Become a Creator today!Start creating today - Share your story with the world!
Start for free
00:00:00
00:00:01
Trusting God in the Unforeseen — Ellie Pritchard
26 Plays7 days ago
As someone who grew up as a "Cadence kid," then went on to marry a member of the armed forces, ElliePritchard is well versed on the trials of the missionary and military lifestyle. She shares her thoughts on how God has shaped her using the surprises and challenges she has battled, and how that has equipped her to be a better ambassador for the Kingdom now as a mom and a military spouse.
Learn more about Cadence's ministry to the military: https://cadence.org/
Recommended
Transcript
Introduction to the Podcast
00:00:00
Speaker
Welcome to In Cadence, where we talk about what it looks like to share the gospel in our lives with the military community. Join us as we talk about what God is doing in the lives of our service members and how we can be a part of it.
00:00:23
Speaker
Welcome back to the Incadence podcast. I'm Dave and I'm here with Brian and ah he'll introduce our guest here in a minute, but it's good to be back here with you. um And we love military.
00:00:37
Speaker
ah We love the gospel. We love our people and the military families that we get to be a part of. And we get to share that with our families. was just sharing with everyone in the room. My youngest daughter prayed to receive Christ last night. And so Just ah a family celebration, a heavenly celebration for that moment as she begins a life surrendered to Jesus. and maybe no more scary thing than that as a parent to say, give your life to Lord and wherever that goes, I'm with you in that. And so it's delightful. It's exciting.
Cadence Families and Military Ministry
00:01:10
Speaker
But that's kind of that's what's fresh and going on in my life. Brian, good to be here with you, man. Yeah, it's great to be back. It's fun to hear that and to celebrate that with you even before we started recording. And today we really we're talking about family. hmm. We're talking about cadence families, cadence kids, but in a really fun context because um we're talking to a military spouse who's also is, was a cadence kid. And that's part of the complexities of of military ministry um is because you're a lot of things all at once.
00:01:48
Speaker
And growing up in a cadence ministry, you're around military kids. So a lot of times you're as much a military kid as you're a missionary kid and can't separate them out or anything like that. So we are with Ellie Johnson today. Formerly Johnson, now Pritchard.
00:02:04
Speaker
Thank you so much. Like I said, a lot of things going on. Yep. Lots of. Little changes. And yeah, there's not a linear way to, i don't know, talk about all that because it all, like you said, all kind of webs together in a weird way.
00:02:20
Speaker
but In a weird way that is ah core to who you are and makes you special in
Ellie Johnson's Background
00:02:26
Speaker
who you are. And and so to get um our listeners kind of a little bit of background on who you are, will you just start with ah where you were born and how old were you when you first lived in ah lived in America?
00:02:42
Speaker
So I was born Wiesbaden, Germany, moved when I was around two ti akosska to Yokosuka, Japan. Then when I was almost six back to Rampstein, Germany. Then let's see, I think I was around 10 11 when we moved to Rota, Spain.
00:03:03
Speaker
Then i was nearly 16 when we moved stateside. So i was well into my teen years by that point. um Then we were in California and I was there for a while and I got married to my husband there. And now we are in ah North Carolina at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base.
00:03:21
Speaker
Because your husband does what in the world? He is an in-flight refueler, a boom operator. So he's up there. we call him like a glorified gas station assistant because he's the one who's yeah refueling the other planes in the air.
Growing Up in Military Ministry
00:03:36
Speaker
Very high stress job. i would not be good at it, but um he loves it and does good work. Yeah. And you grew up in a Cadence family, yeah daughter of Nate Louise Johnson. You got three siblings. Give us your siblings' names real quick. Got Kara, Krista, and Josh.
00:03:56
Speaker
So they're, let's see, Kara's, they just had a birthday, so now all the ages are like mixed up. But 21, Krista's 19, and josh is I believe. And you're the oldest. Yes.
00:04:10
Speaker
Awesome. Well, and you just your family, you've had such a range of experiences and talk about how unique that is. But ministry and military are the two common threads for you. What are some of your earliest memories that are connected to military ministry?
