Sunday, April 13, 2008

Ministering to others: In the storms of life


This is the second Sunday our pastor preached in his series entitled "Shipwrecked: What do you do when life's toughest storms threaten to destroy you?" As I mentioned last Sunday, all of the messages seem to apply to where we are in our lives. Today he continued in Acts 27 with verses 9-15 this morning and verses 16-25 this evening. The Apostle Paul did not create the storm he was caught in but what he did do was use the storm in his life to minister to others. Our pastor was saying that so many people run from God, run from the church and run from God's people when they are in the midst of a storm. When what we should be doing is running to God, to the church and to God's people where we can be ministered to. He was also saying that God does not waste any experience He allows us to go through. We are to take our storms and use them to minister to others. Have you been through a storm in life and used it to help others? If not, I urge you to think about how you could reach out and help someone today. There are so many hurting people all around us but we have to be willing to reach out.

The day we found out about the Trisomy 18 diagnosis we turned to the Internet to find resources and support because of the rareness of this disorder. What we found on the other end was a sweet Christian girl, in Memphis Tennessee, going through the same storm. She could have turned away, she could have ignored my email, she could have simply responded by saying she'd pray for me and that be it. Thankfully she did not. What she did was return my email immediately, pray for me daily and email me daily. She encouraged me, she loved me, she supported me all at the same time she was in the midst of her own Trisomy 18 storm. Because she reached out a sweet friendship was formed and we were able to travel the storm together, all the way to the end. And although the storm might be over, the journey is not. Now, we are traveling a journey together by encouraging each other, praying for each other and watching the Lord use our precious babies to reach others. That is truly what ministering is all about. (Thank you sweet Angie!)

Because the Internet has been such a great source of support and encouragement through this storm, as I continued to develop many new friendships (Kenzie, Kim, Emily, Kristy & Chrissy), our desire since August has been to use our storm to minister to others through the Internet. As mentioned a few months ago, we have earnestly prayed for months and feel the Lord calling us to create a foundation on behalf of our precious little boy, Tristan. The foundation will be called "The Tristan Asher Foundation". It's main purpose will be an online support center for girls to come to when they are awaiting possible Trisomy 18 results or if they have received a Trisomy 18 diagnosis and we walk this road with them. We want to reach out to couples locally and around the world. We want to use the 56 days the Lord blessed our family with to bring hope, encouragement and support to girls who receive NO HOPE when given a diagnosis of Trisomy 18 as it is labeled by doctors as "incompatible with life".

We have just about finished the foundation paperwork and are currently working with a designer regarding the website and logo. The foundation is slowly coming together and we have set a goal for July 1st and are hoping to meet that deadline. In the meantime, if you are reading this blog and know of a family who has received a Trisomy 18 diagnosis or is currently caring for a new Trisomy 18 baby and needs emotional support, please give them our blog address and let them know they can contact us directly through our blog until our foundation website is set-up.

We would also ask that you please pray for us daily as we are establishing this foundation. It is our ministry that was developed through the greatest storm of our life and yet it was the sweetest of all - 56 days with our little boy, Tristan Asher Hostetter!

14 comments:

Kenzie said...

Yvette-

I am SO anticipating this foundation and all of the girls that can be served through the services & resources that y'all are going to be offering. Know that I think of you so much and am so excited at the thought of June...

I love you and continue to pray for your family and all that is going on... in your heart, your mind and your home!

Love lots,
Kenzie

Nathan said...

Yvette,

I am so excited that Tristan's foundation is becoming a reality! I already know that God is going to use this to open doors for you to minister and love so many ladies who are living with a trisomy diagnosis. God has laid this on your heart, and He will bless it!

You are so special to me, and I am grateful for how you faithfully walked with me. Being alone on this path must be something so scary, and I pray that the people who would have done so, will not have to because of what you are doing.

Much love!

Angie

The VW's said...

Thankyou for ministering throughout your storm! What a blessing your Tristan's life was! Through him and you and the Lord, many are reading the awesome message! God is using you and your sweet son! Praying with you for your foundation! What a blessing this will be for many! God Bless You!

