Love Freely Given

“I remember going to the Vilseck Hospitality House for the first time. Initially, I was scared that my past would mean that I was too broken of a person to fit in amongst everyone there. I assumed that everyone around me was perfect Christians who had their lives together and that I was a disaster. I was so wrong.”

These were the opening words of a testimony given by a woman at a baptism held for her and two others who attend the ministry of Vilseck House Directors Matt and Tina Huisjen. Having served with Cadence since 1998, the Huisjens have welcomed many people into their home and count it a privilege to share the gospel and watch God transform lives through His love, as illustrated in the life of this woman.

Growing up with an alcoholic mother and an absentee father, her childhood was characterized by chaos and instability. In an effort to find love and fill the void in her heart, she began to make choices that led to heartache and hopelessness.

After hitting rock bottom, she began to attend the Huisjen’s ministry and encountered God:   

I was overwhelmed by the warmth and genuine love of the people there. They welcomed me with open arms, without judgment or condemnation. It was in that environment that I began to learn about the unconditional love of Jesus Christ. I heard stories of redemption and transformation, stories that resonated deeply with my own brokenness.  

Slowly, but surely, I started to understand that God’s love wasn’t something I had to earn; it was freely given. Jesus demonstrated this love for us by dying on the cross for our sins, offering us forgiveness. This was a wild concept for someone like me, who had always felt unworthy and unloved. As I continued to attend the Vilseck House and women’s Bible study, I began to see myself through God’s eyes-cherished and loved beyond measure.   

Today, my life is a testament to God’s grace and redemption. I have found peace and purpose that I never thought possible. My past no longer defines me; instead, it serves as a powerful testimony of God’s transformative power. I am living proof that no matter how far you’ve strayed away from him or how deep your pain, God’s love can reach you, heal you, and give you a new beginning.

Ohana Night

Hello friends,

We are delighted for you to hear from one of our full-time Cadence missionaries, Melissa Rafferty, who is serving in Okinawa, Japan. Melissa joined Cadence in 2011 with a desire to share the gospel and her life with young men and women in the military.

I separated from the Air Force and joined Cadence as a single 34-year-old woman, unsure of what the Lord was calling me to do. I knew two things. I knew I loved the military community; and I knew I had a desire to see people live in the fullness of who God has called them to be, rather than waiting on what culture around them said they needed to be.

I am currently the director of the Wired Bean, a coffee house and chapel ministry center for junior enlisted personnel on Kadena Air Base. At the Wired Bean, our desire is to reach out to those who live in the dorms and to provide a safe place for them to meet new people, explore life, learn about leadership, volunteer, and talk about faith.

Many of the men and women who enter our doors have just left their hometown for the first time and are trying to figure out what they believe and why they believe it. They enter a work environment in which talking about religion and politics is discouraged. So, the question is, where are they free to ask meaningful questions and have important conversations?

We provide a respectful place for people to have those conversations and seek information. Some people are receptive to the gospel and others aren’t, but we believe that the Lord is using us to plant the seeds.

As a single woman, I can adjust my schedule to be available when these young men and women are off work. We often meet up for a meal, or just hang out and talk. I receive occasional questions from other singles who have a desire to be in a relationship. My hope is to encourage them to seek the Lord in their current stage of life and trust His timing and plan.

One of our regular ministry events is Ohana Night, which provides a home-cooked meal sponsored by various organizations on base. Many junior enlisted personnel rarely have the chance to eat a home-cooked meal. We love welcoming both new and familiar faces to the table, where they can enjoy good food and even better company. These meals give us the ability to continue building relationships with these men and women and to hear about their lives.

Some prayer requests from Melissa

We have a new “council,” a group of men and women who lead and serve at the Wired Bean. We have started the application process and will follow it up with interviews. Pray for a united team.

Also, I will be traveling to the States this summer. Please pray as I begin to plan and prepare the logistics involved in keeping the Wired Bean up and running while I am away.

We are thankful for Melissa and all the lives she and her team are impacting.

Ft. Benning – A New Ministry is Founded

Well, it was done. Officially. Cadence International, Ft. Benning, “Koinonia House” was now an actual thing.

Worshipful song had been lifted; Holy Scripture, pondered; Moving poetry, expressed; Affirming words, spoken; Time-Capsule, safely entombed. With heart-felt prayer, every room anointed.

