Eleven Countries, One More Mom: An American Leader’s Experience at the MomCo Summit in the Dominican Republic
More than 50 MomCo leaders from 11 countries gathered in the Dominican Republic for a Latin American leadership summit. They came to learn, worship, and ask a question that sounds familiar wherever MomCo meets: Who is the one more mom we’re being called to reach?
We asked one U.S. leader, Jennifer Iverson, who attended the summit what she saw there — and what she brought home.
What was your first impression of the leaders you met?
They looked me in the eyes. They smiled. They hugged me. They were genuinely glad to see me, and nobody seemed to be in a hurry to move on to the next thing.
That warmth stayed with me. I had traveled a long way to meet these leaders, and they made me feel like I belonged the moment I arrived.
Did MomCo feel different there?
The rhythm felt different. People were wonderfully social and expressive. Singing and conversation could carry on past midnight. Homes were close together, and sharing what you had with someone else seemed like a natural part of life.
But the conversations underneath it all felt very familiar. These women want to grow as moms and leaders. They want to know Jesus more closely. And they want other moms to have a place to belong.
What were the leaders working on at the summit?
One theme was one more: one more mom, one more group, or whatever next step God was calling each leader to take.
We also talked about accountability and keeping better track of groups and moms across the region. That can sound like paperwork, but I see something much more hopeful in it. When we can see where groups are growing and moms are connecting, we can celebrate what God is doing. We can also see where someone might need support as they reach their “one more.”
Was there a moment you haven’t stopped thinking about?
One leader’s mother had died the week before the summit. She buried her mom and then got on a plane to be there.
I keep thinking about her. Even in grief, she wanted to learn how to share Jesus with others. I won’t forget what it meant to sit among women who cared so deeply about the moms they serve.
What did those leaders teach you?
See the mom.
It sounds simple, but they held on to that purpose so clearly. The work is to serve the mom in front of you and help her find community. Their focus challenged me to ask how often I let other things distract me from that.
And how did you manage without speaking Spanish?
With a lot of help! I took three years of Spanish in high school, but most of what I remember is ¿Dónde está el baño? If someone answered with directions, I was in trouble.
When Mio met me at the airport wearing her MomCo shirt, she looked like an angel. I had come out of the building wondering how on earth I would find my people, and there she was.
Our leaders in the Dominican Republic and Google Translate helped me throughout the trip. Sometimes I’d understand a joke about 30 seconds after everyone else laughed. Then I’d laugh, and everyone would laugh again because I was so late. Those moments were sweet.
The experience also reminded me how much language matters. We provide curriculum with Spanish subtitles and meeting plans in Spanish, and hearing something in your own language helps it reach your heart.
What do you wish every U.S. member knew about her global MomCo sisters?
We’re doing this together. We all want to grow as moms and leaders. We’re trusting God to take what we offer and do more with it than we could do alone. And we all need someone to come alongside us.
A group in your town and a group across the world may look and sound different. But somewhere in each one is a mom hoping to be seen. The leaders I met in the Dominican Republic are making room for her. We can, too.