Pieces of Glory

Pieces of Glory

I trust your gathering of friends and family over Christmas was meaningful and joyful, as was the experience for Joyce and me.

If you are wondering why there is a Christmas tree on my January receipt letter, it’s because this tree represents the fruit of your financial investment in the ministry of Cadence. If you look closely at the picture, you will see that it is made up of dozens of small, individually cut out pieces.

One of the activities on Christmas day in our home with both adults and grandkids was the creation of collages using chosen pieces from various magazines. This beautiful tree was our daughter Kyrie’s creation.

1 Corinthians 3:18 states, “And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.”

Let us ponder this: the Spirit is always working to transform us into God’s image “with ever-increasing glory.” You, me, and every single one of God’s children are being lovingly crafted day-by-day, step-by-step, glory-to-glory into his very image. Wow!

And like Kyrie’s tree, he is taking one piece of our life at a time and adding it to the tapestry of his likeness as he forms us. We may mostly see the individual small and ragged parts, often experiences of suffering, grief, brokenness, and difficulty, but God sees the “ever-increasing glory” of his loving work in us.

Our Christmas trees every Advent season remind us that baby Jesus was destined to hang on a tree—sacrificing himself that we might one day receive the gift of life and forgiveness of our sins.

Friends, thank you for your investment in the ministry of Cadence. Your prayers and gifts are making the eternal gift of life available to military people and their families around the world. And those precious people are being transformed piece-by-piece into the image of Jesus.

May you be encouraged in your journey with the Lord today, even as you read this letter. If the pieces of your life seem fragmented, frayed, or fragile, trust our Savior anew as he slowly but surely creates a handiwork of his glory in you.

David Schroeder
President

Legacy of Love

Legacy of Love

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” John 3:16–17

It’s Advent, the season that invites us to not only celebrate God’s love but to reflect on it and share it with others. It is the time when we remember how far Jesus came to save us. As these song lyrics put it, “from a throne of endless glory to a cradle in the dirt.”[1]

For 70 years Cadence staff have gone from their homes and loved ones to military communities to share the gospel and their lives. Margaret Patty, one of the founders of OCSC/Cadence International, was one of these. In 1955 she worked her way across the ocean on a Norwegian freighter to marry Dick Patty who was already in the Philippines, along with Jesse and Nettie Miller, ministering to Sailors at Subic Bay. Margaret and Dick’s service took them from fruitful years at Subic to the Headquarters in Denver, then to Germany and the Europe Field, then as Ambassadors in Colorado.

In September, Margaret took her final earthly journey up to heaven as cancer that was undiscovered until August hastened her travel. We and other family members were in the room with her—Margaret was our beloved mom and mother-in-law. We testify to her walk of faith and her love for people to the very end. We invite you to watch her beautiful memorial service at Cadence.org/MargaretPattyMemorial.

This Advent, Cadence staff will continue the legacy of our founders as they open their homes and hearts to military people in the U.S. and overseas—those who’ve answered a different call to serve—a responsibility that often takes them far from their homes and loved ones. Our prayer is that in this season many will experience and accept the love of Jesus. His love never stops going to the greatest lengths to save us.

May you know His love in these days. May the ways you love others in this season be blessed. And may each of us be testaments of this love and grace all the days of our lives.

David and Joyce Schroeder

[1] King of Kings, Brooke Ligertwood

A Soldier’s Child

A Soldier’s Child

The following story was shared after Cadence assisted WayFM and A Soldier’s Child Foundation with an event on December 7, 2024. Thanks to the generosity of Greenwood Community Church, the event took place at AirCity 360 in Colorado Springs, CO.

A Mother’s Story

After hearing about A Soldier’s Child SOS Christmas on WayFM a few times on our way to school, my nine-year-old daughter, Kenna, asked if we could participate. The following week, she sold items at our church’s holiday market and felt she could sponsor a child with the earnings. An easy click on the site led us to the purchasing of gifts for a girl the same age as my daughter. We had so much fun shopping from the wish list and selecting presents we thought she might enjoy.   

I dropped off the gifts at Cadence International Headquarters and instantly felt a connection with staff member Angie Sprague as she shared about the party she was coordinating for the SOS families. In return, I shared our family story, how we were led to participate, and how my daughter wanted to lead the charge. Little did I know Angie would extend an invitation to attend the SOS party that Saturday as volunteers. We spent the evening meeting families, joining in on the fun, and connecting with people from WayFM, Cadence International, and A Soldier’s Child.  My daughter met the nine-year-old girl she had sponsored, and again, another instant connection was made.   

The many lessons our family learned and the chance to offer the presence of God by being the hands and feet of Jesus exceed the small effort it took to purchase gifts. We look forward to supporting this cause again next year and will spread the word about this opportunity, so more children feel loved during the holiday season.

Story Photos
Top image: From left to right: Ken, Kenna’s father; Angie Sprague, Cadence Director of Alumni; Deanna, Kenna’s mother; Rachel who works with A Soldier’s Child; and Kenna.

Side images: Kenna and her new friend.

A Soldier’s Child Foundation
“A Soldier’s Child (ASC) Foundation serves children of fallen servicemen and women from all U.S. military branches. ASC acknowledges all deaths during active duty and any deaths post-military service due to service-related injuries or illnesses.” Learn more about their incredible work here.

Read more stories here.

Faithful and Available

Faithful and Available

God doesn’t need superheroes or extraordinary people to accomplish His purposes. He uses ordinary people who are faithful and available. Cadence staff Jeff Walton shared a story that illustrates this point. He and his wife Candace run the Humphreys Hospitality House in Korea.   

