16th Missionary Dinner

Last night, December 2nd, something beautiful happened in Spring Valley.

We gathered for our 16th Missionary Dinner, nearly 20 missionaries and mission leaders from across San Diego County and Tijuana—people quietly laboring in neighborhoods, shelters, prisons, parks, kitchens, and living rooms where the Gospel is needed the most.

Atonement Lutheran Church opened its doors to us with warmth and generosity. Pastor Wally Kimari offered a devotion that reminded us why we keep going, even when the work is heavy. And Richard Drivick, leading the kitchen, prepared a meal that felt like an embrace—comfort, care, and community served on plates.

But the true highlight wasn’t the food or the setting.

It was the sharing.

One by one, missionaries stood up and spoke—some with excitement, others with tears. They shared how God is breaking through in their ministries, where hope is rising in unexpected places, and where the battle feels hardest. They shared burdens they’ve been carrying alone, and victories they hadn’t yet spoken out loud. And suddenly, the room wasn’t a meeting anymore…

It was a family.

This is why these gatherings matter so much.

Missionaries often pour out every day without a place to be poured into.

They lead, they serve, they listen, they carry, they hope.

And nights like this give them space to be seen, encouraged, prayed for, and strengthened.

We’re grateful for Thrivent Financial and Mike Heidtbrink, Thrivent Financial Advisor, whose support made this dinner possible and helped create a space where leaders could breathe, share, and reconnect to the heart of their calling.

God is at work in San Diego and Tijuana—not only through the missions we run, but through the community we build with one another.

And last night, that community felt alive.