Miles, Milestones, and a Mission That Keeps Moving

Every good blog post needs a theme. While it may not win any literary awards to announce it outright, today’s theme is unmistakable: Trish’s Travelogue.

And what a travelogue it has been. If you’ve been following along on social media, you already know Trish has been stateside since the end of January — and, as it turns out, four months can hold a whole lot of life.

Her journey began with a writing conference in January, an experience that delivered exactly what you’d hope for — fresh ideas, renewed motivation, and the kind of encouragement that makes you want to actually sit down and write the book you keep talking about. But the timing created a bit of a logistical puzzle. With church visits not scheduled to begin until March, Trish had a choice: fly back to Honduras and return again a month later, or settle in somewhere stateside and make the most of the in-between time.

Enter: Myrtle Beach in the surprisingly cheap off-season.

Opting for a quiet condo and a month of focused writing, Trish became, in her own way, a professional “hunker-downer.” With fewer distractions and plenty of solitude, she put those conference lessons into action and came away with far more than just good intentions — she left with actual pages completed. Not a bad trade for a beach town in its sleepy season.

When Allen arrived in March, the pace shifted from quiet writing retreat to full-on road trip. Together, they packed up the notecards and manuscripts and began visiting churches across the country. Since then, their travels have taken them through Florida, Mississippi, Alabama, Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania — with the possibility of adding a few more stops before heading back to Honduras on June 10.

And the impact of those visits? It’s already showing.

With grateful hearts, Allen and Trish shared that the new Sowing Hope program is nearing 50% sponsorship for currently registered children. That’s not just a number—it’s a milestone. As Trish put it, “That 50% mark is a big goal for us.” It represents momentum, provision, and a growing network of people choosing to be part of what God is doing.

Each church visit has looked a little different. Sometimes it’s been a brief moment to share during a service. Other times, it has meant being surrounded by a congregation in prayer. There have been conversations with children’s ministries and even a full Sunday sermon led by Allen. But no matter the format, one message has remained consistent — and, for some, a bit surprising.

“Our ministry is, at its heart, not a child sponsorship ministry,” Trish explained. “That’s just one part of what we do. Our main goal is empowering pastors to spread the Gospel.” The sponsorship programs play a vital role, but they ultimately serve a larger purpose — equipping local pastors to lead, teach, and care for their communities in lasting ways.

Of course, not every mile of this journey has been work.

Recently, the Sowers family gathered in New Hampshire to celebrate a major milestone: Allen’s mom, Blanche, turning 90. The weekend brought together Russell and Iris and their three kids, Boo and Sam with their two little ones, and Gus and Audrey with their child. Kirstin even flew in from Honduras to join the celebration. Rachel and Brandy were unable to attend and were dearly missed.

The family gathered in a sprawling Airbnb — a historic home from the 1700s divided into multiple spaces, all of which were filled by the Sowers crew. Kids, cousins, laughter, and a whole lot of memories filled the weekend. And the guest of honor? She made quite the entrance — arriving at her party on a three-wheeled motorcycle. (Because apparently, adventure is genetic.)

Through all the miles, moments, and milestones, one thing has been especially clear: this season has been both meaningful and joyful for Allen and Trish. It’s a rhythm they hope to continue in the future — splitting time between Honduras and the U.S., staying connected to both the mission field and the people who support it.

As their trip begins to wind down, your prayers matter more than ever. Pray for safe travels, for continued health, and especially for relief for Allen’s back. And while it may not have been officially listed as a prayer request, there’s a quiet hope that Honduras will greet Trish with something slightly more forgiving than its current scorching heat.

After all, even seasoned travelers appreciate a gentle landing.

- posted by Christi

Faith, Writing, and Every Bird Along the Way: An Update on Trish's Publishing Adventure

Trish is hard at work on her upcoming book, a journey she’s tackling, as author Anne Lamott would say, “bird by bird.” Lamott’s words trace back to her brother’s childhood struggle with a massive school project on birds. Overwhelmed, he found encouragement from their father, who offered simple but wise advice: “Bird by bird, buddy. Just take it bird by bird.” That’s precisely Trish’s approach to her own story — a step-by-step, story-by-story process with plenty of faith and perseverance along the way.

Under her publisher’s guidance, Trish is crafting more than just the notorious kidnapping story that’s captured the curiosity of many. “The publisher encouraged me to have a strong idea of the theme beyond ‘It’s a story about a kidnapping,’” Trish shared. After taking some time to fully embrace that advice, she’s now writing with a bigger message in mind. The book is intended to share with readers what it means to live out God’s will, even when that takes you places you never planned to go. For Trish, that meant facing the threat of kidnapping, but for others, it could mean any number of challenges. 

Trish estimates that she’s about a third of the way through the writing process, and there’s plenty to do beyond just putting words on the page. “Getting published isn’t the goal post,” she explains. “We want people to read the book, which means marketing and selling it.” To reach as many readers as possible, Trish is building an email list, a vital way to keep people in the loop with direct updates — especially since social media can be unreliable for communications. Signing up for this separate email list will give readers early access to updates, behind-the-scenes insights, and even the chance to help select the book’s cover!

Trish is also communicating on social media, and you can follow her author page on Facebook and her Instagram account. 

