TCA Monthly Alumni Spotlight – Shelley Carswell Dinsmore
Meet this month’s alumni spotlight, Shelley Dinsmore (Carswell), a wife, mother of four, TCA alum (’98), and missionary to Guatemala!
Shelley and her husband, Jimmy, have been in Guatemala since August 2006 with their four beautiful children, Jonah, Silas, Eden, and Titus. As Shelley shares on her blog Livin’ Our Dreams, the Dinsmores’ are Baptist missionaries serving God in Petén, Guatemala. The Dinsmore family has a true heart to reach the hundreds of villages throughout Petén with the Gospel. They accomplish this tangibly through their schooling institute in Petén that brings together Kekchi pastors to (1) enrich and train them spiritually through God’s Word and (2) provide them financial means to support their families through agricultural projects.
Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in[a] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” -Matthew 28:19-20
Recently, Shelley and her husband visited a 5th grade class at TCA to share their experiences on the mission field and hopefully inspire the next generation of missionaries. She realizes how instrumental TCA was in defining her path as a missionary and hopes to share that with others. “I knew about missions because of Trinity,” Shelley recalls. “God put missions in my heart when my 1st grade teacher was preparing to leave for the mission field. Many of my teachers were strong Christians and I appreciated them living out their faith.” She also fondly remembers how TCA blessed her with a music program that demonstrated excellence in action and brilliant teachers who taught her how to be a life-long learner—a lesson that she still carries with her today through her work.
When reflecting on what she is most proud of, Shelley exclaims, “God has given us the opportunity to share the spiritual foundation and educational opportunities we have been given with others so that they can have a personal relationship with God and be prepared to live out His will for their lives.” Soon, Shelley and her husband will further expand their efforts to share those “spiritual foundation and educational opportunities” to even more generations in Petén. In January 2023, they plan to open a Christian elementary school for Kekchi kids who live in the rural area around them that do not have access to education. As evidenced by their work, the Dinsmore family is committed to demonstrating the love of God through action and does so each day in Guatemala.
If you are interested in supporting the Dinmores in their evangelical efforts in Guatemala, you can give online at https://www.indigenoustrainingsolutions.com/get-involved. Simply select “Dinsmore Mission” under additional information when filling out the giving form.
To learn more about TCA and how it is empowering other alum like Shelley to discover and live out their God-given purpose, visit https://tcajax.org/.