00:04:29
Speaker
I mean, early, early is like VBS at the base chapels. You know, I'm with all the military kids, but I'm not actually military kid. So it was kind of weird, but loved being in that community. I never felt like I was not supposed to be there until bit later on. But, you know, teen years hit and you're trying to figure out where you belong in general. But yeah. weird community to do that in. But, um and then my parents, they
Identity and Belonging Through Faith
00:04:58
Speaker
were youth leaders at the time. So going to the camps and stuff and getting to just kind of see the things going on, not really participate in them, but get to see the planning and sometimes help with the, you know, packing the bags for whatever. So a lot of it was just the kind of behind the scenes stuff, kind of getting to help with what a kid can help with.
00:05:22
Speaker
which is usually, yeah, here, put this sticker on this paper and put it in each of the bags. But um it really, as life progressed, more and more got to, like, I got to be involved in more of that. um But yeah, early memories are mostly just having a blast running around, kind of, you know, feeling like I owned the place because kind of my parents did. so Well, you're kind of at the hub of everything going on whatever your parents are doing, how it's happening in the community. You're in the midst of it. Yeah. And that feels normal. And for any of us, our experiences, ah we kind of think that's the normal for everyone else. We we grow up thinking, well, this is the way I experienced the world. So this is how everyone else experiences the world. At some point. As you get this diverse set of experiences and you've you've lived in a lot of places, when did you start to realize, oh this isn't everyone's experience. This is unique. This is different.
00:06:21
Speaker
A lot of it came from visiting supporting churches because, you know, all the kids have questions for the missionary kid. it's like, oh I'm the weird one here. Like you're asking me questions about my life. So that must mean there's some kind of, you know, uniqueness to my experience that you want to know about.
00:06:41
Speaker
But even with other missionary kids, we would go to like missionary conferences and stuff and they would... have these crazy different experiences. And would be this weird thing because like, oh, technically we're, you know, we're all missionary kids, but I'm like a different kind than you guys are. so I was really, i was around 10 years old. I was like, this is a really weird set because I'm not a military kid. So I don't get to put that hat on. I'm a weird missionary kid. I'm not like these other missionary kids. So i don't know if I should be, you know, leading with that one.
Character Traits from Cadence Upbringing
00:07:17
Speaker
So, yeah, it was a weird, like, what kind of hybrid am i in the midst of all that? And what was it like to feel that that I hear an uncertainty in your identity at some point? yeah right It, I mean, it led to a big identity crisis for sure, especially in, yeah, the, i don't know, 13 to 15 was really rough for me. Um, cause yeah, it was, I don't belong anywhere. I don't have a place to call home cause I've moved around so much long. I haven't lived anywhere longer than five years. Um,
00:08:00
Speaker
Yeah, and I don't fit into any of these boxes exactly. So it was really like scary because it was like, do I belong anywhere? And that was really where my personal relationship with Christ really became important because it was like, I have a place in the kingdom, which is not actually here on earth. Like parts of it are, and I can live that here, but that's ultimately where I belong.
00:08:26
Speaker
I'm just living here now, which is... I think a pretty, it's an experience that correlates with the military very much because it's like you're not in the place of your origin. So you're doing this new thing and you're representing this place, but not where the place actually is. So it it's a, yeah, it's an interesting thing to kind of look back on now that I've kind of come through all of it. But in the moment, it was just like,
00:08:59
Speaker
yeah, do I belong somewhere at all? Like, where is that? What does that look like? And I think that's a question a lot of kids have.
00:09:09
Speaker
I think it's a question most kids have, um but they look to, well, we all, we look to different things or places or people for our identity, for our belonging.
00:09:23
Speaker
um And in some ways, when you're just talking, like, I mean, the Bible often talks about us being sojourners, you know, or being ambassadors, you know, an ambassador represents one country to it.
00:09:34
Speaker
who you That was almost normal for you. Yeah. That was the expectation in a lot of ways of like, yeah, we're in Spain, but we're not Spanish.