What was left of our day of dedication was going to be devoted simply – but perhaps most profoundly – to the most important part: People.

I watched an Army chaplain’s smiling eyes take in the happy clumps of conversations and laughter flowing through the rooms about us. His elbows were propped on his knees and he casually blew over the rim of his coffee mug as he took in our new home ministry and the people it was already impacting. He nodded to himself before directing his friendly gaze back at me. “It’s a beautiful house, Tim. You and Bobbi have truly made it a warm and inviting atmosphere. I can see this new ministry here at Benning turning into a hub for both soldiers and families. I think the Lord is going to do some great things.”

Another soldier flanking me – part of our little scrum of three – smiled broadly and nodded in agreement.

Deeply touched at their sincere and loving encouragement, I managed, “Thanks guys. I think He is going to do great things.”

“So, Tim, give us the short-answer: How would you describe your overall ministry strategy here at Ft. Benning?”

I chuckled, and carefully continued folding my empty cupcake paper into a little triangle, “You want ‘the short answer’ huh?”

I looked up to note that his eyebrows were arched with humor, but also sincere interest. “Oh sure, it’s a big question. But you have to admit,” – and he nodded to reference the knots of warm fellowship all around us – “the dynamic in a Cadence ministry is nearly impossible to describe to someone who hasn’t experienced it, no matter how many words you use. So, how would you succinctly describe what is at the heart of your ministry?”

“You just want to keep him from preaching.”

“Well yeah, there is that. Have you ever actually heard him preach?”

“I heard him preach for a whole week one day.” My friends laughed, and I joined in, “Oh sure, make fun. I can take it.”

“Alright, I’ll give it a shot. One of the most important lessons I ever learned about ministry was that no matter how you actually cut it, at its core, Ministry is people.”

“Okay. We’ll bite. So how do you apply that here?”

“You guys notice the verse my wife posted on the wall in the entryway? It’s our mission’s key verse: 1 Thessalonians 2:8, We loved you so much that we shared with you not only the gospel of God, but our own lives too. Those words describe perfectly what is at the core of our ministry: People. Even the gospel that the three of us teach is ultimately about relationships with people.

“The gospel isn’t about following rules of religion. It’s not about a particular worship service style, music genre, or program. It’s about God, becoming a person, so He could do what was necessary to connect people intimately to Himself.”

My friend’s eyes met across me. “You said he wouldn’t preach.”

“Don’t blame me. You’re the one that got him started.”

“You’re very funny, you know that? You both are. Is it a spiritual gifting?”

Happy nods.

“We’re actually tracking with you perfectly. Keep going brother. You’re doing good.”

“Bottom line: the method, schedule, and program will change in a variety of ways over the years. The furniture and décor may change color and pattern. The menu for dinner will vary. But the intimate core of deep relationships with people? That will never change, because at its heart, our ministry is just . . . people.”

“So, you’re saying that it’s hard to describe what this ministry is like, because ministry isn’t a program or a place. Ministry is what is happening right now between the three of us and the Lord.”

“Now look who’s preaching?”

A strong affirming hand clamped onto my knee. “We love you. Do you know that brother?”

“I love you guys too. No question about it. Now, I’m up for getting myself another cookie-dough cupcake while our wives are talking in the other room. You guys in?”

“And if we’re questioned, we can just say, ‘Honey, ministry is people.’”

“Think that will fly?”

“No way. We better make our move before they come back.”

Christ Remains Constant

WAITING IN THE LOBBY

An extra hour opened up in my schedule while on base this morning. I didn’t have much time, so I walked down to a little coffee shop with a seating area that looks out to the base passenger terminal and down into the lobby of the military hotel.

It’s a unique spot in the world.

From my vantage point, I could see the chairs in the lobby of the hotel filled with soldiers in uniform, backpacks beside them, waiting for their plane to be refueled and on their way to far off places.

A few minutes later, I heard a lady in an excited voice say, “There’s daddy!” Two little girls waited, jumping and laughing, at the top of the stairs as their dad came up. A few hugs later he greeted his wife and grabbed the girls’ hands. They walked away, the wife following a little behind with the stroller.

