Dear Wisdom friends,
As I write to you this year I am catapulted back to last fall. Here in Western North Carolina, we have just passed through our one-year anniversary of Hurricane Helene and I am remembering my annual appeal letter to you in 2024 and the many ways we have felt held in a web of Mercy across these past twelve months. Last weekend, in our little cove, we ritualized and celebrated the concentric circles of care we received, the super efforts made by so many, throughout this year. We expressed our gratitude for the abundant labors of love–our community garden, our stream and yard clean ups, World Central Kitchen and the chain sawing Mennonites—with a potluck and square dance, mountain style.
This year, we are freshly home from the Armenian pilgrimage that some in our network embarked on in September. As one member of our group shared, “this kind of pilgrimage leaves us with hope in humanity.” We encountered a people and a land squeezed by empires through the centuries and repeatedly devastated by natural and human disaster, yet buoyed by tenacity, faith, connection and the vibrations of higher energies.
There was the winemaker exuding kindness and love as he shared ‘God’s liquid’ with us from his family farm of generations. There was the 4th century Geghard monastery, at the end of the winding mountainous road, carved into the rocks, with stunning acoustics, and surrounded by caves which were once inhabited by a network of monks.
Jeanine Siler Jones and April Hoak
In a conversation with fellow board member April Hoak, the impression of ‘hope in humanity’ was one of many that stayed with us as we considered the network that is Wisdom Waypoints. Those early Armenian Christians were seeking faithfulness to the path of Christianity, an inner work shared in community. The fruits of their work are still present in the vibrations humming throughout the many sacred sites in Armenia and the people we encountered.
So, we also, in this time, are drawn together to taste and touch an inner and outer transformation in the midst of the conditions of our lives. Wisdom Waypoints facilitates connection in a world that can be siloed, nurtures opportunities for practice and learning so that ever-widening circles of people can access the Christian Wisdom lineage, and provides resources for seekers on this sacred path.
As 2025 winds down, we come to you, our partners, to ask for your financial support for our annual appeal. We are listening to your feedback and finding new and creative ways to support you and your communities of practice. We invite you to consider supporting us with your end of year giving. Each gift contributes to the whole and is deeply appreciated.
With grateful hearts,
Jeanine Siler Jones, Chair of the Board
April Hoak, Donor Relations