From Heartbreak to Hope: Sarah’s Journey of Faith
Scripture has a beautiful theme running through it: hope is often given through something carried. Israel carried the Ark of the Covenant as a sign of God’s presence. Mary carried Jesus, the Hope of the world. Jesus carried the cross before the resurrection. And believers “carry each other’s burdens” (Galatians 6:2).
That’s what Sarah does—she carries hope to people. Sarah grew up in a Christian home, but her faith didn’t become deeply personal until after her son was born and she went through divorce. She never expected her marriage to end, but her pain drove her toward care and healing ministries, Divorce Care, small groups, and eventually, Gateway Church.
Thankfully, Sarah didn’t push God away during a difficult time like many do. She wisely clung tightly to “God our Savior … Christ Jesus our hope” (1 Timothy 1:1 NIV). And as Sarah began growing, she became more like the Lord—a lighthouse to her family. Sarah’s older sister, Christina, desperately wanted children but suffered from severe fibroid tumors that prevented her from carrying a pregnancy. After multiple surgeries, a miscarriage, and years of disappointment, the family began discussing surrogacy. Sarah approached her sister and said, “If you want to do this, I’m available. I want to do this for you.”
A Sister’s Sacrifice, a Family’s Hope
It took nearly a year of counseling, medical preparation, and prayer before Sarah could carry hope for her sister and the embryo was transferred. Sarah shared, “I think the Lord used that year to work on my heart.” She understood the weight of what she was agreeing to—watching her sister long to become a mother made the decision clear. “I would see pictures of my sister, and there was just this sadness in her eyes,” said Sarah. “I wanted Christina to experience the precious gift and joy of being a mom just like I had.”
When the doctors transferred two embryos, only one implanted successfully, but Sarah was able to carry her niece Trinity for her sister and brother-in-law. Her name wasn't chosen by chance. It was chosen intentionally because it took the three of them to bring Trinity into the world. The Lord really prepared their hearts, and the experience brought tremendous healing and joy to their entire family. Her parents were relieved because Christina became a mom. Christina felt mended, undergoing a much-needed hysterectomy but still receiving the gift of her baby. Sarah’s brother-in-law was revived by the reality of becoming a father. And Sarah was renewed by serving her sister.
Treyce, Sarah’s son, was five years old during the pregnancy. She just explained the situation to Treyce in simple terms: “Aunt Christina’s belly is broken, and Mommy’s isn’t; so, the doctor put the baby in Mommy’s belly, and Mommy’s is going to grow the baby.” Treyce embraced the experience, and even at a young age, it shaped his heart to serve and bring others hope, too. People have asked Sarah whether it was difficult to hand the baby to her sister after delivery, but Sarah simply responded, “She was never mine. I just carried her for my sister. Once Trinity got here, it didn’t even matter how she got here. She was always Christina’s baby.” But there is, and always will be, a special bond between Aunt Sarah and Trinity.
When God Turns Your Career into a Calling
Delivering hope to others blessed Sarah tremendously because she reaped what she sowed (see Galatians 6:7–9). Later, she was excited to join the Gateway Church team and be more present with her young son. Sarah had a bachelor’s degree in Radio and Television Broadcasting with a minor in Journalism, so she had spent years producing commercial photography and television advertising. As a single mother, however, she realized the demanding schedule wasn’t sustainable. “I wanted to be able to go to my son’s class parties and field trips—not have him in after-school care all the time,” shared Sarah. “Gateway provided not only stability and insurance but also a healthy community and family.”
Sarah became the assistant to a pastor overseeing Member Services and Prophetic Ministry and later served as ministry coordinator for Prophetic Ministry, overseeing volunteers and coordinating ministry events. Looking back, Sarah says those years shaped her calling: “That’s really where I received my call to ministry. I thought, I want to be a pastor, but I didn’t know if I was qualified.” Working alongside healthy pastors and families, watching men love their wives, brought even more healing to her life.
