Shonn & Lori Foy Newsletter (Winter 2025)

A WARM HELLO

Dear Friends and Family, 

As I (Lori) write this, I can genuinely wish you a warm hello as it will be a balmy 77 here today! Our holiday season has ended and we head back to work tomorrow. We pray and wish for you all joy, love, and hope in Christ for 2025! Praying this letter finds you all in good health.

REFLECTIONS ON THE YEAR

This year has brought its share of challenges and triumphs, teaching us the value of both gratitude and reliance on the God who guides our steps. We’ve loved and enjoyed every moment we have spent with friends and family, and we’re grateful for the memories we’ve created together. We traveled to Honduras, SC, MI, IN, GA and IA. We’ve enjoyed family birthdays, trips to SeaWorld, simple Sunday dinners, and we just spent a wonderful Christmas with all our family.

FAMILY UPDATES

We are so grateful for our family! Our kids and grandkids are a continual source of joy in our lives. 

*We celebrated the arrival of Callahan Foy Chadwick to Chris and Katie on June 24th. He is a sweet baby and Piper and Theo love on him well! 

*Shane and Jodie are doing well in SC, and we love being close enough to see them pretty regularly. We look forward to watching Quinley at a gymnastic meet in Orlando in February! 

*Jesse and Ema keep very busy with their four children! They’ve had little Gracie (fostering) since infancy, and we celebrated her 1st birthday in September. Pray for God’s will in her little life. Emmaus, Silas, and Simon are growing up fast and keep mom and dad very busy!

*Ryan and Erinn are enjoying a snowstorm in Indiana as I write this. Little Oliver, born with some heart issues, has a clean bill of health and we celebrated his 1st birthday in November! Big news... Erinn is expecting and is due in March! We are all excited to add to the family!

HEALTH CHALLENGES

Psalms 37:23 says “The steps of a man are established by the Lord when he delights in His way.” This scripture has become ‘new’ to us in 2024. Some of you may not know that Shonn experienced a stroke on July 4th. This was his third stroke. However, this one has brought with it challenges of regular low oxygen levels, dizziness, reduced clarity of thought and decreased energy and stamina. He suffered another small stroke on December 2nd. Because of this, we have been prompted to restructure our lives and ministry. But we desire to continue contributing to the ministry at TMI.

COMMITMENT TO TMI

We deeply value the ministry God has called us to with Teen Missions International. We firmly believe this is where He has placed us for this season. Despite challenges, we are eager to remain full-time missionaries and contribute to the foundational work needed for the next generation. Though our bodies are sometimes weak, God provides us with the desire, vision, and strength to continue impacting the Kingdom!

A REVISED PLAN

We are planning to work remotely! Overstimulation daily and difficulty concentrating on multiple tasks for Shonn (with many interruptions) have prompted us to consider, pray, and decide on this. Shonn will continue in his job of Advancement, doing fundraising, finance tasks, and working to advance the ministry of TMI. I will also continue in my current role. The changes in his health have also necessitated a change in workload and environment. (Heat plays a role in his episodes.) We have begun to train new staff to take over the roles he has in the Retreat Center and for the Mud Run.

GOD’S PROVISION

As always, God knows what we need before we know we need it! Just a little over a year ago while we were visiting Indiana, God led us to a house in Shonn’s hometown of Nashville. We had no immediate plans to move, but knew it to be a provision of God. (We have three young ladies who have been living there and taking care of it for us.) We thought it was a provision for a far-off future! We will be splitting our time, spending six months of the year in Florida and six months in Indiana. I will be continuing as Retreat Center Coordinator, in publications, and will be coming down to help during Boot Camp and Debrief.

RELOCATION TIME TABLE

We are planning to work in Florida until the second week in May and then move to Indiana after Mother’s Day. We will be using a moving service. With such a long-distance move, it will definitely be more manageable for us.

SPECIAL REQUESTS

Please pray for us as we navigate this life change! The move will be an unexpected cost in our budget. Pray we find doctors in Indiana for medical needs while we are up north. Pray that the move will not be overly taxing on Shonn. For all these things we trust the Lord!

Again, we send our warmest wishes to you and your family. May your year be filled with love, laughter, and many blessings as you serve the Lord! We are looking forward to another year of wonderful ministry!

Love,

Shonn & Lori