00:09:46
Speaker
We are in this weird... You're with American military, but you're not even military. I'm not even military. Yeah. So I can't even say that I'm in that group. So yeah, we, there's a few other Cadence kids where we're like, what do we even call ourselves? So that's where the Cadence kid name is a unique thing because it is this weird hodgepodge that I have not found another group like it. And there's, yeah, there's some belonging in that sense. But even that, I mean,
00:10:16
Speaker
now that we're older we're like we're not kids so it's like that's a weird thing to call ourselves too so now you're you're still cadence kids but you're not kids so what you're you're cadence 20 somethings yeah i guess like yeah what do you call that i'm married to a cadence kid yeah so she grew up in k-town uh one of the places you two have in common but there's still a sense of that shaped who I am. Yeah. That's a unique part of my experience that no one gets to take away and it still shapes her to this day. And so resonating with that, knowing what that experience is like. And then I think even some things you've been able to do and she's been able to do is turn around and help people understand the unique things that they're feeling, how the Lord ah speaks to those things. And,
00:11:08
Speaker
um Yeah, it's it's a powerful thing that never really stops. Even though you step out of it, it never leaves its place in your formation. Exactly.
00:11:19
Speaker
What would you say are some of the ah maybe like you're at a a fun stage because you can actually look back. Yes. On that. um What would you say are some of the the character traits that you and other Cadence kids develop kind of naturally, but you realize they're actually really valuable core things as part of your character?
00:11:42
Speaker
I mean, there's a lot of us understand like the importance of an invitation into something because of that outsider-ness think a lot of us are very eager to invite people to join us in whatever we're doing because we're used to being on the outside being like, hey,
Adapting as a Military Spouse
00:12:02
Speaker
can come in to your group? Like that weirdness of seeing a formed group and wanting to join it because you're new and being able to
00:12:15
Speaker
be on the other side of that and invite people. I've i've noticed that's a pretty across the board thing of ah at least a desire to see others have belonging as well. um And like the long, the innate longing for a place to, you know, be known and have connection and all those things.
00:12:41
Speaker
um yeah I'm trying to think of some other ones do you notice people on the margins yes oh yeah and some of us like for me i can notice and know if I'm supposed to enter into that I know some people even some of my siblings that like cannot ignore anyone like if they see anyone remotely on the outskirts they're like Panic, pause everything we need to get that person in.
00:13:06
Speaker
Sometimes they don't want to be in. It's OK. But um yeah, like there's a we have to be the one to do it because that's what our families do. Like the families are the hub and we're, you know, invited into being the hub for the kids or being the hub for the teenagers. Like that was growing up.
00:13:28
Speaker
It was like, okay, we're going to church. The parents are going to talk to other parents. The kids are going to talk to other kids. Like we got to be the ones to reach out.
00:13:39
Speaker
And now, like, yeah, I can't turn that off. I have to, if I'm not a part of something that is inviting people, there's this weird hole that I feel like someone needs to fill. And that's turned out to be me and my new community a lot just because those skills were honed over a lot of years.
00:14:04
Speaker
But yeah, I think that's a pretty common one that I've noticed. Just the, yeah, because we're used to not belonging somewhere, wanting to invite people to a place where they can feel that.
00:14:20
Speaker
So you just mentioned your new community. Yes. ah Did you think you were going to marry a military person? Absolutely not. um I was pretty around, I think I was like 15. I was in such a state.
00:14:37
Speaker
i was suicidal. I was like, I do not want to keep living this life. Like, I'm done. I'm going to graduate. going to move somewhere. I'm going stay there. And that's it. it was like It's going to be somewhere, probably stateside. I'm just going to pick a state, pick a city. That's where I'm going to live.
00:14:57
Speaker
Obviously, that did not happen. um There was a lot of work that God did on my heart in that because it was really out of wounding out of like, I don't want to keep reengaging and keep losing my community. And yeah, keep feeling this unbelonging over and over and over again. i just want to pick somewhere.
00:15:17
Speaker
So that was what I expected. I've always been a very creative person. So I kind of was like, oh, I'll go into graphic design. I'll do this. Like, that'll be my path.
00:15:29
Speaker
And yeah, a couple of years later, it was so not that. And yeah, I don't even, I don't think that younger me would have expected any of the things that are true of me now in a lot of ways.
00:15:48
Speaker
And how are you now seeing, because there's a redemptive arc through our lives, right? Where God is present. He's working. Nothing's wasted. um But that was probably some of you that was resistant to stepping into life as a military spouse, but also God was
Unexpected Life Events and Faith
00:16:08
Speaker
clearly bringing that about. and you guys have it an amazing, you you have a kid now. Yeah. How old's your son? He is nine months now. Okay. Yep.
