Thank You, Trinity

Words cannot express how thankful I am for the past two years at Trinity. Emily and I have been so blessed to be a part of what God is doing here and I am confident that he has much more in store. When we first came here two summers ago, we felt immediately welcomed and loved. It didn’t take long for me to realize that this is a special place that God is using in a great way. Leaving Trinity is a bittersweet decision. We are excited about what God has next for us but there are so many people that we will miss.
Over the past few weeks I have been reflecting on my time here and the things I love the most about this church. I quickly realized that the thing that makes Trinity an amazing church is not the events, the facilities, or even the services. The best thing about Trinity is community of people that are here. It’s the people that give sacrificially, serve faithfully, and love each other well. I have learned so much just from being around the people and serving alongside them. There are a lot of people that have made a major impact on my life in the past two years that I will never forget.
Those people are the ones that make Trinity, Trinity. They include individuals like Nelson Boles. Nelson is the example of a person who faithfully walks by the Spirit of God and models a life of prayer and devotion. Ted Neeley has battled sickness for years but I have never heard him complain one time. Every time I ask him how he is doing or how I can pray for him, he turns
the conversation around to ask about me even when he was in ICU and barely awake. He is always content and thankful regardless of his circumstances. Susan Smith was one of the most intentional people I have been around. She constantly looked for ways to encourage people and
never failed to send a letter letting them know how thankful she was for them. Billy Ray and Karen Mathis never care to receive credit for their work and they are always willing to serve. I hope that one day I can model humility like they do. Curtis and Alice Hygema are similar in that they always have a role in something but you would never know it. They work hard and serve
faithfully but never want to be the center of attention and never care to get any recognition for the work they do. Ron Lawson is one of the most generous people I have ever met. He is somebody who recognizes that God owns everything and just allows us to use it. Ron always uses what God gives him to bless other people and rarely keeps it for himself. I want to give like that. Scott and Mandy Kelly were some of the first people to reach out to Emily and me when we came to Trinity. Just a couple weeks before the fire we were sitting at their dining table eating dinner with them. They were telling us their testimonies and asking how they could help disciple some of our college students and be a support to us. God had bigger plans though.
These are just a few of the people that make Trinity what it is. The common factor with all these people is that they are, or were, more concerned about glorifying God than they are about themselves. They have a deep love for Jesus that is contagious. I hope I can be more like these people one day.
As we transition into our next season of life I am praising God for what he has done and what he will continue to do. I am so thankful that He brought us into this incredible church family. So, Trinity, thank you for all the love you guys have shown us, thank you for the ways you have encouraged us, thank you for all the time you spent praying for us and will spend praying for us as we go.
Jared Collins