Michigan Family’s Special Formula Is Love
By Karen Gorter
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In what Sandy Roelofs said is God’s plan for her family of six, another place has been added at the table for Gabe Mateo, a friend and soccer teammate of her son Trent. Sandy and husband Doug’s four children all attend The Potter’s House Christian School in Grand Rapids, Mich., a school that is deliberately inclusive of students from all ethnic backgrounds and income levels. That is where Trent met Gabe. Gabe’s mom, Minerva Mateo, supported Gabe joining the Roelofs’ family so he’ll have more structure and make better school decisions. “They are a good family,” she said. “I want him to be a good person, help people, have a better life.”
“I’m happy and proud of myself, and my mom is proud of me,” said Gabe. “She says to take this as a gift—I’m so thankful.”
Gabe has many hopes for the future, including playing soccer at Michigan State University and becoming a cardiologist. “My mom’s [family] have really bad heart problems,” he said. “The Roelofs have this special formula for me. It’s hard to put into words. They offer me a lot of help.”
“This whole thing is just love,” said Doug Roelofs, “Christ’s love for us. Gabe is a son.”
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*Reprinted with permission from The Banner.
Read MoreOne Test Down…Yes!
Hey everyone; this is Rick. You know, the guy who loves his girl so much he can sometimes have trouble focusing on anything else. Well, I am posting tonight because I want to share some GOOD NEWS! One week ago Stacey went in for a full CT scan. It included full prep the night before with the most awful “berry” flavored formula available. Today, after almost 5 minutes of the doctor saying, “Well, the potassium level is down a bit and the cold tingling should go away,” we were told that the CT scan was normal. NORMAL! Except for one small “soft read” of a slightly enlarged gall bladder, the doctor pretty much said, “Okay, Stacey, we will see you in 2 month; and you can schedule your port removal anytime.” Excuse me Doctor, WHAT did you say? I got the distinct feeling that the doctor knew my abnormally loud THANK YOUs were being directed to our Lord God Almighty and not him. GOD is the greatest physician and continues to lead us through this period of our lives. We are so thankful also to all of you who have cooked meals, watched our kids, and supported us in so many other ways the past 6 months. Stacey does have a few more tests and we hope and pray for continued good results.
I have another story to share from today. To celebrate, Stacey had to decide if she wanted to go to San Chez or Cheri Inn for breakfast (probably her 2 favorite restaurants). Just after we ordered she said quietly, “I almost asked if we could sit at another table”.
“Why,” I asked. ”Are you cold?”
“No,” she replied. ”It is just that I have not sat at this table in over 4 years”.
I started to tell her why that is not odd as we really do not come here enough to sit at every table when she said, “This is the table I was sitting at when the phone rang and I was told my dad had died”. Then, of course, the real Stacey kept coming out. ”That is what God is doing in our lives, Rick. He is bringing things full circle for us. The last time I sat here was one of the worst days of my life. Today we were given new rays of hope and a look at the powerful strength that our Almighty God brings to us day in and day out.” Then we thanked God for all of the ways He continues to bless us day after day and enjoyed steak-n-eggs together – which I suggest you all go try at your earliest convenience!
Rick and Stacey
Read MoreColima Story
Two years ago I was privileged to go on the service project trip to Colima, Mexico and help with painting and construction. While there, my heart was touched by the children in the orphanage and their ability to share love, even after the abuse and neglect most of them had suffered. I met Marisol, about 4 years old, who was recovering from having been set on fire. She wouldn’t talk or allow me to hold her. The team last year saw great progress and saw her accomplish both of these! God has used the spiritual and financial gifts of countless people from EGM over the last 6 years to help provide food, clothing, shelter, education & love; transforming the lives of these kids. Thank you, thank you, thank you for your prayers & support. The next team leaves in February, please remember them in prayer.
Read MoreAdoption/Small Group Praise
Throughout the last year as we have gone through the process of adopting a child, we have valued the support of our small group. Through prayer and words of encouragement we have been uplifted by friends in our small group. More recently when we were chosen by Bethany to adopt our little girl and when we finally brought her home we were showered with love in the form of delicious meals, many gifts, and prayers as we continued through the process of adoption. We are so happy to be part of a wonderful group of believers! We are very thankful for those who financially support EverGreen. This support ensures that the Small Group Ministry, and the other important ministries at EverGreen, remains vibrant and helps us to make passionate followers of Jesus.
Read MoreHigh School Summer Internship
We had the unique privilege this summer of having 6 high school students serve as interns alongside Youth Director Laura Kiefer and youth group leaders Ryan & Bekah Wallace. When we first began dreaming about this program last winter we asked God to show us the people and opportunities that we wanted to engage these students in and He blew us away with the plans He had. The internship included 3 components, all geared towards molding the students into leaders and teaching them how to discover God’s story at work in their own lives. We wanted to share a few highlights of each of these components with you as our community because without your support, this internship would not be possible. Here are a few of the things we saw God at work in this summer:
Serving: The students were commissioned to run a kid’s club 2 afternoons a week in a local neighborhood where they built relationships and shared God’s truth. They chose Philippians 2:15 (Shining like Stars in the Universe) as their theme verse and organized games, lessons, and craft activities around this theme. It was awesome to see them interact with and fall in love with the kids that they served.
Walking God’s Story: One morning a week, Ryan and Laura took the interns off sight for a teaching experience that allowed them to learn with their feet, or to yada which in Hebrew means “to know” in an experiential way. The theme of this teaching series was centered on the elements of a good story and learning to recognize and engage in God’s story for our lives. The students really grasped on to the concept and began to identify ways that they can live into God’s story in their own lives.
Leadership Training: Every Thursday morning after breakfast as a team, the students had the opportunity to hear from people in the community on the qualities of great leaders. We were blessed with some amazing leaders who shared perspective on everything from honesty to wisdom and gave our students an inside look at what it means to lead in churches, organizations, and the business community at large.
Read MoreChildren’s Ministries
I lost my parents to two separate drunk driving accidents when I was young. I did not realize how I constantly tried to push my feelings about it aside until this past Spring. I wish to share this with you because it helps us understand how important our children’s ministries are.
Our 4 year old son Gavin started Wonder Years a year ago. One day out of the blue he asked me a question, “Mama, am I going to get to see your Mama and Daddy in heaven some day?”
I held back the tears and had to tell him the truth. “I don’t know,” I said.
Without hesitation he replied, “But in Sunday School they tell us that if we love Jesus we go to heaven.”
“Did they?” I answered. I couldn’t hold back the tears and started crying.
“Mama, it’s okay,” he said, comforting me. ”Jesus is always with us in our hearts.”
I knew my tears were partly because of my parents, but mostly because I realized the impact that teachers and assistants in Wonder Years have on the lives of our kids. Needless to say, my tears quickly turned to a prayer of thanks and I realized that as a Christian parent I forgot to have one of the most important talks because I though he was too young. I see the joy in Gavin’s face when he talks about God and his excitement to lead a prayer at the dinner table. It makes me so excited to be part of EverGreen because I know that our dedicated Wonder Years teachers started the spiritual discussion with my child and the other children that come to Wonder Years.
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