00:16:17
Speaker
Just starting the journey. Yep. Realizing how little sleep you can survive. Oh my gosh. Yeah. Tell me about it. Um, yeah, it's really, really interesting just cause my son was a surprise. We were not planning him. Like how much of my life now was not the plan.
00:16:36
Speaker
And, you know, I put plan and air quotes cause like, I don't even know if I believe in plans anymore this point, but, um yeah, you just have to get like in this life, in the military life, even in the cadence kid life, you have to know how to pivot. Like you can't go with what's expected and that's terrifying and it still is, but there's a point at which I'm kind of like, well, I've seen God be where I didn't expect him to be for me to find him the
00:17:12
Speaker
what I felt like was way off the trail and for him to go this was where I kind of was leading you the whole time and then looking back and going I can see the individual steps that brought me to this place and this makes so much more sense than what I had originally mapped out and even in other people's lives like my friends I can look from zoomed out perspective and be like, where you are now makes so much more sense than where we thought you were going to be and how much better that is than what we had initially planned. And thinking back to if I had done what I wanted, i don't think I would have all the good things that I have now.
00:17:54
Speaker
Think about all the aspects of your childhood now become that now become incredible opportunities of understanding those you're around all the time. I mean, when you think about people on the margins, when you think about ah not feeling settled, I mean, you got to ah an advanced degree in that already yeah and you're just a young military wife. And so now all these other young military wives, moms who are like just there in, you know, college level one-on-one the And you're 401, 801, whatever.
00:18:36
Speaker
i don't even know at this point, but yeah. You got a graduate degree. Yeah. And what a gift. How do you see God using that?
Building Community in Military Life
00:18:42
Speaker
Well, I mean, just now the ability for me to hit the ground and go, what is the need of this community? Where can I fill a need? How do I invite people into something that gives their life meaning and belonging? Like I'm hosting a play group now for our um spouses club because that was a need. Like I was looking for it. It didn't exist at the time.
00:19:07
Speaker
i went, okay, I guess I'm hosting now. Like it was a really easy pivot for me because I'm used to hosting. I was given that skillset. I can reach out to complete strangers, feed them, give them, you know, something to do and have those meaningful conversations in a context where that didn't exist previously. So that's like the most basic of basic things.
00:19:33
Speaker
But being able to... Which real quick can interrupt? When I joined the Army, that was not basic, a basic for me. It was hard. Yeah. We were learning it. So that's what I mean. Like you really do it that that. I'll host it, you know?
00:19:45
Speaker
And yeah, like again, for me, I've had years of these skills specifically for creating an environment of belonging and of deep conversations and being known and knowing and constantly like growing where that's a pretty foreign thing for, like you said, for most people. And it's a huge blessing to be able to come into these spaces and already have that skillset um,
00:20:19
Speaker
and desire even like I know it exists, so I know I can recreate it. And that's a huge thing of where our community doesn't have cadence there. And so knowing that these things exist in other places is like super hard to come into because I'm like, where is the cadence house?
00:20:37
Speaker
We don't have one. Okay, how can I get as close to that model that I've seen work with my current capacity with a child, with being a spouse instead of on the outside.
00:20:50
Speaker
yeah It's like, now I'm on the inside. i feel like I've like spy infiltrated this group and I've watched how to care for these people. And now I'm like, how do I care for myself? And how do i involve other people in that?
00:21:07
Speaker
It's a, it's really cool. And also, pretty exhausting because I'm aware of how much can be done yeah in a space like this and I have to pick one to two things.
00:21:23
Speaker
Which by the way, if y'all need to send someone to Seymour Johnson, we would not complain. so Our standard answer is the harvest is plenty and
Embracing Unique Roles in Cadence
00:21:34
Speaker
the workers are few. So quick recruiting plug. If you want to come be a Cadence missionary, Cadence.org.
