Few have the unique privilege of watching military personnel welcomed home by their loved ones after a deployment. Recently, Ben and Melody Bloker, Cadence House Directors at Victory Villa in Rota, Spain, were honored to take part in one of these heartfelt reunions when the USS Bulkeley returned to port.

Each branch of the military has its own traditions for welcoming service members home, and the Navy is no exception. Families and friends who are fortunate enough to make it onto the special guest list gather on the pier as tugboats guide the warship into port. The process is accomplished efficiently but can’t happen soon enough for those eagerly waiting to be reunited. Sailors line the edge of the ship in their dress whites while families cheer, wave signs, and look expectantly for their loved ones.

The “First Kiss” is a Navy tradition in which a sailor is selected by raffle to be the first to disembark and greet their family and friends. Following this sailor off the ship are the fathers whose wives welcomed a baby during the deployment. Married sailors are next to leave, once their duties are complete, followed by single sailors.

Some of the sailors aboard the USS Bulkeley are part of the Bloker’s ministry, making the homecoming especially meaningful. Ben and Melody surprised some of the singles, who often receive less fanfare, with a boisterous welcome. They also joined in the celebration of several families from their ministry community who were reunited.

Even as these celebrations occurred, many of our U.S. sailors are experiencing extended deployments at sea, above and beyond their already lengthy assignments. Please pray for those sailors and their families as they navigate life apart from one another. Pray for believing sailors to remain deeply connected to the Lord while aboard ship, as the environment can be spiritually challenging. Pray that the Lord will use chaplains and believers to share the Good News of Jesus with those who do not know Him.

Thank you for your prayers and investment in those who serve our country.

Dave Hutchings

President, Cadence International

This summer, missionaries and families from around the world gathered at Green Lake Conference Center for the 2026 Cadence Worldwide Conference. Under the theme “One Hope, One Mission,” we shared a meaningful week of worship, prayer, connection, and renewed vision for the ministry God has entrusted to us.

We were reminded that Cadence’s strength and health begin with Jesus. As we worshiped and prayed together, God renewed our hope, strengthened relationships, and deepened our unity. Staff who serve across different nations, cultures, and areas of ministry were able to encourage one another, share burdens, celebrate God’s faithfulness, and remember that none of us serves alone.

We left Green Lake refreshed and motivated for the next season of ministry. There was a clear sense that God is continuing to lead Cadence forward and is reaffirming our calling to share the gospel and our lives with military communities around the world. Romans 10 asks, “How are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent?” The Apostle Paul goes on to remind us that faith comes through hearing the word about Christ. This Scripture captures both the urgency of our mission and the importance of your partnership. God calls people to go, but He also uses faithful partners to pray, give, encourage, and help send them.

Our team has been praying that God will give us eyes to see and hearts to recognize where He is already working. We are asking Him to call more people to serve with Cadence and to give them the faith to respond without fear. Like the believers in Acts 4, we are praying for boldness to speak the good news and for the joy of seeing many people come to Christ.

We are grateful for your faithful partnership. The Cadence family is healthy, united, and ready for the season ahead. Together, we move forward with one hope in Jesus and one mission to make Him known.

With gratitude,

Dave Hutchings

President, Cadence International

Meet Phyo! Born and raised in Myanmar (Burma), she won a lottery through the U.S. government, which enabled her to become a naturalized citizen and then join the United States Air Force. Now an airman stationed at Wright-Patterson in Ohio, she has become involved with the local Cadence ministry, The Wright House, run by Dwight and Letty Grismore.

Over a latte, Phyo shared some of her story with Letty. Phyo sends part of her monthly paychecks back to her family in Asia, helping to pay for her sister’s college education in Korea and her brother’s elementary education at a local Christian school in Myanmar. Although Phyo speaks English fluently, she told Letty that she struggles to read it and has been saving up for an English-language Bible.

After hearing her story, the Grismores bought an easy-to-read English translation of the Bible and surprised Phyo with it the next time they saw her. She was deeply touched and filled with gratitude. She immediately shared this good news with her parents and posted these photos and her gratitude for the Bible on Facebook:

“So grateful and blessed to have Letty and Dwight in my life. I’ve always wanted an English Bible, and receiving one from them meant so much to me. Such a reminder of how good God is! Thankful for their heart to serve God and for being living proof of His love.”

You help to make stories like this possible! Across the U.S. and the world, thousands of people within the military community—each with their own unique stories—are being impacted by the love of Jesus through Cadence ministries.

Thank you for your gifts!

Thank you so much for your donation to Cadence International. From where you sit, you may not be able to see all the amazing things the Lord is doing through your generous giving, so we love giving you glimpses of the beautiful work of God whenever we can.

Cadence ministries are strategically placed near military bases that serve as landing places for men and women at a critical time in their lives. Below is a wonderful story of baptisms and changed lives.

Scott and Rebecca Crawford recently baptized six people as part of their Hospitality House ministry near Jacksonville Naval Air Station.

One young man had grown up unchurched but began spending time at their hospitality house. His time with the people there introduced him to Christianity and the value of a community that bears one another’s burdens, shares in one another’s sorrows, and celebrates each other. He gave his life to Christ, got married, and was baptized all in the same week!

These six young people have experienced the transformational power of the Holy Spirit in their lives, and only God knows where He will send them next. Wherever that may be, they are now going forth as witnesses to what they experienced:

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:8

Please know that your gifts are making a real-life difference in the lives of service members everywhere. We invite you to join us in prayer for the work that God will do in and through them.

With great gratitude, 

Dave Hutchings, President

Thank you for your gifts to Cadence International. It’s your faithful prayers, relational support, and generous giving that make ministry to the military community possible all around the globe.

You likely learned to pray, give, and serve as you were discipled in your faith. This is also true in the lives of those we minister to at Cadence. Whether we are ministering to service members who are mature believers or who have recently come to faith, our missionaries disciple them by modeling the ways of Jesus. Most often this occurs incarnationally in life-on-life contexts, as we give those we are discipling opportunities to share the gospel with their words and also in their actions.

At Larry and BB Blakely’s ministry at Joint Base Langley-Eustis in Virginia, the soldiers and airmen they are equipping serve at the local Rescue Mission.

RJ and Sabrina Prestwich, who serve near Joint Base Lewis- McChord in Washington state, give the soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines opportunities to provide practical help to others. The servicemembers recently collected meals and provided childcare for a family that suffered a miscarriage.

The habits of service formed now in the lives of these young men and women will have a lasting impact on the world around them as they continue to serve in Jesus’ name in the years to come.

We are grateful for your partnership with us in such a fruitful and meaningful ministry.