If this email was in your Gmail Promotions tab, please drag it into your Primary tab, so that Gmail knows where to put future communications from the Selbys.
FAMILY UPDATE
We are filled with gratitude for all we were given in 2025. It certainly wasn't a perfect year and there were lows, in addition to highs, but many wonderful things happened in our family this year, starting with Brook and Susan traveling to Puerto Rico in February. Susan literally googled, "the top 10 places to vacation for cheap" and Puerto Rico was on the list. We had a wonderful week.
We also traveled to Brazil in May, with Shelli, as part of our cultural preparation formoving to Panamá and to meet the rest of the Latin America team. It was an incredible educational experience, as we attended a conference led by Darrell Whiteman, a Christian anthropologist. There was so much we learned about emptying ourselves of our pride, prejudices, personal agendas, ambitions and lifestyle in order to enter deeply into the world of another culture.
Our little Shelli graduated in June! Kallen & Abe were both home all summer and it was SO nice to have everyone together for a few months.
Abe is 22 years old and in his senior year, majoring in Architectural Studies at Ithaca College, in New York. In addition to regular life at college, Abe has been participating in stand-up comedy - following in his Dad's footsteps, I suppose! It's remarkable to me (Susan) that my quiet little 4-year old who wanted to stay in the background as a child is now doing stand-up in front of a lot of people! He's quite funny! Last summer Abe shadowed at an architecture firm and we are hopeful that he will be able to plug into a job where there will be an outlet for his creativity, and big picture thinking, after graduation.
Kallen is 21 years old and in his senior year at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, in Indiana. He is working toward a degree in Computer Engineering. After struggling to find a summer job, this past August Kallen started his own business. He advertised in a local Facebook group and he got a byte! And so began "ByteBuddy" and now he has several clients. He came home for Christmas and today (12/26) rented a car and drove to Baltimore to meet with a client. He has some dreams for working for companies in computer architecture and quantum computing and will have to weigh those with the opportunities ahead with his business. And so "adulting" seems to be in full swing.
Shelli is taking a gap year and is in Colombia currently until April. She will be home to see the boys' graduations in May. She will head to college in the Fall of 2026. She has several acceptances to colleges in California, so far, and is still waiting to hear from others in Ohio, Washington, and Michigan. We are looking forward to knowing where she will land!
Follow Shelli's blog here: https://shelliincolombia.blogspot.com/
SABBATICAL TIME
for Susan
Something that was an amazing gift for me this year was that I was able to take some sabbatical time - a time of intentional rest. I participated in a spiritual direction meeting once a month, and set some new life habits. I was also able to spend a lot of time with my kids at a more relaxed pace than I am used to. Brook and I attended a CANA retreat which also taught us some new rhythms for our relationship and marriage - it was so refreshing, peaceful, and hopeful. I reconnected with a lot of friends this past year and did a ton of gardening. Both of these things are very life-giving to me. This sabbatical season set me up with some new healthy habits that I will be able to take with me into this next season. I'm so thankful.
Visiting a Girl Scout art exhibit at Ithaca College. As a former G.S., I really enjoyed it!
PANAMÁ!
For those who don't know, we have joined Free Methodist World Missions and we will be serving in Panamá as part of the Latin America team. There is a great story of how this came to be and we believe it is a great fit for our next season in life and ministry. So much of what we have been involved in previously has prepared us for this. We committed to be in the Panamá for at least 2 years and expect we will be there longer. The primary ministry we will be involved in is spreading the peace of Christ through holistic discipleship. You can read more here: https://fmwm.org/latin-america/selby/ Our assignment is Panama City.
Susan & Brook, Thad Roller, and Lizzette & Anthony Owens in Panamá
Spring of 2024
On January 18, we are headed to a month-long training in Colorado Springs. We are glad that our denomination/sending organization takes training seriously. We will receive teaching in language acquisition and we will be equipped with a fresh perspective on how languages are best learned. We will also receive training in cultural awareness so we can settle in Panamá in a way that grows healthy and honoring relationships with others, and finally we will be challenged to grow in our own relationship with God, others, and each other.
As associates with Free Methodist World Missions, we are required to have 100% financial partnership support before we can go into the field. We are thrilled that we are 88% funded currently! If you would like more information about partnership or to receive regular updates about this mission to Panamá, you can do that in the following ways:
1. Email us at brookandsusan@gmail.com or call Brook at 570-580-0808. We can set up a time to meet/zoom about partnership and what we will specifically be doing.
-and/or-
2. We can also add you to the newsletter list. Newsletters are sent 4-5 times per year.
3. We will also be having zoom updates with larger groups and we can share more information about what that looks like, if you let us know you want to participate.
Merry Christmas & Happy New Year to you and your families. We hope that 2026 is a year when each of us experiences the light of Jesus shining in every dark place.
We send our love to all of you - Brook & Susan, Abe, Kallen, & Shelli
Brook and Susan Selby, 35 Charlwood Dr, Freeland, Pennsylvania 18224, United States, 425.372.6041
