Stories of Hope

Now more than ever, it’s important for us to share stories as a way to stay connected. We are looking to share stories of hope. Where have you seen God at work? How is the Spirit working in your own life? How have you seen others spreading the hope of Jesus to those around them? Please share your stories with us at trinityoc@gmail.com. In a season of so much anxiety, we’d love to share stories of hope with each other and others as a way to point to Jesus, our one true hope.

"Brandon Mars was replacing the roof on two of my hog buildings this past week.  I asked him if he had any extra 2X4’s that I could use to build a ramp to get into the house since I am have having an ankle replaced this Wednesday the 10^th.  He said “I’ll just build it for you!”.  It is just perfect!" - John Schneider

"As a church we have been talking about where we have seen hope amidst the pandemic culture we are in.  We are thankfully on the backside of the COVID 19 virus.  We have seen hope in the goodness of God’s people!  We have been loved and blessed by our family, our church family, our life group, our neighbors and community in many ways.  Meals and goodies have been left at our door, our lawn has been thatched, raked and mowed, we have received many texts, calls and cards.  We know many of you have prayed for us and we felt those.  God is faithful!  The goodness of His people has shown us hope and given us hope! " - Dave & Sandy Harmelink

"Last month I was supposed to go to Milwaukee to watch 2 NBA games, but two weeks before that, everything shut down due to the coronavirus. I half expected it but it still didn't really seem fair. The next two weeks, I really saw that being with my family and doing things with my brother have helped me see a bigger picture. God wanted me to not worry and just slow down. This gives me more time to dive into devotions and not have to worry about time. I also see this as a big blessing in disguise because my brother is going to move away and I can spend a lot of time with him now before he leaves. Lastly, many people want to complain about this virus, but I do think that God is up to something through this hard time and we need to find our blessings in disguise and see the bigger picture." - Luke Korver

"With all the extra time I have on my hands I've been able to spend a lot more time in prayer and reading my Bible. It can be hard for me to set aside time with God during my normal school year because I can get so busy and distracted. I unintentionally tend to find worth in things that fill up my schedule. Now that my schedule is blank, I have really been able to focus on my faith and find more worth in Jesus. I have learned to remember that He is always constant. Even though there are good things in this world, He is so much better and has amazing things to offer!" - Maren Beaty

"We feel hope through our on-line worship services at Trinity!  What a blessing it is to have this available for our community. Normally, on Sunday we look forward to worshipping with our church family.  Now, during this time, we feel a sense of loss as we’re not able to worship and connect with others.  Last week, Pastor Brian did an excellent job addressing the loss we may each be feeling and re-focusing our hope and joy on Jesus Christ.  The worship team has done such a great job of creating an incredible on-line worship experience for our church and community!  Thank you!  It’s a blessing to belong to the Trinity family!" - Gerald and Amy Van Roekel

"Earlier this week, my wife got a text from someone that said “Hi, we’re going to drop something off on your front doorstep. I’ll ring the doorbell, and then you have to come get it right away, and we’ll wave at you from the car.” What a weird time we're in! So the doorbell rang, and what was there waiting for us was a plate of homemade brownies with a note on them that said, “We’re thinking of you, and if you need anything, call us!”  I mean, who doesn’t love a good brownie, right? It did more than feed us, though. It reminded us that even though we’re all distant from one another, there are people thinking about and praying for us as a family. I think what gave me the most hope, is realizing that we were likely just one of many more stops being made with these delicious brownies! What a cool way to provide a little joy and hope to those in our community. I’m grateful for the brownies, and grateful for the people that took the time to remember our family!" - Pastor Kurt Bush

"It was an evening of hope and joy this past Monday when Orange City Elementary had our Trail of Teachers cruise.  It was a time of smiles, cheers, and maybe a few tears. But it gave me hope for the future to see the faces of so many students and their families.  To see families sitting together waving signs, chalk painting their driveways, and spending time together was a true blessing. During this time of trial and sadness the Orange City Elementary school family came together but still apart to show hope!  We do not know when we will be back together with our precious students but I need to trust the Lord. Thank you Orange City Elementary families for showing hope! 'Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.' (Hebrews 11:1)." - Renee Guthmiller

"My story of HOPE would be seeing our community love on others...I was having a crappy day, just feeling suffocated and lonely. Then, out my front window is Candace with a coffee in her hands and a note of encouragement. That special sentiment left at my front door made me feel hope and love in a way that only Christ knew I needed. His Spirit moves in and through our community, and I am so thankful!" - Jenna Vreugdenhil

"I saw hope this week when a few specific people reached out to ask me how they could help others during this time. On Wednesday I realized the freezer meals we have at Trinity were low. I asked if they would be willing to make a few meals for the church's freezer meal ministry. Within 24 hours I had 9 meals to put in the freezer. I also had someone else offer to drop off a couple of meals to someone who was on their heart. I am overwhelmed by the generosity and compassion I was able to witness." - Julie Andersen

"Hope sprang up this morning as I stocked grocery store shelves with my fellow colleagues from the high school. Unpacking boxes and filling shelves reminded me we are all in this together. We may not be able to serve in the capacity we do during school hours, but we can do something. We will get through this by sticking together as a community. This makes me proud to work where I do and with the people I do. This gives me hope." - Sara Nessa

"When I was coming into town last Sunday after dropping a college student off at the airport, I was at the stoplight and I saw a man paying for student's gas as they drove up. There was such joy on the faces of the two students waiting in line and it made me cry and just thank Jesus for the good in people! It was a beautiful reminder of hope." - Candace Van Marel