This is a crazy and very unique time in which we are living! Most aspects of our lives probably look very different right now than they did over a month ago. Masks and hand sanitizer. Zoom and Livestream. Doordash and drive through. Pj’s all day long. Out of stock toilet paper and flour. Binging TV and jigsaw puzzles. The list goes on. The reality is, things look different. And that includes ministry. But thankfully, though it may look different, ministry can still happen. That is exactly what we are seeing with our spiritual mentoring ministry!

After reaching out to our 160 mentors and mentees, we (Kelsey Crowe and Jenni Key) received many amazing updates of what our mentoring pairs are doing in this virus season.

A bunch mentioned connecting through phone calls, texts or Facetime. And in addition we heard . . .

• She sent me links to the Sunday sermon video. We watched ‘together.’
• We shared music, videos, prayers and our intimate thoughts and concerns during this time of quarantine. I’m so thankful to have that extra friend praying for me and with me.
• We’re in a multi-generational Bible study together over Zoom.
• We had a conversation together while we each walked alone!
• We’re reading a book together, The Pursuit of Holiness, and discussing a few chapters at a time every other week or so.

We love their creativity and commitment, as evidenced by these:

• My challenge to my mentee was to bless her neighbors and I would do the same with mine. She agreed and she used her creative artistic talents [to make some encouraging cards] and I used my cooking talents [to bake for them]. It was fun to share photos.
• I’ve been super busy through all this but my mentor has been so faithful with calls and texts. And when I do finally get a chance to respond, I just flood her with my emotions and everything going on and she responds rather quickly with spiritual truths and love.
• We’re newly matched and have not even been able to meet in person. However, I feel as though I am really getting to know my mentee through her fascinating and detailed emails.
• On March 18, I texted my mentee to see how she was doing. She let me know that her dorm at BIOLA was being closed and she needed to find a place to stay. I sent a text to my husband to run the idea by him of having a new “roommate.” He was in! I texted her back and invited her to stay with us. On Saturday, 3/21, she moved in. It’s been a pleasure to have her in our home.

We hope you are encouraged and inspired by these things as we are!

Kelsey & Jenni