Our Support Letter

Here is the letter that we will be sending out asking you all for continuous prayer and financial support. Know that you will likely be receiving this in the mail but if you want a sneak peak, read on. Be forewarned though, in this format it looks quite long!

Dear Friends,

Greetings from Seattle! We are compelled to write to you at this very exciting moment in our lives. God is up to something big and we are bursting to share it with you. First though, let’s take a whirlwind tour of our lives over the past (nearly) 4 years of marriage:

Kelly – has successfully kept many plates spinning all at once. She has worked for Seattle Public Schools over the last 4 years as a sign language interpreter in the deaf program at three different schools while taking full-time night classes to obtain her B.A. and teaching certificate; she started a ministry to the deaf at our church that included offering interpretation at 2 worship services; has continued to help on the program team for Camp Side-by-Side (a camp for families who have a child with a critical illness); participated in the 3-day walk for breast cancer last summer; took care of Scott; found time to hang out with friends and meet with her Bible study. Whew! Wonder Woman look out!

Scott – adopted the title around the house of Visual Hospitality Manager; worked for UPC in the Children’s Ministries department until this past August (5 years!); accepted a new position in September working as the Family Advocate at Lake Forest Park Elementary School; has played on numerous rec-league basketball teams; spent a week in Mississippi doing disaster relief; met with his Bible study; attempted to refinish some furniture; hung out with friends; continued to write poetry and read quite a few books. All in all, he definitely had the easier 4 years!

In the midst of all of that though, God has been revealing to us a desire to expand our Kingdom and Worldviews through purposeful cross-cultural ministry. Initially, the only thing we knew was that God wanted us to be about caring for children. Our passions and gifts that God has given us lie in advocating for and helping children to become confident, equipped men and women who will find joy, and live their lives with purpose and integrity. Our search led us to an organization called Children of the Nations (check out www.cotni.org) which focuses on generational change, empowered by the gospel, through educational and life development, beginning with children in the countries of the Dominican Republic, Sierra Leon, Uganda and Malawi. Their mission is to raise up leaders from within the communities that will be able to lead in such a way that will promote permanent positive change. Their mission and our passions seemed like a great fit so after much prayer, conversation and thought, we began to pursue working for COTN in the Dominican Republic. All along the way we felt God urging us on and a few weeks ago, COTN affirmed this call and asked us to join their staff to partner with Dominican nationals to receive and direct folks who come down to the DR serving as interns in the city of Barahona and in the surrounding villages beginning in October of this year. Additionally, Kelly will be helping to research and create programs and opportunities for children with either physical or neurological disabilities and I will be assisting with outreach to teens in the outlying villages.

This is a big step for us but we are comforted by the fact that God is sovereign and that our community, our church and COTN, has continually affirmed our call. While you may not be able to move with us, we know that we will not be on this journey alone and there are two specific ways that we would like to partner with you. The first is through prayer. We desire your constant prayer for the Dominican Republic, the ministry of Children of the Nations and for Kelly and I as we seek to live out God’s call upon us. We will post regular updates on our blog (skhampton.blogspot.com) that will help direct you to particular prayer requests as we are preparing to leave and while we are in the field. Secondly, we need your financial support. Our positions with COTN will be funded entirely through friends and family that are able to contribute towards the cost of our life and ministry in the DR. Before we depart for training in September, we need to raise $13,000 in upfront costs, and prior to our departure for the Dominican Republic we need to have $2300 per month pledged to us. We are asking that you prayerfully consider supporting us as we follow God’s lead in this mission. As you commit your prayer and finances you are joining with us, and COTN, as we seek to raise children who will know the one true God and who will help create the change that the Dominican Republic is so desperate for.

You know, Scott recently had a conversation with an 11 year old fifth grader at school about the average life expectancy for people – which he was positive is 75 (who knows if that’s right or not) – in the middle of the conversation he turned to Scott and said “I can’t even imagine living to be 75. I mean, I’m only 11 and I’ve had a HUGE life. Really, my life has been HUGE. I can’t even imagine living seven times as long as I already have!” We are so excited by the way God is expanding our lives to HUGE proportions and fervently hope and pray for your partnership on this journey.

Paraphrasing from 3rd John, we have much to write to you but cannot do so with pen and ink. Instead, we’ll call you soon to follow-up and hopefully see you face-to-face.

In Christ,
Scott and Kelly Hampton