Two years ago this spring, eight of us joined Bethlehem. The last night of the new member class, we happened to be sitting together and decided to form a small group. At the time we were acquaintances, but we have quickly gotten to know each other. In two years, we have celebrated a wedding, a baby, new homes and new jobs. We feel like life-long friends.
We are not unlike many groups of young women, except that two of the eight have life-threatening illnesses. Arianne Rise is a nurse who just celebrated her 30th birthday. She has a digestive system disorder called ALPS meaning her body cannot absorb food. It is a rare condition with more questions than answers. Amy Alford was diagnosed with brain cancer the day after Christmas. She and her husband Jim have two children, 2 year-old Jens and 6 month-old Rose. On May 6, Rose was the first child to be baptized at the 7:00 pm service.
Bethlehem is a big church, but having a small group makes it feel like a family. We have all tried to be there to pray for and support Amy and Arianne during this difficult time. But we wanted to do something more; we went from small group to event organizing committee to plan the Amy & Arianne Fundraiser on April 29. Our original goal of $3,000 was modest.
None of us grew up at Bethlehem so do not have life-long ties to the congregation. We were, therefore, amazed at the outpouring of love and support we received. Thank you to everyone who provided time, resources and financial support. With your support, we raised nearly $22,000 for Amy and Arianne, including a $3200 grant from Thrivent Financial. For more information about Amy and Arianne, see www.aaafundraiser.org.
My favorite quote from the Sound of Music is "whenever God closes a door, somewhere he opens a window." Neither Amy nor Arianne anticipated having to deal with severe health issues at this point in their lives. And yet, the way the church and community have come together is an amazing example of God at work.