Support Dan & Tonya's Transition to Puerto Rico

Tonya and I started out young in local church ministry. Over the last 25 years we’ve served in rural churches, mega suburban churches, and small neighborhood missional churches. We’ve experienced beautiful high’s and bone-rattling low's. All of it has been holy and shaped us for becoming more like love.

Three years ago, we had one of those years. You know that kind of year that you wish could be erased from the memory banks. I began experiencing significant health problems. My hands took on a tremor I couldn’t control. 

I now resonate with the scene at the opening sequence of Rocky 5. Back in the dressing room, after going round-after-round with Ivan Drago, Rocky stands under the steam of the hot shower, panting heavily, his face beaten and he calls out to his trainer “get Adrian,” Adrian enters with some trepidation and finds Rocky sitting on a bench, wringing his hands. Worried, she kneels at his side and listens. “You know how Mickey said you can fight so hard that maybe you broke something inside? Adrian, I can’t stop my hands from shaking.” 

I broke something inside but I didn’t know what it was.

After meeting with a neurologist, psychologist, and a therapist, I was diagnosed with Active Tremors attributed to CTSD (Cumulative Traumatic Stress Disorder). What became clear was that years of ministry (conflict, abandonment, betrayal, loss, scapegoating, etc) had taken a toll on my body. Additionally, an EKG had also shown heart damage from the stress disorder. My body had been keeping the score all along.

This began a journey of seeking help and healing. Out of the pain we began to see new possibilities.  We found increasing wholeness and in the process a dream was birth in our souls.

We are following an invitation to start KINEO Renewal & Retreat Center in Puerto Rico - a space for ministry leaders and marriages to be discipled, developed, and deeply healed.

Leadership burnout, compassion fatigue, depression, and stress disorders are pandemic in local church workers. Few spaces exist to unravel these issues, without shame, while also enjoying the aesthetic beauty of the mountains and the ocean. One of our early commitments will be to make the stay free for ministry leaders.  Merging vacation elements with soul-care will be the culture of KINEO (which in Greek means "deeply moved"). We know the wounds and exhaustions that local church work can create, we've talked to hundreds of Pastors and Planters—we have a hidden burden. We will be bringing together trainers, therapists, and thoughtful guides at KINEO to help facilitate healing and wholeness. 

Our hope is that an equipping and nourishing place, in a beautiful setting between the mountains and the sea, can be created for leaders to dwell for a week or so, inexpensively, in order to be sent back out for the sake of God’s mission.

Through Dan and Tonya's work with the V3 Movement and their Mutual Marriage Workshops they've connected with and coached over 2000 Pastors and Planters in the last 7 years.  The need is great for leaders to have a relaxed and rejuvenating space to find genuine health.

We are in the early stages of starting and visioneering KINEO.  Any help you can provide will be of great support.

Thanks for the love.

danwhitejr.com 
loveoverfearproject.com