The Gift of Presence

The Gift of Presence

“The people we did life with. . .”

I pulled that phrase from the testimony below because it says so much about our Cadence ministries—we “do life” with military people. We share their joys, struggles, heartaches, and triumphs. We walk through their journey with them.

This past month we celebrated Advent and the arrival of our Savior, Emmanuel—God with us. He came to us in order to be with us in our journeys of life. What an amazing gift!

And what a privilege to offer this gift of presence—being with—to our loved ones and friends.

Here is a testimony from a young wife and mother whose husband was stationed at Spangdahlem AB in Germany. “The Hangar” is the name of the Cadence hospitality house there.

“After sitting through that first Hangar night, for the first time since arriving in Germany, I felt like I might just be okay and make it through this assignment. But I could never have imagined the wonderful things God had in store for us through this ministry.

Because of The Hangar missionaries and community, not only have we made it through this assignment, we have loved it. We have thrived in it. We have grown personally and spiritually through it, made lifelong friends, memories, and so much more. I cannot imagine what this assignment would have been like without The Hangar and the people God placed in our lives there. This community became our family. The friends we’ve made at the Hangar have been by our family’s side through deployments, tragedy, the miracle of new life, birthdays, holidays, and even more importantly, the everyday little things.

These are the people we did life with over the last four years. These kinds of relationships, especially overseas, are priceless—a rare, beautiful gift that I am so lucky to have found. But not only did we find lifelong friends and family through this community, we also grew closer to Jesus and each other through the teachings and discipleship of the Hangar missionaries.” 

Friends, as we leave behind the specific challenges and trials of 2020 and set our eyes on walking with Jesus in 2021, let us remember the importance of “doing life with people”—being together in this journey amidst all its joys and sorrows, trials and triumphs.

Your faithful financial support allows our Cadence staff to do this very thing for military people and their families, and I thank you.

David Schroeder
President

2020: An Unforgettable Year

2020: An Unforgettable Year

As we close out this unforgettable 2020 year, I was reminded today on a phone call with one of our Cadence field missionaries that Jesus always does His redeeming work, no matter the circumstances.

This Cadence staff couple are striving to begin a new ministry to the military in the midst of this pandemic. Few people are coming. Making connections on base are more difficult than ever. Last week only 10 military people showed up to the newly established Cadence hospitality house, The Bridge, in the San Diego Military Community.

In their last Cadence ministry in Germany, this couple enjoyed anywhere from 60-100 military people and their children participating in their hospitality house ministry. Only having 10 attend after months of work could have been a discouraging experience for them.

Yet, just today on the phone Ed described to me the joy of ministering to these few. The conversations were significant and meaningful because of the smaller setting. Ed and Joy sense the Spirit moving in these lives, and it was bringing them great encouragement.

This experience is being replicated around the world by Cadence staff as they minister to military people. Yes, numbers are down across the board, but we are wondering if impact might actually be up in some ways?!

Jesus showed us the power of working deeply with a few. These pandemic restrictions have reminded us in Cadence of this important and timeless truth.

Who are “the few” in your life? We pray you are staying safe and healthy as you love those around you. Each and every life is worth our care and investment.

May we all close 2020 with a sense of purpose, with a sense of perspective, and with deep gratitude that God has been with us in this suffering and has not stopped His powerful work in people’s lives.

God bless you, our friends and partners in this important ministry.

David Schroeder

Adjustments

Adjustments

I think you will appreciate this testimony of God’s work from a family who has been attending the Cadence ministry at The Hangar near Spangdahlem Air Base in Germany for the last three years where Joe and Jill Vincent are the current directors:

“Moving to Germany was a tough adjustment. Not long after we arrived, we were invited to The Hangar. We had never heard of Cadence International until this point. We were unsure of what this “Hangar” was, but were told it had a good Bible study, so we decided to give it a try. We loved it immediately. It just felt so welcoming, like a family. We loved how deep they dug into Scripture and how Gospel-focused it was.

As for the impact it has had on our lives personally . . . well, God has definitely used this ministry to grow and stretch us both to a new level in our walk with Him—a more consistent, and deeper walk. We are fully in, abiding with Him, and we truly believe God used this ministry and these missionaries to change our hearts to be fully focused on Him.

The previous leaders, as well as the current ones, have poured so much into the lives of not only us, but our children as well. They have loved us so well. They have prayed for and with us, encouraged us, and discipled us. We have loved being able to serve alongside them.

What a huge blessing this ministry is to the military community. Military life is tough, constantly changing and lonely at times.

The Hangar is a needed ministry to the Spangdahlem Air Base Community.”

Friends, your giving and prayers make a difference in lives of military singles and families all around the world.

Thank you, and may God bless you and your family.

David Schroeder
President

Becoming an Intern

Becoming an Intern

I thought you would enjoy reading the testimony of Ciera Aguer, a student at The Masters University who is applying to be a Cadence intern this summer.

I remember the first time I learned about Cadence International. I was in high school on my way back from a missions trip. We stayed in a hospitality house and the missionaries explained what they did. I had never heard of anyone doing ministry in that manner. I was so excited. I decided, in that moment, if God called me into ministry, I wanted to model it after Cadence International.

I grew up not far from 29 Palms Marine base and have been around the military most of my life. As a civilian, I will never fully understand combat, but I do understand overcoming seemingly impossible obstacles. I have watched service member’s lives fall apart from divorce, death, or injuries sustained in combat. I have seen people once hardened to the Gospel willing to listen after joining the military. I even watched a grown man cry over his fallen brothers. This group needs Christ. For those that have received salvation, a Body of believers to love and help during transitions is essential.

The best news anyone could share is the Gospel. Cadence does this winsomely. Cadence lets service members build relationships through dinner, retreats, and even scuba diving. I yearn for the chance to learn more from Cadence missionaries and would love to share the Good News with those in the military.

I think Ciera describes Cadence quite well.

Thank you for your investment in this fruitful and powerful ministry.

David Schroeder
President