Tell us a bit about your background

I was raised in northern Wisconsin and Jimm, in southern Ontario. We both grew up in Mennonite homes where service, community, and hospitality were central to our faith expression. We both learned, in our respective homes, that Jesus’ teachings were to be literally lived out. We met each other at a small private college in Kansas where we fell in love. We dated for three years, during which time we set out on our first short-term mission assignments. I toured Central America with a theater group and Jimm served alongside a church planting initiative in Birmingham, Alabama. We married and moved back to Birmingham where we grew in leadership and became passionate about Jesus' love for the world. From Birmingham, mission opportunities extended to the Netherlands and Germany before moving to Lancaster, Pennsylvania, our current home, where I have worked as the Development Director and Jimm as Personnel Placement Coach for Eastern Mennonite Missions. We are blessed with one daughter, Helena, a third culture kid with a gift for making the world's best brownies and her husband, James, an entrepreneur who designs learning apps. We enjoy weekly Sunday dinners as a family and a rousing game of Apples to Apples.

How did you get introduced to Potter’s Inn and soul care?

We thank God that our paths crossed. Our introduction to soul care came through Jimm hearing Steve Smith speak at a conference in Richmond, Virginia in 2012. It was a difficult time for us; we were flat out tired and empty. Something was missing in our lives. We had lost our joy and we were on track for burnout. Steve’s timely words from Matthew 11 to the conference attendees that evening fell on Jimm’s ears and were meant for us;

“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” (The Message)

Steve had described Sabbath-keeping in such a beautiful life-giving way that Jimm returned home with a vision of living life in a new way. We began a relationship with Potter’s Inn by inviting the Smiths to lead retreats for our missionaries. In the fall of 2013 we flew to Colorado for our own Soul Care Experience retreat. We were the chefs for the very first Soul Care Institute retreat, and shortly thereafter joined the second cohort.

What does soul care mean to you?

At our core, we are created in the loving image of God. However, we don’t always mirror that image. Too often we witness little difference in the lives of those who call themselves Christians and those who don’t. The apostle Paul said, “train yourself to be godly.” As followers of Jesus, our essence is in Christ. Soul care is cooperating with God in our formation into the likeness of Christ.

What are some changes you have noticed in your lives as a result of Soul Care?

Our daughter let us know how much we had changed by commenting happily that she “got her parents back”. It’s true. There is definitely a before soul care and after soul care time demarcation in our lives.

Jimm and I are much more peaceful now. We are able to sit and be alone with God in silence. We live in a restorative daily rhythm. We have learned to rest and not hurry, to notice and not go about our lives unseeing. We have begun to learn to love without borders, the way God does. We are learning to see the dignity of every single person and to know that God holds all of life as precious. We are learning to relax, to do one thing at a time, and to trust in God’s time.

We are so thankful for these changes and look forward to even deeper changes as we continue to grow.

How can Soul Care help us in pandemic times?

For Jimm and I this season of Covid-19 has been as big of an adjustment as it has been for everyone else. The days at home are long and sometimes it’s hard to remember what day it is. We grieve the loss of the nearness of friends and family. We grieve the job loss and economic hardships and lives snuffed out. We also grieve with those whose homes are not safe to be in so they are living in fear. This grief and fear and constant state of not knowing what’s next leaves us feeling like the earth is shaking beneath us. What we are learning is that soul care helps to keep us grounded. It means starting our days sitting in silence with the One who created us and practicing healthy rhythms so that the days become meaningful right from the start. We seek our Rock and lean on the strength of almighty God, even when it feels hard. We try to surrender “yet one more day in lockdown” to the One who loves us most. It builds up our trust and keeps our eyes on Jesus. We still get weary and probably a little grumpy from time to time at the endlessness of it, but we know that God’s presence and love are even more endless!

Jimm and Kaylene, what are some of your favorite quotes?

I have always loved Frederick Buechner’s use of words and this well-known quote of his makes me smile and give thanks!.

“The grace of God means something like: Here is your life. You might never have been, but you are because the party wouldn't have been complete without you.”

Jimm loves this quote by Irenaeous of Lyon: “The glory of God is the human person fully alive.”