00:21:40
Speaker
We can use you. if We want you. Well, and i think some of that is there is so much in these military communities, exactly what you're saying, where, and kind of as you said, Brian, like, I got into this and I didn't know what I was missing. I didn't know what I needed. i didn't know how to form that. And for you, Ellie, having been formed within that structure, like... You can't unsee it. You can't undo it. You can't not live out those things because that became who who you are. and now, like, you can't not do that in the context yeah of that community. And how many people, I mean, now, Brian, you're the same way because you were invited into a kid's house yeah at one point. And so there's this... um
00:22:26
Speaker
identity that's been forged in you that's rooted outside of this earth and then you get to bring redemption and life and reconciliation and hope and encouragement through the gospel through relationship and your presence there at that base and yeah we we'd love to see more people doing that because we see the multiplying it Oh, yeah. Effect of it, right? For sure.
00:22:48
Speaker
So, but so much of that, so circle back around as a cadence kid, so much of that was formed there and God has redeemed it. He's used it. It's been beautiful. What encouragement would you give ah to missionary kids who might be listening in or cadence families that might be listening in?
00:23:05
Speaker
I would say be involved where you can. um and that's going to look different for different families. But especially to the parents that have missionary kids, I would strongly encourage the yeah the partnership that a family can have.
00:23:24
Speaker
is huge. And it's really the main bond that even my siblings and I have of like, we're a team here. And that makes the kingdom of God feel so much more personal for me because I can look, I'm not even in cadence. And I can look at cadence and go, we're doing the same thing just in different ways. Like we're on the same team.
00:23:45
Speaker
which is, I think, a really neat thing about the military context is the whole military is basically one big team. We all have the same mission. And being able to attribute that also to the kingdom and going like, yeah, I can do what I can and I can know that my brothers are out there doing the same thing, that the missionaries at Cadence are doing the same thing that I am, just in a different place. It makes it feel so much less lonely to know that that God's, you know, working in so many different ways through so many different people. And it's not just you. It's not just you in this place.
00:24:24
Speaker
um So yeah, I would strongly encourage to, yeah, learn learn
00:24:31
Speaker
be open to the redemption. shen Like, cause there was a yeah long time where I was like, I do not want to do this. This is hard. yeah This is not fun. This is a huge sacrifice. So to recognize it as a sacrifice and choose to do it, like is huge. It's not like I've noticed a big difference between Just my Christian friends now that are doing really well and are thriving in Christ and those that are walking away, it is, did things happen to them or did they at some point choose to do what's good anyway? Like not...
00:25:13
Speaker
you know, take it personally, not have it be against them, but to lean into it, use the skills that you're given, use the unique abilities that you have, the unique place that you're in and run with it or be bitter about it. And so that would be my biggest encouragement is to look at maybe where those seeds of bitterness are and turn them into a choice, turn them into something that can be redeemed. And, know,
00:25:41
Speaker
knowing your family, knowing your story, your parents had such a significant role in encouraging you to lean into the
Lessons in Resilience and Faith
00:25:49
Speaker
hardship. Oh, yeah. Any any specific things to stand up ah out about how they propelled you into that or encouraged you during those times that were especially meaningful?
00:26:00
Speaker
I mean, they did a really good job of letting hard things be hard and not having us like grin and bear it kind of like acknowledging again, that aspect of we're asking you to do this thing. Like you're here with our family.
00:26:22
Speaker
i mean, you don't really totally have a choice, but like you can, You can join us or you can fight us on it. And even still to this day, like with emotional things, i have this feeling of like, I can choose to do the hard thing or I can choose to do the hard thing and fight it the whole time. Like life is hard. You have to do things that you don't want to do. You have to do things that...
00:26:47
Speaker
are pretty miserable sometimes, but you can either, yeah, choose to fight it or you can choose to figure out how to make it a good thing, figure out how to see it as um something that can grow you or just even something that you just have to get through. i think they did a really good job of showing that Christ is in the hard places as well as the good places. Like, and we joke now that i feel closest to God in a hard place because that's like the only place that I know how to see him, um which that's a whole nother thing. But um the ability to, yeah, be in a great depression and cry out to God and see him there,
00:27:39
Speaker
Like they were really good about being like, yeah, she he's not afraid of your emotions. He's not afraid of your feelings about what he's asking you to do. Like it's okay. um Yeah, they also just were so good at,
00:27:59
Speaker
showing us the progress in the people in our community so that we felt like it wasn't for nothing. And now it's allowed me to be able to sit in people's stories a lot better than I think I would have been able to if I had just, yeah, if they had just been like, kept me out of it, I guess. Yeah.
