MINISTRY FOCUS

As an intern with Cadence International, Stephanie will partner with full-time Cadence staff at the Yokota Air base in Japan to share the gospel and her life with the military community. Yokota Air Base is located on the outskirts of Tokyo. With one of the world’s largest cities to the east and mountains and rivers to the west, this ministry serves the hundreds of middle and high school students and their families stationed at Yokota AB. She will work with the youth in the community by assisting local staff in teaching the Bible, leading small groups, planning an outreach event, and developing fruitful relationships. Stephanie will be trained and discipled during her internship to better equip her for Kingdom work.

FAITH

Stephanie came to know Christ in her freshman year of high school. While growing up, she spent time in and out of church. There came a season in her life when she felt lost and had reached the end of her rope. One night in January, Stephanie turned to God and asked Him for help, even though she didn’t know what He could do for her. She vented to Him that she was tired of the way she was living. A couple of months later, an old friend invited her to attend a youth ministry event on Zoom during the 2020 pandemic. Stephanie experienced joy in her heart as she began to learn about Jesus. A few months later, she surrendered her life to God while in her room. She recognized that the Lord had heard her feeble prayer in January and answered with love and mercy.

Last autumn, Stephanie began to be aware of and hear about things related to the military, and she started to pray for these things. About a month later, she received an email from her youth ministry professor that an organization was coming to the school to share about ministry in a military context for those interested. Amazed at the timing, she spoke with a Cadence representative and learned about the military community and their specific needs, including those of military spouses and kids. Stephanie realized she knew very little about the military and how it’s so much more than a uniform. The Lord has grown in her heart a desire to serve and be able to point the youth to Jesus during difficult circumstances in their lives. She wants to show them they are loved, cared for, important, and seen. Currently, Stephanie is a sophomore studying Youth Ministry at Liberty University. She enjoys spending time with friends, going to the gym, drinking coffee, and playing volleyball on an intermural team with her siblings in Christ.