# @hopewdm on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/DTRIq_BkVlw
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/38675514-hopewdm-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/5ed853a6e1.jpg
- **Posted:** 2026-01-08T23:14:03.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** HOPE (@HopeWDM) — https://gondola.cc/HopeWDM

## Caption

My husband, Jeff, and I grew up in different churches, but we always knew we were believers. For me, though, there was a longing for something more. 

Around 2010, we found ourselves searching for a church home. That season became a journey we shared with friends, attending services at Hope and gathering afterward. Over time, that friend group scattered, but by then something lasting had begun to grow: a community rooted in Hope. 

I’ll never forget those Sundays when it felt as if every word had been written just for my story in that moment. I mentioned this to Pastor Nick, and he said, “That’s not us. That’s the Holy Spirit.” From then on, I began to recognize his presence—the tears welling during a worship song, the stirring in my soul when a sermon pierced my heart. 

After that, our roots at Hope grew deeper, and as our kids grew, they discovered their own places to serve and belong. Our oldest, Kirsten, serves on the production team at Kairos in Hope Ames, has worked summers and special events with the production staff in West Des Moines, and joined the Café team while in high school. Charlotte began in HopeKids and quickly poured herself into Youth & Family activities, serving coffee at Café Hope, greeting at New to Hope, and joyfully reading Scripture. Our third, Bianca, discovered her place with Hope’s hospitality team, welcoming others with warmth and kindness. And our son also found his passion in production.  

We often joke, “If they’re not at home, they’re at Hope.” And it’s true. We’ve always said, “You never know when God will turn their ears on.” Hope provided the opportunities, but it was God who turned their hearts and ears toward him, leading them to their paths. 

People often tell me Hope is so big. But to us, it doesn’t feel that way. The beauty of Hope is that within its walls are countless smaller communities, woven together to make one family. And it was within those communities that we finally found what we had been searching for all along. 

The “more” wasn’t something far away, waiting to be discovered. 
The “more” was here. 
The “more” was him. 

Jodi & Jeff M.
#HopeStories

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## Credits

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## Tags

hopestories

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