Kingdom Connections

American military personnel are accustomed to packing up and going wherever the military sends them, whether it is a six-month unaccompanied deployment or a three-year duty assignment in the U.S. or overseas. Accordingly, Cadence staff may have only a few months to invest in those who attend their ministry and usually no more than three years.

Cadence staff Deric and Rebecca Sneller understand the difficulties these transitions bring more than most. Not only have they served with Cadence since 2014, but Deric is also a chaplain in the Army Reserves. As directors of the K-Town Hospitality House in the Kaiserslautern Military Community (KMC) in Germany, they welcomed Marlina into their ministry this last year, knowing it would only be for a short time. She quickly became a significant member of their community, as she shared in meals, holidays, outings, and ministry, and even blessed them with a date night. Marlina shares what her time at the K-Town House meant to her:

Where am I to begin with the blessings the Sneller family left on my life in the span of just nine months? From the start, God’s grace and love were orchestrating it all. My new husband and I (both active-duty Army) had just been reunited after spending our first year of marriage apart when I received the news I would be leaving once again for Germany.

By late June of 2023, I arrived at the KMC for a nine-month rotation with a unit that was still new to me. My heart was heavy and conflicted. When I met the Snellers, their family was an instant joy to be around. They reflected the much-needed love of God for which my soul was searching. They opened their home and hearts to me, displaying true hospitality. Their steady trust in the Lord and His plan for them has been a testament to faith and something I admire.

When we met, they had also just arrived in Germany and were starting their ministry from scratch. Watching Rebecca fearlessly invite anyone the Lord put on her heart amazed me, as did their trust in God’s process and vision for what ministry would look like in their new context. From being involved in their new and growing ministry, God showed me that even things that seem temporary can have a long-lasting impact; kingdom connections are eternal.

—Excerpt from Deric and Rebecca’s March 2024 newsletter

This Present Moment

“Really, God?”

Am I the only one who asks that question from time to time? Over and over, I have found myself in new environments. Military moves, different ministry locations, and changing seasons of life bring new relationships and variables, and it can be so easy in those moments to feel the weight of change.

There are days I wish my circumstances were more comfortable or that I had more or less of something. At times, when an obstacle lies in my path, I am once again faced with the decision of how to respond to it. When I am walking in the Spirit, I desire to live fully where the Lord has placed me. But when I walk in the flesh, it’s easy to find reasons to complain or resist, and then I miss what God wants to do in the present moment.

As a family, we have been searching the Scriptures for those things that God commands us to do. It has been both rich and challenging. The four most common commands we find in Scripture are these:

Give thanks
Praise the Lord
Rejoice
Do not fear

When we examine our present circumstances through the lens of these four commands, our entire perspective changes. We find that our hearts and minds stop searching for answers, and we find purpose, peace, and power from the Lord, sufficient for us in the present moment.

Whatever circumstances you find yourself in today, I invite you to approach them with these four clear and loving commands of God in mind. May you find His power, His peace, and His purpose this day. You are right where you need to be.

By His Spirit,
Dave Hutchings
VP for Field Ministries

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.

Happy Birthday Cadence!

I wonder what birthdays were like in Bible times. Did the Apostle Paul’s mother throw a celebration for him each year as he grew up? I also wonder what birthdays were like for the OCSC/Cadence missionary families who served overseas in the 1950’s. My Burundian friend Isaiah was in Colorado last year on his birthday, and we had a celebration for him. He had never been given a birthday cake and treating him to this American tradition was fun.

In this day and age in our Western culture, birthdays are often given a lot of attention. I celebrated my 48th birthday earlier this year while on a trip to Ukraine, which meant it was quite a bit different than normal. Of course, my family threw me a birthday party when I returned home, for which I was grateful. (Read more about the visit to Ukraine at Cadence.org/Ukraine2024.)

This year, Cadence is celebrating its 70th birthday as a mission organization! We don’t want this significant occasion to slip by without taking time to remember what God has done over the years in the lives of Cadence staff and the military communities they serve.

Gift-giving, an important aspect of birthday celebrations in the U.S., is something we read about in the Bible. We have many examples of people offering their gifts at the altar, which were acts of love and sacrifice. During the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus uses the idea of gift-giving to illustrate God’s goodness revealed through answered prayer (Matthew 7:7–11). Paul wrote to the church in Rome that salvation through Jesus is a free gift of grace (Romans 5:12–21).

Your gifts to Cadence are acts of faith and reflect the goodness and generosity of Jesus. So, on behalf of our staff and the whole of Cadence, as we celebrate our significant birthday, I say, “Thank you!” Your gifts are a strong source of encouragement to all of us.

