Friends who read this: hello! 

My name is Dawn Tobin.  I was born in 1986 and my parents welcomed me, along with other strangers, into their home in Pennsylvania.  They gave me a name and a proverb: “The steps of the righteous are like the light of dawn that shines brighter and brighter until the full light of day.”  After sharing life with their neighbors and people in prison, my parents decided to move to Southeast Asia to live out good news among the Thai people.  Deferring smiles, mango trees and rice fields became my new home for many years.  Four of those I spent at a boarding school in South India, after which I returned to the US to finish high school.  I first heard about Good Works while a student at Messiah College, and moved to Athens to join the community in 2008.  

My role with Good Works is summed up with the title “Community Life.”  I enjoy serving and offering leadership within both the staff and Friday Night Life communities.  My tasks range from editing policy to planning parties!  I also communicate the vision, stories and needs of Good Works with our supporters through writing newsletters and promotional materials.

Today, I watched the sun rise from my bedroom window and thanked Jesus for the healing He is doing in my life.  Being part of this community has given me so much love and hope!  I thought I was coming to give to others (and this was true), but God had plans for my good.  While serving others, my own pain is coming to the surface and the Lord is meeting me in this place.

My vision for the (near) future is to bring together a group of people who desire to live in Christian community in a village outside of Athens called Chauncey.  As an expression of Jesus’ body, I hope for us to be a blessing to the Church in that place, and to be part of God’s redeeming work through living simply among our neighbors, many of whom struggle with poverty.  If you have interest in learning more about this vision, I invite you to read the following letter: Living Hope in Chauncey.

Here are some articles Dawn has written:

Three Questions Sharing About Vancouver Summer 2007 Reflection
Conflict Reflection The Body of Christ Poppop's Story