Missionary Shanon Hladek
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere- in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts1:8)
Shanon in the field with children
You cannot get further from Jerusalem than the Central South Pacific Ocean. God has called me to the ends of the earth! I am a missionary to Southeast Asia and the South Pacific Islands, some of the most remote places in the world. This region may be remote, but it is far from small, and culturally, it is very diverse. The South Pacific Islands alone covers roughly 15% of the earth’s surface and Southeast Asia’s population is almost 700 million.
Southeast Asia is full of lush, green, rice paddies, palm trees, and friendly people; but it’s also a place of turmoil. Wars, famine, genocide, military coups, extreme poverty, and recent earthquakes have rocked this region. The people are in need of hope and prayer, which we get to bring as we live amongst them and serve one another. This is the Gospel in action.
The South Pacific Islands is a place of beautiful, blue water and palm trees. It looks like a paradise, but that can easily mask the facade of of the young people who are struggling to find hope – people in deep poverty due to lack of employment, and divided families. Ii is common for one family member to leave one island to work on another, leaving them isolated from community. The Foursquare Church is pioneering works amongst these islands, including the island nations of Chuuk, Pohnpei, and Solomon Islands. It is my honor to be a part of these works and to begin building relationships with the local people. and it is a great privilege to be welcomed by them.
I live to see a generation of young people passionate about Jesus. My heart is to empower and release young disciples in developing Southeast Asia and South Pacific nations by equipping and partnering with indigenous leaders who are raising up a generation of young people who know, love, and serve Jesus. One in four people is under the age of eleven, so the harvest is plentiful. When children experience the love of Christ, their lives are forever changed. They in turn make a difference in their families, their communities, their nation, and our world… and I see it happening before my eyes. When I walk through the villages in prayer, I know God is preparing the ground. The atmosphere changes, and whether we’re ministering outside under a tree or in a local high school, young people are responding to God’s message of hope.
In 2024, I ministered in 26 nations that have great cultural and religious diversity – including Buddhism, Hinduism, Animism and Islam. I even had the honor of being invited to meet the president of the Republic of Palau for a time of prayer and discuss the needs of the teens in his nation.
From Thailand to Kiribati, God is moving. We are seeing indigenous pastors gaining greater theological training, young people raised up to help lead the church and evangelize in their community, the sick being healed, and the demon possessed set free.
It’s about fulfilling the Great Commission and sharing the Gospel until all have heard.
I invite you to join me in praying that God would move in the following ways::
- Kids outreach & Pastoral Training Conference on the island of Chuuk (April 25-30),
- Help and hope for the victims and those displaced in Myanmar/Thailand from the recent earthquakes,
- For God’s love to be made manifest throughout the nations and for closed nations to be open to the Gospel.
And if you want to join the movement in partnering with what God is doing in Southeast Asia and the South Pacific, you’ll can do it here: https://give.foursquare.org/hladek.