Laurie in Ca. said...

Praying for your foundation as it is becoming a reality to be birthed in July. I just know that this will be such a blessing to the future parents who receive this diagnosis. This will be a blessed refuge of hope for all who visit and find answers. I am praying for you too Yvette, that the Lord brings new strength and joy to you each day. Tristan has paved the way for great things with his life. I miss him too.

Love, Laurie in Ca.

Emily said...

Yvette,

You are a rockstar! :)

I love you and thank God for using our babies to bring us together. Can't wait to see how He uses their little legacies for His glory....

Kara Allred said...

i used to sell scentsy products and was listing my business supplies to sell on a yahoo website because i have chosen to focus my spare time on my third child (born march 10, 2008) since i lost my second child to trisomy 18.

in my selling post, i wrote a tidbit about leaving Scentsy (wanting to savour this third baby since i lost my second)...
well, a lady who also sells the product saw my posting and saw what i said about trisomy 18 and directed me to your blog about Tristan. lets just say i spent a good hour reading through the posts, watching the slide shows and crying my eyes out.

my heart goes out to you. you just barely have experienced this. i went through this almost two years ago and i am finally coming out of the 'fog' as i guess you could call it.
time does heal the sorrow. i know we don't know each other and are thousands of miles apart- but my prayers and love go to each member of your family.

i am finally contacting you because i have found a spare moment (i am very sleep deprived with the night time feedings and then being up all day with my toddler) and i also am excited about the foundation.
the uncanny part about you forming the foundation and it should be concrete by july--.....is that my trisomy 18 baby was born july 22nd 2006 and passed away july 24th 2006. july for me is a very hard month. and to know that something neat is happening for trisomy 18 support to others will just help uplift me that month.

i hope to keep in touch. bare with me until i get more time on my hands as i settle into a routine with two kids!
contact me if you'd like (i would love to keep in touch) at karebear_f2@hotmail.com
-kara

boltefamily said...

What a great thing to do in memory of your beautiful son! God is so good! I will be praying for the Tristan Asher Foundation and the women and families it will touch. I too am working on something similar in my area...a perinatal hospice program...I am so excited. I am amazed daily at the amazing things God is doing through our families and the brief lives of our sweet babies!

I love you and am praying!

Kristy

Heather of the EO said...

You don't know me. I "randomly" came across your blog. It's so amazing to me that God's inter-weaving of lives stretches to this point. I do not have the struggle you do. I cannot tell you how much I needed perspective. I have a boy named Asher. He is nine months old. He is healthy. I am feeling thankful for that. And a little guilty. Your strength and faith is living proof of grace and mercy. Thank you for sharing your story. I am confident that your foundation will be blessed.
Heather from Minnesota

Laurie in Ca. said...

I am thinking about you and Tristan this morning and thought I'd let you know that I continue to pray you through and send some love and hugs to you today.

Love, Laurie in Ca.

Kathy said...

Dear Hostetter family,

How awesome to see God working so mightily in your lives and honoring Tristan's memory in such an amazing way!

Thank you for showing us, yet again, how all things work for the good to those who love the Lord. By taking your sorrow and using what you have experienced in such a positive direction, others who must travel the same road will have a better journey.

May the Lord greatly bless you in your endeavor. His Word never returns empty and you and your beautiful family are living His Words. Thank you for sharing your beautiful Tristan Asher with all of us.

Praying in Michigan.
Kathy

Kim (marygracesummons.blogspot.com) said...

Yvette, What a blessing this foundation will be. Tristan Asher has really blessed this world and will continue to!
I do not know what I would have done without our "support group". I can't even imagine this journey without you. You continue to be a blessing to me and I thank God for you and Tristan.
I am continuing to pray for your family and the adoption process as well as the foundation!
Love you!
Kim

Candace said...

I hope you don't mind that as I run across mother's that are traveling a similar path as yours, that I refer them to your blog. I think it is a wonderful thing you are doing.

I have already directed two mothers in your direction.

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