We hope this holiday season has been merry and bright for you!
For Thanksgiving, we were able to spend a few days with my (Ryan’s) family at my sister’s vacation house in Klickitat. Myself and my brother-in-law Kyle were tasked with cooking this year, which is not our normal task. We opted to forgo turkey, in favor of a beef roast slow-cooked on a pellet grill. There were a couple different types of potatoes, some carrots and green beans, and many other items, as well. And perhaps the biggest hit of the day was that I started cooking bacon on the grill for bacon bits. And so every hour or so, I’d come around the house, offering everyone a fresh slice of bacon! We all had our share of bacon as an all-day appetizer, which is good, because I forgot to put the bacon bits out on the table for the meal. Oops! But by the end of the day everyone was happy and fed and there were leftovers to put in the fridge, so we considered that a great success. (The picture below was taken right before we all dug in to the meal. I think I need some selfie practice.)
We have so much to be thankful for! Rosie had made a special decorated “thankful spoon” to pass around the table, so we each took a turn sharing something we are thankful for. I think my favorite thing that I heard someone share was a thankfulness that we all enjoy being together as a family. Indeed, it really is a blessing to be a family that enjoys being together!
In November we also had some family pictures taken by Leanne’s sister, Katie, who has been our main family photographer for many years now. She always does a great job, even though we picked a day that turned out to be quite drizzly. The picture above is one from that day. Murdock, our family dog, is still learning how to hold still for photos.
On a ministry note, I am blessed by the chance to preach our Christmas Eve services this year. As a pastoral team, we rotate that responsibility. It’s always a special night, sharing about the Messiah to a packed house at 3:00 and 5:00. It’s an “all play” event, so it will be filled with adults, teens, and kids of all ages. And certainly there will be family members in attendance who don’t often find themselves in a Christian worship service, so it’s an opportunity to preach to a unique audience. For our advent series, we have been preaching through the Servant Songs from Isaiah (Is. 42, 49, 50, 52), and I will conclude this short series in Isaiah 61 with a promise of Good News!
I am also in a season of “pastoral reset”. This Fall has been a challenge, and it has helped me to see that a wise choice would be to take a step back from some responsibilities and reevaluate how I use my time and energy. In several cases, it has involved handing off responsibilities to volunteers, which is a good outcome for growing leaders. Sometimes those of us in vocational ministry can stall growth in others by trying to do too much ourselves, rather empowering and equipping others. I have been in my current role for four years, and so I’m asking the Lord to renew my vision and give me fresh clarity for how I should go about doing my tasks, and for fresh clarity on which tasks I should go about doing.
Leanne and the girls are doing well. Leanne has started working one day a week as a caregiver for her mother, and that has been really good. And all three of our girls are doing well in school and in their many friendships. Leanne continues to homeschool three days a week, and then the girls are in class at a local school for two days a week. And as much as they love their school and their friends at school, I know our girls are sure looking forward to Christmas Break, and to seeing gifts under the tree (we are really “good” at procrastinating on wrapping gifts!).
Upcoming Events
Personal
I (Ryan) have a special opportunity to go to Poland for a week in January. A friend invited to take me along on a business trip he’s taking to meet with some suppliers and I am thrilled to be able to go. I’ve never been to any European countries, so I am looking forward to this fun and unique opportunity to travel and see a brand new place.
Rock Nest Ministry
In late January, I am taking a trip to represent Rock Nest Ranch at Columbia Bible College in Abbotsford, BC, Canada. The school hosts a “camp week”, so I will be among 12-16 other camp ministries who are hosting a table and looking to connect with the students. One of the hopes, of course, is that conversations and connections at this event might lead to some young adults coming to serve with us for all or part of the summer at Rock Nest. That’s a whole lot of “competition” for eyes and ears, but I am praying that we will be able to connect with a couple people who could come serve with us this summer. Would you pray with me for two such connections? Oh, and a fun bonus is that my oldest daughter, Mabel, is going to come along with me on this trip and be my co-promoter!
Big Decision Needs (Still)
Since our previous letter, we still have the same two big, looming questions.
- What is a good long-term transportation option for our family?We simply haven’t made a decision or felt confirmation on which direction to pursue for a vehicle. We would love to get a van, but also are quite leery of taking on payments. So we’re trying to pursue this possibility carefully.
- What is a good long-term housing plan for us when we are at Rock Nest?
We are assuming that we will likely stay in the same housing this coming summer that we stayed in last year. It has some non-ideal elements to it, but we don’t currently have a better plan. So we are trusting that if there is a better plan, that the Lord will make that clear to us.
Prayer Needs
- Pray for a successful reset on my pastoral role, and wisdom in how to manage my two jobs well.
- Pray for two significant connections to happen at Columbia Bible College as I seek to recruit future camp staff to come share the good news of Jesus with campers who need to hear about and experience the love He freely offers.
- Pray that Ryan and Mabel would have a good time of connection while they travel together to represent Rock Nest Ranch at Columbia Bible College.
- Pray for wisdom to know if / when we should purchase a van for using to travel to and from Rock Nest Ranch.
Conclusion
It’s our prayer that your Christmas season would be joyful, and that you would find yourselves drawn to the Savior that was born, who Himself is truly good news of great joy that will be for all the people!
Ryan and Leanne Donovan
Rock Nest Summer Schedule 2026
- Summer Staff Arrival Date – June 24
- Summer Staff Orientation – June 25-28
- Teen Camp (13-15 years old) – June 29-July 5
- Junior Camp 1 (9-12 years old) – July 8-13
- Junior Camp 2 (9-12 years old) – July 16-21
- Family Camp – July 24-27
- UIM All Staff Conference in Nebraska – Aug 4-8 (Happens every 5 years)