We are grateful for your faithful partnership in 70 years of sharing the gospel and our lives with the military.

With gratitude,
Brian Kleager
VP for Strategic Partnerships and Public Relations

We invite you to celebrate our 70th birthday with us!

Reminisce with stories and photos on our History page.

Get involved with the Cadence Alumni.

Support the ongoing mission of Cadence with a birthday gift through The ’54 Fund.

Steps of Faith

A few evenings ago, I attended a concert at Red Rocks Amphitheater here in Morrison, Colorado. This iconic venue is a favorite of fans and artists everywhere, and experiencing a concert there is a bucket-list event for many people. The amphitheater is nestled within these gigantic red stone formations jutting out of the earth giving the venue its unique beauty and top-notch sound.

During the daytime, exercise enthusiasts flock to this amphitheater to be challenged by the steep incline, the 145 steps from stage to top, and the satisfaction of surviving a workout at around 6,450 feet above sea level. Personally, I prefer the music experience!

Before my concert started, I hiked those steps to the top just to enjoy the view for a few moments. It didn’t take more than five minutes as it was a straightforward trek. However, if you traverse back and forth on each of the 70 rows, it becomes a two-and-a-half mile walk or jog, taking significantly more time and energy. Since the average number of steps per mile a person takes is roughly 2,000, it makes this traversing excursion at Red Rocks approximately 5,000 steps one way.

I find the journey of life to be quite similar. When younger, we see our days as a straight line toward our goals and dreams—if we do A and B, we will see the results and blessings of C. But then as life goes on, we discover it is filled with setbacks and suffering, turns and twists, missteps and misunderstandings, and the unexpected and unexplained.

And so we adjust, we endure, we change, we traverse, and we press forward. The route requires more steps, more effort, and more faith than we could have ever imagined at the start.

I’ve mentioned before that one of the consistent metaphors in Scripture which describes a faith journey is the picture of walking, steps, and paths. We walk with God, keep in step with the Spirit, and are led on paths of righteousness.

Psalm 37:23–24 states, “The Lord makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him; though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand.” I love God’s promises to be with us, strengthen us, and uphold us as we pilgrim with Him through life.

Friends, would you pray for our military people and their families as many experience PSC (Permanent Change of Station) this summer? Their journey will take them to new duty stations, communities, and military assignments.

I pray that you too will experience the presence of the Lord as you walk with Him in these days. May your steps lead you continually to Jesus, both on the challenging paths of life and also in the moments of pause as you catch your labored breath, behold His beautiful creation, and hear the faithful music of His love.

With many prayers of gratitude,
David Schroeder
President

Grace for Today

One of our long-term (over 40 years) Cadence missionaries, Doyle Spader, went home to be with Jesus last month.

His wife Chris recounted to Joyce and me a conversation she and Doyle often had in the weeks before his death. They would say to each other: “We have grace for the day—it is always enough. It’s only not enough if I’m trying to get it for the next day.”

We have grace for today friends. Tomorrow’s grace will not be available until tomorrow.

We were privileged to be with Chris and the extended Spader family in South Dakota to celebrate Doyle’s life and grieve the loss of this gentle, kind, and wise man from the earth. Chris shared with us a beautiful prayer Doyle had written in his journal as he neared heaven. Here is a portion of that prayer:

“I thank Thee for the grace You’ve given to me and to Chris. What wonderful grace. I thank you O Lord—for so many praying for us. So many who bring us to the Throne of Grace. Hear their prayers O Lord. Thank you for the participants of Thy grace. May their fruit of righteousness—which comes from Jesus Christ—bring Thee praise and honor.”

In this prayer we have a sacred glimpse into Doyle’s innermost thoughts as he poured his heart out to God in the middle of his suffering. It is so beautiful and powerful. Do you hear him thanking God for all of us who were praying for him? God’s ever-present grace brought him and Chris much comfort—grace for each day as they walked Doyle’s journey to heaven.

I imagine you also need the comforting presence of God’s grace for today. I do. None of us have it yet for tomorrow. We can either fret, worry, and be anxious about the uncertainty of what is to come, or we can walk in the peace of trusting God for today’s grace. Doyle and Chris remind us, “It is always enough.”

Here is the last line of Doyle’s written prayer: “Whether by life or by death may Jesus be exalted.” Mission accomplished Doyle Spader, mission accomplished!

Let us each walk in the grace of God today, that Jesus may be exalted and the gospel may be proclaimed in each of our locations and in military communities around the world.

David Schroeder
President