Danny & Mandi Oldani
Our circumstances may have changed, but God's faithfulness never changes or wavers.
Danny
"I was on top of the world. I had just accepted a new job, and my girlfriend, Mandi, was moving to town as we prepared to take the next step in our relationship. Everything was going my way
until it wasn't. Shortly after Mandi moved here, I began to seriously doubt our relationship and future together. What had felt like a blessing began to feel more like a restriction. I broke up with Mandi and felt a lot of guilt and shame about where I was with many things in my life. The next year would be marked by selfishness and sinful decisions.
Mandi
"As a young adult, in what I thought was a near-perfect relationship, life was good. I was moving to town to be closer to my future husband. I found a new job and a new roommate and happily moved. What I did not know is that the month I would move, my family back home would deal with
two cancer diagnoses that culminated in the deaths of both my dad and grandfather. To make matters worse, as I returned to New Braunfels following that tragedy, the love of my life broke up with me.
"I began attending the Springs and immediately found community. I met girlfriends, served with Kids Ministry, and found a place that finally felt like home. God worked on my heart as the church poured into me.
"The boy I once knew became a man, started walking with the Lord, and pursued me again. God truly redeemed our love and our relationship."
Ours
"We had faithfully attended and served at the Springs, but when we joined a newlyweds Community Group things changed. At first, it seemed like we did it to "check the box" of things that made a good member of the Springs. However, once our Community Group decided we were going to be serious about spending our time together, we started to grow in our faith and saw the Lord really working in our lives.
"Our community group really encouraged and spurred on one another. We gathered together in our homes, loved each other deeply, confessed areas we were struggling, challenged each other, and learned more about the Lord. This group God so graciously provided was more crucial than ever when we were unexpectedly blessed with our first pregnancy, twins, and our second pregnancy, triplets!
"After our family grew rapidly in just 2.5 years, life changed drastically, but our community did not. There were countless times when we doubted our ability to handle all of the changes. We were not sure how we were going to be able to take care of our 2.5-year-old twins and newborn triplets. But thanks be to God. The church has truly been the hands and feet of Jesus and encouraged us every step of the way. God, through His church, showed up in ways we could have never imagined.
"When the sleepless nights seemed like they were never-ending, women of the Springs showed up and stayed overnight to help us feed babies. When going to the grocery store seemed like the biggest burden, we had people show up at our door with groceries. When we were stressed, someone was always ready to lend a helping hand so we could step away for a few moments. When taking our squad of children to church seemed like a task we would be better of tackling in a few years, we had people encourage us by ensuring we had a parking spot and offering to carry babies.
"The Lord has shown us that community, when done right, illustrates God's grace, love, and provision for us. Our circumstances may have changed, but God's faithfulness never changes or wavers. When we have been over- whelmed, He has been steadfast. When we have anxious hearts, He has reminded us to be grateful. When we have fallen short, He has extended grace. He continues to bless our family abundantly and continues to provide us with community that not only cares for us, but also for our tiny tribe as well."
"I was on top of the world. I had just accepted a new job, and my girlfriend, Mandi, was moving to town as we prepared to take the next step in our relationship. Everything was going my way
until it wasn't. Shortly after Mandi moved here, I began to seriously doubt our relationship and future together. What had felt like a blessing began to feel more like a restriction. I broke up with Mandi and felt a lot of guilt and shame about where I was with many things in my life. The next year would be marked by selfishness and sinful decisions.
Mandi
"As a young adult, in what I thought was a near-perfect relationship, life was good. I was moving to town to be closer to my future husband. I found a new job and a new roommate and happily moved. What I did not know is that the month I would move, my family back home would deal with
two cancer diagnoses that culminated in the deaths of both my dad and grandfather. To make matters worse, as I returned to New Braunfels following that tragedy, the love of my life broke up with me.
"I began attending the Springs and immediately found community. I met girlfriends, served with Kids Ministry, and found a place that finally felt like home. God worked on my heart as the church poured into me.
"The boy I once knew became a man, started walking with the Lord, and pursued me again. God truly redeemed our love and our relationship."
Ours
"We had faithfully attended and served at the Springs, but when we joined a newlyweds Community Group things changed. At first, it seemed like we did it to "check the box" of things that made a good member of the Springs. However, once our Community Group decided we were going to be serious about spending our time together, we started to grow in our faith and saw the Lord really working in our lives.
"Our community group really encouraged and spurred on one another. We gathered together in our homes, loved each other deeply, confessed areas we were struggling, challenged each other, and learned more about the Lord. This group God so graciously provided was more crucial than ever when we were unexpectedly blessed with our first pregnancy, twins, and our second pregnancy, triplets!
"After our family grew rapidly in just 2.5 years, life changed drastically, but our community did not. There were countless times when we doubted our ability to handle all of the changes. We were not sure how we were going to be able to take care of our 2.5-year-old twins and newborn triplets. But thanks be to God. The church has truly been the hands and feet of Jesus and encouraged us every step of the way. God, through His church, showed up in ways we could have never imagined.
"When the sleepless nights seemed like they were never-ending, women of the Springs showed up and stayed overnight to help us feed babies. When going to the grocery store seemed like the biggest burden, we had people show up at our door with groceries. When we were stressed, someone was always ready to lend a helping hand so we could step away for a few moments. When taking our squad of children to church seemed like a task we would be better of tackling in a few years, we had people encourage us by ensuring we had a parking spot and offering to carry babies.
"The Lord has shown us that community, when done right, illustrates God's grace, love, and provision for us. Our circumstances may have changed, but God's faithfulness never changes or wavers. When we have been over- whelmed, He has been steadfast. When we have anxious hearts, He has reminded us to be grateful. When we have fallen short, He has extended grace. He continues to bless our family abundantly and continues to provide us with community that not only cares for us, but also for our tiny tribe as well."