How God Wrote Sarah’s Love Story
Years later, after focusing on raising her son and serving in ministry, Sarah met her husband, Jeff. Friends had attempted to introduce them before, but she wasn’t interested. “I was content. I was super content with the Lord.” Nearly a year later, Jeff volunteered with Gateway’s Men’s Brigade to help Sarah’s younger sister move, and his kindness caught Sarah’s attention. He quietly paid for drinks, opened doors, and treated her with genuine honor.
On their first official date, Sarah said what impressed her most was his faith. He carried hope for her. He prayed over their meal without hesitation and shared that he had been praying for her long before they started dating. Later, after they were married, Jeff told her about a picture the Lord had shown him before they ever dated. “He said when I walked in the door, I was glowing,” said Sarah, “So he knew I was the one God had chosen for him.” They’ve been happily married since 2018.
Finding Hope in Seasons of Waiting
After Sarah served seven years in Prophetic Ministry, the department was restructured, and she lost her position. Although she applied for several internal positions, nothing opened up. Rather than growing bitter, Sarah chose gratitude. “I trusted the Lord,” shared Sarah. In the months away from Gateway, she spent time journaling and reflecting on God’s faithfulness, and her heart turned to gratitude. Sarah wanted to “always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who [asked her] to give the reason for the hope that [she had]” (1 Peter 3:15 NIV). Looking back on the supernatural provision God had given her as a single mother—from financial miracles to receiving a donated vehicle—she thanked Him for every season.
During that same period, her husband Jeff encouraged her not to rush into another job but to rest and seek the Lord. While attending a Gateway service, Jeff nudged her toward The King’s University information booth. At forty-six years old, she enrolled in the Master’s in Organizational Leadership program with a concentration in Women in Ministry Leadership. She said, “Never in my wildest dreams would I have gone back to school to get my Master’s.” She laughed about how quickly the acceptance came. She didn’t even have time to change her mind. Because she was nervous about going back to school, Sarah shared, “I literally bought a book on how to read a book.” In hindsight, she understood why God hadn’t allowed her to find another position at Gateway because her next assignment would require her to learn how to deliver hope in a new way.
Hope in Action: Serving Israel & the Church
In 2020, Gateway Center for Israel hired Sarah as a ministry coordinator, but only a few days after she started, the COVID-19 pandemic forced everyone to work remotely. Originally, Sarah expected to stay in the role for two years while completing her degree but another opportunity emerged. One of her graduate classes introduced research showing how women often hesitate to pursue leadership roles unless they feel 100% qualified. Sarah wrestled with whether she should apply for the newly available partnership pastor position. She said, “Before I even had an opportunity to ask, one of the leaders pulled out the job description and said, ‘Would you be interested in applying for this position?’” She completed the interview process and accepted the role that she continues to serve in today—as the Associate Pastor for the Center for Israel Partnerships at Gateway Church.
This is how she delivers hope to others every day: Sarah has the privilege of stewarding relationships with Jewish ministries and leaders in Israel and around the world. Her role centers on building partnerships, understanding the needs of pastors and ministry leaders, and finding ways Gateway can come alongside them through prayer, encouragement, leadership development, and practical resources. While financial support is one aspect of the ministry, Sarah believes Gateway’s greatest resource is investing in people.
“Money is not our biggest resource,” shared Sarah. “It’s connecting—by teaching, by bringing leaders in to encourage them, and by hosting prophetic teams to pray over their ministries.” One of the highlights of her ministry has been hosting leadership roundtables for women serving in Messianic ministries, women who often have few opportunities for leadership development. She knows God wants us to “encourage one another and build each other up” (1 Thessalonians 5:11 NIV). It’s our eternal assignment—to deliver the good news of our Savior Jesus that He saves us and brings purpose to our lives.
Looking back over every season—from divorce and single motherhood to surrogacy, ministry, graduate school, and marriage—Sarah sees God carrying her, blessing her, and growing her so she can minister to others. For Sarah, every unexpected turn has become evidence of God’s faithful provision. He has faithfully filled her with hope—overflowing hope—to partner with people, help them accomplish their goals, and become a tangible expression of God’s love to the world.
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. –Romans 15:13
–Sarah, part of the Gateway family
Additional Resources
Learn More About Gateway Center for Israel.
Learn More About Care and Counseling at Gateway.
Learn More About Small Groups at Gateway.