One thing that continues to amaze Candace and me is how God works through those who attend our house ministry, not just us. One man, in particular, is relatively new to Korea and still processing through a hard breakup that occurred right before he came.   

On Christmas, he told us he didn’t really want to be around a large group of people but knew he needed to be with others. He ended up retreating to our third floor to nap for a while, then ate a lot of food and poured out his heart to one guy for hours. He also connected with another guy and talked with him for a long time. It was great to see this man relax, be encouraged by other Christian men, see others pray for him with their arms around him, and then see him leave with closer friendships than when he arrived.   

Candace and I did nothing but provide a safe place for people to come and fellowship together. God used others to show love to this hurting man in our own home. Praise the Lord! This story is the reason we love hospitality ministry so much. As we disciple, build up, feed, encourage, and present the gospel to our group each week, our members, in turn, do the same for others. They have been shown a godly example and are now going out and serving others because of the community built on Jesus.   

We know we don’t need to be a part of every conversation, help solve every problem, or speak the right word of encouragement to others at the right time. God uses more people than just Candace and me. He raises up His Church here in our ministry, and they take care of each other. We create a space where people are brought together so that the Holy Spirit can work through the Body. It is God’s ministry, not ours. We just feel privileged to be on the front lines to see what God is doing. 

—Jeff and Candace Walton are House Directors at Humphreys Hospitality House in Korea. Excerpt from January 2024 newsletter.  

Read more stories here.

Thankful Then, Thankful Now

Thankful Then, Thankful Now

1ST BATTALION, 35TH ARMOR REGIMENT, 1ST ARMORED DIVISION, BAUMHOLDER, GERMANY (“THE ROCK!”)

This was my first duty assignment in the Army for my wife Aimee and me as we arrived in Germany in September 1999. We had been married eight months; I had been in the Army nine months; and now we were about to figure out married life, Army life, and overseas life all at once. As I think back to that first Thanksgiving in Germany, I had no idea how grateful we would be for the community we were beginning to encounter at the Cadence hospitality house.

I also didn’t realize the gift we had been given in our Battalion chaplain and his family. Chaplain Ken Sorenson and his wife, Patrice, were calming spirits to the challenges that came with all the “new” in our lives. CH Sorenson would regularly pursue me and ensure I was doing okay as I learned how to be an Armor officer. Patrice stayed connected to my wife throughout my many deployments and training exercises. Their whole family was deeply involved in the hospitality house community. (And on our first wedding anniversary, when I was deployed to another U.S. base for training, CH Sorenson even arranged for Aimee to meet me in the chapel so we could have pizza together! I’m thankful the Battalion Commander didn’t find out!)

This month I am thinking back to our first Thanksgiving as a married couple 25 years ago and again giving thanks to God for the Baumholder Hospitality House and the Sorensons. And I give thanks for you, because your financial gifts to Cadence are ensuring many young Soldiers and their families have a similar opportunity to find Christian love and community.

We also want you to know that you can partner with Cadence in supporting the ministry of U.S. military chaplains. Victory Ranch is Cadence’s retreat facility located in South Carolina. One aspect of this ministry is to provide spiritual resiliency training space to chaplains from the Chaplain Basic Officer Leadership Course (CBOLC) at Ft. Jackson. Situated on 17 acres of land, Victory Ranch provides unique opportunities for all new incoming Army chaplains to connect and grow outside of the classroom environment. Furthermore, they enjoy the experience of Cadence hospitality and thus know about our ministry when they arrive at their first duty station.

Every year Cadence selects a “Joshua Project” in which we seek the Lord to abundantly provide financially for specific material necessities. The needs at Victory Ranch include driveway repairs, replacement of the roof on the recreation barn, and siding on the main house. Would you consider a Thanksgiving Gift to our Joshua Project to help ensure that chaplains and their families continue to experience the blessing of Cadence ministries? We have an $8,000 matching gift already in place and would love for you to bring it to life! Learn more at Cadence.org/JoshuaProject.

Happy Thanksgiving!

In the goodness of Jesus,
Brian Kleager
VP for Strategic Partnerships and PR

We Share

We Share

We share the gospel and our lives with the military community.
 
For 70 years, the mission of Cadence International has aligned and galvanized our staff in their fruitful ministry to military people and their families. When I think back on the 40 years Joyce and I have served in Cadence, the unrelenting focus of our hearts has been on this mission of loving military people.
 
A few weeks ago, I was considering the power of “sharing our lives” as I watched two of our Cadence kids play little league baseball. It just so happened that my visit to this ministry corresponded with our staff’s kids’ game. Of course I wanted to cheer them on—our Cadence kids have a very special place in our hearts.
 
What I hadn’t anticipated was seeing at least 10 soldiers from that hospitality house ministry also at the game rooting for these two boys! But of course they were—this is what “sharing our lives” means. We are there for each other in the moments and events of life. We share experiences of celebration and of sorrow, of the miraculous and the mundane, and of everyday importance to each person.
 
After the game, we hung out together at the nearby Dairy Queen. I heard the story of a young couple who met at the hospitality house, were married by the house director, and were now facing a year apart as newlyweds. The husband was deploying to South Korea for Army infantry training. This is not an uncommon story in military life.
 
What struck me was the peace of heart these two displayed as they talked about this looming time living on different continents. They were trusting God and His plan and were relying on His goodness and His provision. They also knew that she would be loved and supported well by the Cadence hospitality house community while he was deployed.
 
This is the heart and soul of Cadence ministry—We share the gospel and our lives.
 
Friends, you make this possible. This story is being repeated multiple times in many places even as I write these words to you. Your prayers and financial partnership fuel this gospel-centered missional living in military communities around the world.
 
You are an important part of this fruit—fruit that will last into eternity.
 
Thank you!
David Schroeder, President