Missy Zamora, Boston Cohort (and a little bit in Seattle, too)
We recently sat down with Boston Cohort graduate Missy Zamora to find out more about her Encouragement Letter Project. We're very excited to share her story with you today.
Hello, Missy! Thanks for sitting down with us today to share a bit about your Encouragement Letter Project. It’s so good to talk with you! Let’s dig right in: You approached Carolyn Arends in May 2017 to ask if you could recruit your fellow Boston Cohorters to write encouragement letters to the graduating Dallas Cohort. How did you come upon this idea?
I was flying home from Boston to Austin after completing 2nd Residency and reflecting upon the gift of community. I was overwhelmed with gratitude that the Lord would have provided me with this opportunity to “be” and “do” with these beautiful friends in my cohort. My mind shifted to the Dallas Cohort who would be graduating in 3 months, and I asked God how our cohort could encourage and bless the Dallas Cohort upon graduation. I heard "encouragement letters." I wrestled with the what I heard for about 2 months until I finally approached you and Carolyn. It was very much then and now a journey of listening, responding in obedience, and handing the outcome up to God.
I love that, Missy. Then, at around this time last year, you again cajoled your classmates into writing encouragement letters to welcome the Seattle Cohort students into the community! Had you known by this point that this letter-writing plan would develop into your RI Project?
No. I had no idea this would be my RI project. I actually had a different project in mind which led me to the last Alumni Gathering in Colorado Springs which I attended between 2nd and 3rd residency. I attended this Alumni Gathering not knowing anyone before I arrived and very much experiencing an “all-inclusive community of loving persons with God himself at the center of this community as its prime sustainer and most glorious Inhabitant”. Upon returning home I continued to feel God impress upon my heart to connect the cohorts together. The groups knew of one another but at this point had not really engaged with one another. I heard from both Dallas and Boston students that some of the letter recipients had connected with some of the letter writers after receiving their letters at graduation. These were connections with the potential to grow.
I know our Seattle students felt very welcomed and blessed to know that their "older siblings" were encouraging and praying for them. As if all this were not enough, you decided this past June to encourage all the faculty who had taught at Boston Cohort residencies. Tell me a little about that.
Approaching last residency, I heard and read many stories reflecting upon the gift that the faculty/staff had been for each person. Strings of stories that connected us with another on our journey with Christ. I was especially excited about the Faculty Project and it looked very different than the others. The others followed more of a method: assigning the writer to the recipient as they signed up, praying for the writer, receiving the letter and praying for the recipient, and sealing it in the envelope. I never read the letters—only the name to assure it was sealed in the correct envelope. Once all the letters were sealed it was if you could almost see love, hope, and encouragement oozing out of each envelope.
The Faculty Project included letter writers from all 3 cohorts: Boston, Dallas, and Seattle. This project entailed more intentional listening than the others. Instead of assigning recipients as writers signed up, I felt God sway me to listen to the Spirit and make assignments as She led. This was personally very challenging as I would find myself wanting to default to the prior method instead of sitting in the waiting. I did not anticipate the responses I received from the writers. I had several writers, after receiving their assigned faculty, send me an email stating how they were so excited to write for faculty they were assigned due to a prior conversation/experience. Praying for each faculty and staff member present at our last residency in Boston and handing them each a letter was an experience filled with thankfulness, appreciation, and love.
It was truly overwhelming to be a part of that this past June—such a blessing! So, Missy, please share with us a bit about what your hopes for this Encouragement Letter Project are going forward. What do you envision? What can our RI Alum do to help out?
My hope for the Encouragement Letter Project is that it will be fluid and led by the Spirit. Perhaps that it would continue to be a catalyst to connect cohorts, faculty, and staff to share God’s love and encouragement. It is very much an exercise of Listening and could possibly be added as part of one’s rhythm of life in their own Queendom or Kingdom. It only requires paper, pen, and a heart that is willing to be willing. Hopefully future projects will include encouragement letters for new cohorts, graduating cohorts, faculty appreciation, and maybe possibly for Renovaré Board/Chair. If Alum are interested in writing, we are currently writing for the Chicago Cohort who will be at first residency in Chicago following our Alumni Gathering. I’m hoping we will be able to add the Encouragement Letter project to the Alumni Hub. I would love any feedback or suggestions so please feel free to send my way.
Thanks, Missy! This project has been such a blessing to our students—and our faculty! We’re so grateful to you for stepping out in this way to be our “cohort connector.” I'm looking forward to seeing you at the RI Gathering next month!
Would you like to encourage an incoming Chicago student as he or she begins his or her journey in the Renovaré Institute? PLEASE SIGN UP TO WRITE AN ENCOURAGEMENT LETTER HERE. Thanks so much, alum! We appreciate your help!