A good friend of ours and her kids came up the stairs. They were trying to fly home on a Space Available flight from Ramstein to Baltimore by way of Alaska. Sound a little crazy? Our military families have the benefit of flying on military flights as space is available. The route home is always interesting. This family had tried to get on a flight all day yesterday and had been waiting since early morning hours today.

TRANSITION IS CONSTANT

One thing I know to be true of the Kaiserslautern military community is that everyone is always in a state of transition. People come and go at a rate that will make your head spin.

Active duty husbands and wives both come and go on deployments, trainings, and routine duties that take them all over the world. Families travel back and forth to the States to see family, trying not to miss important life events. When the whole family happens to be here at the same time, they travel on long weekends to make the most of their European assignments.

CHRIST IS STABLE

In all of this activity, one of the beauties of a hospitality house is stability. We try to be the steady people and place in an ever-changing environment. Our stability has a noticeable impact on our little community.

We are a group of believers whose foundation is Christ who provide for each other security, rest, and resolve in an otherwise insecure, exhausting, and chaotic environment.

And what a reflection this is of the gospel—that Christ is our rock and refuge and never-changing friend. Because Christ is stable, consistent, reliable, always advocating, never-sleeping, and secure, we can be at rest and secure in His great love.

Cadence in the News: Ministry Featured on Military.Com

Cadence is in the news!

Military.com shared a story about our hospitality house, The Homestead, that serves Joint Base Elemendorf-Richardson (JBER) in Alaska.

“Friday nights mean a full kitchen at The Homestead.

Stephanie Caudle starts preparing early. House cleaning starts around noon, she said, dinner preparation begins around 4 p.m. and guests start arriving an hour or so later. Dinner’s served at 6 p.m., Caudle said, followed by games, Bible study and dessert. Sometimes, she said, guests stick around until 1 or 2 a.m.”

Read the rest of the article here.

A Unique Ministry

There are two things that always stand out in my mind: hospitality and the chapel.

AUTHENTIC HOSPITALITY

Moving beyond entertaining guests to sharing your life can be difficult to find in American culture, and with each passing generation it seems to be declining. Since moving to Okinawa we have been both stretched and blessed by hospitality.

Being a hospitality house director certainly forced me to step up my game and grow the direction that I wanted to go anyhow. Theologically and practically there is much more that I desire to grasp about opening up our home and our lives, welcoming others in, and pointing them to Christ.

What I know so far is that it takes intentionality to create space to be hospitable. In saying that I am not speaking solely of hosting, which is quite different. Rather, I am speaking to both the calendar and heart condition. If one is going to share life with people, one needs to prioritize accordingly and be present, both of which can be challenging to do. Intentionally creating space for hospitality is our ministry heartbeat and where we have the greatest impact for the gospel.

PARTNERING WITH THE CHAPEL

There are some really solid churches on Okinawa and I have been blessed to get to know their pastors. That said, we are different from a church because we partner with the chapel on Kadena Air Base.

As a former chaplain, I can tell you that the tyranny of the urgent is alive and well in military ministry, because at least in part the mission demands it. Military chaplains not only serve a congregation on Sunday, but also conduct counseling for their units and manage a mountain of staff officer administration work. We seek to support chaplains and their ministry to the military community.

Chapel staff recognize that The Harbor supports the Chapel by providing further Christian fellowship and teaching, and praise God it’s developed into a beautiful partnership. It’s an honor to have Chaplains confide in me and to provide them with pastoral care, and sometimes it’s their wives who thank me first. Being a Chaplain is a high-stress, high-capacity role, so it helps when they have someone who can listen to, encourage, and support them.

SO WHAT?

When it’s PCS season (Permanent Change of Station . . .moving time) we will say goodbye to many dear friends and show hospitality to new ones. Chaplains will also PCS. It will be time to invest again and start over, in a sense, with new leadership. And as people move, we will be providing stability for the chapel and I will be preaching there more regularly as we await the replacement chaplain.

I invite you to pray for the transitions. Pray for the remaining staff who have way too much on their plates as they wait for incoming staff. Pray for all those arriving on island and their learning curves ahead. Pray for all those leaving to their next assignments. Pray for us as we seek to attend to all of them, and that we would prioritize and be present; that whether old or new, everyone we encounter would experience hospitality. We really do want to share the gospel and our lives with the military community. Thank you for being a part of it!