Kristina

I grew up in a home where both of my parents were Deaf. They were good parents. I think they did a good job of teaching me right from wrong. However, I think they used their deafness as an excuse not to go to church, so we didn’t.
By the time I reached 15, my Mom decided that she and I would move from NJ to Greenville, SC to be closer to her family. Almost immediately I was invited to different churches. There was a girl in school that I immediately became friends with who started inviting me to her youth group on Wednesday nights, and before I knew it, I was going Wednesday nights, Sunday mornings, volunteering with the second graders, and going on youth camping trips. I continued going to that church and getting plugged in every way possible. I eventually met who would later become my husband. He was attending a different church at the time, but eventually switched to my church after seeing how welcoming they were. We began volunteering with the high schoolers together, doing co-ed softball, he was coaching basketball, I was doing the sign language interpreting on Sunday mornings, I was teaching sign language, and I even ended up working at the church in our church’s pre-school.
About a year and a half ago, my husband was faced with the decision to move us to Myrtle Beach for his job. He actually turned down the job at first because we were comfortable with where we were, but he felt this tug from God that was calling us to the beach. Besides looking for a place to live, we were concerned with finding a church. When looking for a church, I was reminded of something our old pastor had said a few months before we had moved. I have no idea what the entire sermon was about, but towards the end of it, he was talking about people church hopping. He said that so many people will go to church and then hear something they didn’t like or they weren’t really feeling the music and they’ll leave and go to another church saying, “I just didn’t get anything from it.” He challenged us by saying it wasn’t what we get out of it, but what He gets out of it. He continued with asking us what we were giving back to God and how we were serving and being a part of the church. Wellspring was the third church we visited. We were sitting in service and I was just praying that God show us a place where we could belong, a place where we could serve and use our God given talents to give back. After service, AJ took our connection card out to the blue tent and I chased our girls in the lobby. All of a sudden, a girl placed her hand on my shoulder and said, “Hi! I went to college with your husband! He was just telling us that you know Sign Language! Pastor Trey’s wife, Danielle, has been praying for you! She has been praying for you! She has been praying for someone who knows Sign Language who would come to the church and sign. She has a friend who is Deaf and they need someone who can sign.” I really don’t know what was said after that, I just know my husband and I got in the car, looked at each other and said, “Well, I guess this is where we’re going to church!” You know how every Sunday Abbie and Danielle stand up and say, “We’ve designed today with you in mind”? That’s exactly what they mean.
We started coming to services and I started signing when needed. Shortly after we’d been coming, Danielle hosted the Flawless event for women. I really wanted to go but I didn’t know anyone and didn’t want to come by myself. I was then asked if I would come and sign and of course I said yes, because deep down, I really wanted to go. That night was huge for me. We’re in a season of life where we’re looking for real, authentic, transparent relationships. Danielle stood on stage that night and told a packed room full of women how she didn’t feel like she could host an event called Flawless because she didn’t feel flawless, that she’s not perfect. She told us that if she were to get to know of us ladies better she’d invite us into her home and then these people brought out a couch. Then she looked at the couch and said, “I have three boys at home, that doesn’t look like my couch.” Then the people brought out some laundry baskets of clothes and dumped them onto the couch. It was so funny, but it was real. She finished the message with telling us how Flawless we are in God’s eyes and it was such a confirmation that we’re exactly where we need to be.
This past fall, we decided to join a community group. Now, we’ve been in community groups. We’ve led community groups. In fact, we immediately started speculating how this group was going to go because of past groups we’ve been in. After that very first meeting (and every meeting after), we always leave looking at each other saying how real everyone was. It is so wonderful to be a part of a community of people where people are willing to share what’s on their hearts and you have a group of people that are praying for you.
Most recently I have been praying for my husband in regards to his job. He works with doctors and sometimes the doctors he has worked with in the past aren’t the most desirable to work with. Since living here he was recruited by another company (similar job). When taking the job, I knew it meant he would go from serving a lot to doctors to a few doctors and I prayed that he would be with doctors who are kind and more equally yolked due to the amount of time they would be spending together. It turns out that the doctors he has been working with are the nicest and Godliest doctors he has ever met, and one of them happens to go to this church. It has been so refreshing.
Thank you for helping our family make an easy choice in being able to call this church home.