Together for Holly
When Holly* needed support, the Lord brought two women – Cassie and Lindsey – into her life through a hosting who would become more than just Host Families for her children. They became a Christ-centered community that walked beside her through some of her most vulnerable moments.
Hosting Partners
Over the course of several months, Cassie hosted Natalia* and Cameron*, while Lindsey welcomed Trey*, Holly’s youngest, into her home. It wasn’t easy. Each of the kids came with their own needs and rhythms, and both women were navigating the unpredictable changes of Holly’s situation. But from the start, their hearts were clear: they were there to reflect the love of Jesus, to these children and to their mom.
For Cassie, this was her first hosting experience, and the challenges were real. Communicating with Holly wasn’t always smooth. Yet in the midst of that, Cassie and her family stayed grounded in Scripture. Every day they opened the Bible with Natalia and Cameron, and they faithfully brought them to church. Slowly, seeds were planted. The children began to pray on their own and became eager to talk to God. “Our mission was to expose them to the Lord,” Cassie shared.
Meanwhile, Lindsey had hosted before and served as a partner for Cassie. Together, they encouraged one another and shared insight, creating a rhythm of support not just for the kids, but for each other. Lindsey became both friend and mentor to Holly, sending worship songs, praying over her, and reminding her of God’s promises. “God has created us to do hard things,” Lindsey would say, pointing to stories like Jonah’s as reminders of God’s redemption even in detours.
Surrounding Holly with Community
There were many of those detours. Holly faced some setbacks and moments of discouragement, yet Lindsey and Cassie continued to speak truth and grace into her life. They never offered hollow hope, but anchored encouragement in Scripture. And Holly was encouraged: “You told me this, and I just keep remembering it,” she said at one point.
What made this story powerful wasn’t just the hosting. It was the togetherness. Jeanne, the Family Coach, walked closely with both Host Families and with Holly, who came to church with Jeanne and brought her little guy on several occasions. Respite Host Families stepped in. When Holly felt like she couldn’t do it, these women were there to say that she could, and she wasn’t alone.
An Ongoing Story
Today, the journey is still unfolding. But the testimony remains. God used a faithful community to show one mom and her children the beauty of being known, supported, and loved. Cassie said it best: “Whenever Holly would thank me, I’d remind her that I’m doing this for the Lord.”
This is what it means to be the Body of Christ. We bear one another’s burdens, and point each other back to the One who never gives up on us.