00:28:22
Speaker
Well, I'll speak on behalf of Hutch and a whole bunch of other people. We're all big fans of your parents. Yes. They got a big fan club. They got a big fan club. I first met them, uh, in Yokosuka, Japan, then our paths crossed in Germany and then Spain and now back here in the States. And, I was, you probably don't, I mean, I was field leader in Europe when you guys were in Spain and so many of, uh,
00:28:48
Speaker
the decisions i made or didn't make were out of the influence of your dad saying, so have you thought about this? Like, Oh, I hadn't thought about that. You just saved me from, so yeah, we we love your folks. They're great. So kind of this journey, we we just got to walk with you from cadence kid ah to military spouse to still staying a cadence
Life's Surprises as God's Gifts
00:29:11
Speaker
kid.
00:29:11
Speaker
yeah um If you just summarize it in a few words, how would you summarize that whole journey? I guess the way I'd summarize it is like being open to surprises in everything.
00:29:25
Speaker
Like even as a kid, you know, you might hear like, oh, like we're going to move somewhere new. okay where is it? Like, is it going to be cool? Is it going to be exciting? Is it going to be all these things? And now as a military spouse, like, yeah, your husband might get deployed. Oh, okay.
00:29:46
Speaker
What does that mean? Or yeah, like my son, we were not expecting my son. So how do you be open to something like that? How do you be surprised in a way that is faithful? Like, how do you do that? So I think that's like an overarching theme of my life is like, how do you take surprises and see it as something God's giving you instead of something that is not how you want it to be?
00:30:15
Speaker
and And there's a lot of faith and there's so many theological goodness things underneath that statement. is It reflects what you believe to be true about God that you can trust even when it's a surprise. You don't understand. it doesn't make sense.
00:30:34
Speaker
That's the life of Cadence Kids. It's the life of military families. Yep. Things do not make sense most of the time.
Conclusion and Encouragement
00:30:41
Speaker
your Your husband's supposed to be deployed right now, right? Yeah, he was. um He's, yeah, now he's back home, probably wrangling the kid. It's one of the good surprises. Yeah, good surprise. Yeah, i don't want him to be deployed for sure. But yeah, it was like, okay, he's deploying this time. Now he's not getting deployed at all. Just kidding. Now he's going for the second half.
00:30:59
Speaker
He's on standby. Turns out he's not going. so okay, fine. I mean, cool, but we had planned yeah all this stuff. The reason I'm here is because we were planning. i was planning to have help from my family while he was gone, but now he's he's back at home too. So just got to get used to rolling with the punches.
00:31:21
Speaker
It's awesome. Ellie, thank you for sharing a bit of your story. know it's a small glimpse of a big story and a big God, but it's really clear as you've walked in faith, how God has continued to redeem and use and will continue to do that. And so we're just we're excited to see the next surprises that God brings and how he uses those in your lives.
00:31:42
Speaker
ah For those of you who are listening, if you're a friend of and connected to our staff around the world, remember that their families are along for the journey. They are in the midst of the wrestling and the surprises and walking with Jesus in the midst of those things. ah Pray for them. Encourage them.
00:32:00
Speaker
And um Ellie, thanks for... ah leaning into Jesus in the midst of all of these things. And we see bearing fruit today in the military community. The harvest is plant-full, the workers are few, and you're out there as a kingdom representative. And we're grateful that you're there. We're grateful you're a cadence kid. kid Me too. I wouldn't change it. Genuinely. I look back and there are so many things I could be I don't know, I guess upset about that I'm glad about because I don't think I'd be where I am without those. And it all works together and creates something beautiful. Yeah. And thanks even for your levels of vulnerability with us and really appreciate you coming in today. Yeah. Thanks for having me.
00:32:45
Speaker
If you want to learn more about Cadence, you can visit Cadence.org and learn more about our missionaries, our ministries, and what God's doing in the military community around the world. Thanks for joining us. Talk to you next time.
00:33:01
Speaker
Outro music. It goes like this. Gotta come along and sing the song with Dustin. This is high quality podcasting.
00:33:15
Speaker
Yeah.