Missionary Spotlight: Scott and Kelly Hampton

It was a love for children that brought Scott and Kelly Hampton together. And now, that same love motivates them each day as they minister with Children of the Nations. Scott and Kelly are serving with COTN as associates for two years in the Dominican Republic.

The Hamptons met during a children’s ministry internship at their church in 2001, and were married a couple years later. This young couple from the Pacific Northwest recently celebrated their five-year wedding anniversary.

Before moving to the Dominican Republic in the fall of 2007, Kelly worked in the Seattle Public Schools as a sign language interpreter and served at her church by starting a sign language ministry. Scott served in the Children’s Ministry department of University Presbyterian Church in Seattle and then worked as a family advocate with an elementary school.

After being married for about two years, the Hamptons began to seriously consider the idea of moving to Spain or another Latin country.

“We thought we had come up with an amazing adventure for ourselves,” Kelly said. “Little did we know that our idea was really God planting a desire in our hearts to go and serve Him.”

Even though their sense of call to serve overseas seemed clear, their initial search for a ministry opportunity resulted in some confusion and closed doors. But Scott and Kelly held on to the one passion they shared—making a difference in children’s lives.

“The only thing we knew was that God wanted us to be about caring for children,” said Scott. “Our passions and gifts that God has given us lie in advocating for and helping children to become men and women who will live their lives with purpose and integrity.”

After searching for opportunities all around the world, the answer to their many prayers came— surprisingly, from within their own family. Kelly’s brother-in-law, Brandon Bleek, had ministered with Children of the Nations and eagerly shared with them about the possibility of serving in the Dominican Republic.

With a vision, a call from God, and a place to serve, Scott and Kelly began many months of preparations for leaving their home in Seattle. In November of 2007 they arrived in the Dominican Republic.

After spending their first month in the Dominican Republic attending a Spanish language school, the Hamptons settled into their respective ministries, each focusing on different areas based on their skills.

Recently, Kelly has focused on developing a program for COTN children with special needs. She has been working closely with two members of the national staff in the Dominican Republic, Challenge Children Coordinator Daysi Peña and Educational Director Maritza Cuevas.

“The past two months have been exciting,” Kelly said. “We have dreamed about what the lives of these children could be and then began putting those dreams into reachable goals.”

Scott works alongside David Cuevas, the COTN–DR Director of Venture Teams, to prepare for visiting teams and ensure that they have a successful trip. This spring and summer Scott has been busy as about 150 people have visited the Dominican Republic with the Venture Program. He also supports the COTN office on an assortment of projects with his handyman skills.

Since making their home in the Dominican Republic, Scott and Kelly have developed a deep love for the people and children there.

“I love getting to know people in the DR because they have been teaching me so much about having balance in life with family, friends, work and rest,” Scott said. “More than that though, they are teaching me about faith and about recognizing God’s sovereignty in all things small and large.”

Both Scott and Kelly said that one of their most rewarding experiences is seeing children begin to break out of cycles such as lack of education and teen pregnancy that have made life difficult for their families.

“One of the goals of COTN is to help our children get out of the cycle that their families have been in for generations,” Kelly said. “The biggest evidence of this is the schools that have been built in all our villages and that the children have the opportunity for education. Also, this summer we were touched by a team that came down and went to every village sharing with the teens about the importance of purity until marriage. Many of the teens were serious about making this pledge and came forward to be presented with a ring that would represent their commitment.”

Please pray for Scott and Kelly as they continue to minister in the Dominican Republic. For Kelly, please pray for wisdom as she and her educational team develop this new program for children with special needs. For Scott, please pray for the continued planning and leadership of upcoming Venture Teams. Also, please lift up Scott and Kelly as they continue to learn the Spanish language and deepen relationships with staff members and friends, as well as the children in our villages.

by Aimee Henderson, COTN–USA Communications Assistant