In today’s world, many books find their audience through podcasts, and Trish is ready to dive into that realm as a guest. Though she’s not a big podcast listener herself, she’s compiling a list of shows that would be a great fit for her story. “It’s not uncommon to find podcasts focused on bravery and boldness, though the Christian aspect of my story might not fit all of them,” she said. “But it’s not just about book sales; it’s about spreading the message.” If you know of any podcasts that might align with her story or have connections to suggest, she would love to hear from you!

On the advice of her publisher, Trish has written a 21-day devotional on the topic of embracing God's plan for your life. The devotional is available as a free download, and when you sign up to receive the devotional you will also be added to Trish's mailing list. 

The mailing list will give you a heads-up about her podcast appearances, progress updates, and specific ways to pray for her as the launch approaches. In the future, there will be the opportunity to join her launch team, which would give you early access to the book, so that you can help spread the word during those critical first few weeks after the book release. 

To receive the devotional and/or sign up for the mailing list, go to Trish's website, www.TrishSowers.com and scroll down to the button for requesting the devotional. Then fill out the form on the next page, and you'll be on the mailing list! You will receive an email with the devotional that you can download if you wish to do so. 

And as for the timeline? She hopes to launch the book within a year. There are still plenty of “birds” left to tackle, but with God’s guidance and your encouragement, she’s confident she’ll get there, bird by bird.

 - posted by Christi

Reverse Culture Observations from Trish

 “Reverse culture shock” is an emotional or psychological reaction that people experience when they return home after living abroad for a long time. It all sounds very dramatic, doesn’t it? Reverse culture shock! It’s also sometimes referred to as “re-entry,” which sounds even more dramatic because it sounds like what astronauts go through when they return to earth. But Trish is not a dramatic person so her reverse culture shock is, quite frankly, a tad anticlimactic. Her version might as well be called, “Reverse culture observations”

She has had many reverse culture observations while helping Allen navigate the US healthcare system and picking up his prescriptions. Another reverse culture observation involves school buses. Yep. Big yellow school buses. You see, in Central America, it is a common practice for individuals to buy retired US school buses and then set up their own bus routes. In Guatemala, people buy the buses and repaint them with elaborate paint jobs. (While Trish didn’t mention what sort of elaborate paint jobs, it’s fun to imagine vehicles painted like The Partridge Family’s bus or the Mystery Machine from Scooby Doo driving along the roads of Guatemala.) Alas, the retired buses in Honduras don’t experience an Extreme Makeover, Bus Edition. They still look exactly like they did when they were carrying kids to and from school–yellow with the name of a school district written in black lettering. 

Examples of Guatemalan painted buses

If you’ve ever driven behind a school bus, you know they aren’t exactly known for their speed. The same is true of retired school buses carrying passengers in Honduras. The difference is that, in Honduras, if you’re behind a bus and it pulls over to pick up or drop off passengers, that is your moment to easily pass it. It’s expected. If you fail to pass a bus when this opportunity presents itself, the vehicles behind you are not pleased! With decades of that sort of bus protocol programming, Trish finds herself having to fight the urge to put the pedal to the medal and whizz around a school bus that stops in front of her . . . even when she is in the US. If she actually did it, that might be shocking, but since she has, so far, been able to stop herself, it’s merely a reverse culture observation.

Even though she does have to stop behind school buses, Trish is enjoying her time in the US very much. Well, aside from Allen’s back saga, she is enjoying her time. The truth is that both Allen and Trish have been overdue for some time off – especially over the past three years or so. Even though Trish is still working for the ministry, working remotely is different than being there 24/7. She’s still working on updating children's profiles and Allen is still called in on some ministry matters even while he’s recuperating from surgery. But they do have more time to focus on other things, as well.

For Trish, focusing on other things means that she is able to devote more time to working on her book about the kidnapping. She is working with a hybrid publisher, which comes with some major upsides. One of the biggest upsides is that Trish doesn’t have to worry about fitting her worlds into the publisher’s mindset. She has also been given a lot of flexibility in regard to timing. Trish’s publisher has been willing to work with her through her unexpected international move and Allen’s surgery. One thing about working with a hybrid publisher, however, is that Trish will be responsible for marketing the book. She’s learning how to do some things that are outside of her skillset – like setting up an author website and creating a dedicated Instagram account. She is squeezing all of this in when she can. 

Trish wants everyone to know that we can expect her to start posting things as an upcoming author very soon. So much of book marketing is done online, so having those who have followed her as a missionary following and sharing her social media posts will make a major impact on how much reach the book achieves.

She is keeping busy with work and some fun things, too. Trish has made some new friends. She and Allen have been enjoying the church they’ve been attending. They are currently attending online but are thinking they may be able to return to in-person services soon. Trish is also delighted to be playing her harp regularly again! She has played the harp since she was ten, but the humidity of Honduras and the lack of someone to do regular maintenance on the instrument there meant that it was necessary to leave it in the States - just one of the sacrifices made to follow their calling!

Trish’s mostly unflappable nature means that she enjoys the things she gets to enjoy and doesn’t pine about the stuff she doesn’t. So, while she would surely love to hold her newest granddaughter, she is contenting herself with lots of photos of baby Charlotte and her other grandchildren. 

As always, please continue to pray for Trish and Allen as they deal with all of the things!

- posted by Christi