you an update that I’ve only met 70% of my fundraising goal for 2025 and I am praying for more partners hungry to sow into the ministry I’m a part of through praying, giving or going. Through your partnership the work we’ve been doing to encourage, mobilize and train up the next generation of Christian leaders the world needs will continue! Here’s a link if you’re interested in supporting!
Lastly, I want to give my home team a shoutout and thank you for joining in, for catching the vision to support the work of the ministry through praying, giving and going on mission with us! Some of my dear friends from Maine also went on mission in March with Adventures Relief to continue the ministry happening in Black Mountain, North Carolina, rebuilding lives and homes through disaster relief efforts!
See below for our February & March STM Monthly Newsletters.
God is good all the time, my friends. And all the time, God is good!
Savanna
Sending hugs and blessings my sweet “married” friend!! Love you, Penny