Midweek Mission Moment 8/19/2026

​Exactly Where God Called Me To Be

​Hi everyone!

My name is Grace Carlson, and I have had the great joy of working at Light on the Hill and KFUMC this summer.

The last 3 months have been full of learning new skills, collaborating with amazing colleagues, serving the community, and navigating through another unprecedented affliction to the area. I am so grateful for the experience I gained and the people I worked with, during joyful days, emotionally taxing days, and everything in between. Having the opportunity to work in the vocational area I am called to was such a blessing, and God made it clear every day that I was exactly where He wanted me to be.

When coming home to Kerrville for the summer, I hoped to get a job in my field of interest, so I reached out to Beth Palmer to find out about any open jobs at LOTH. I tried not to get my hopes up, but she didn’t just offer me a job at LOTH, her and Pastor Monica O’Donnell collaborated to design a unique job that perfectly combined ministry and my social work background. They truly went above and beyond for me, and I spent the summer learning about deaconship from Monica, and serving community members with Beth.

I had the pleasure of working as a Health Navigator at LOTH, where I acted as a resource hub for the community. I conducted needs assessment calls, hosted people at the food pantry, made food and supply deliveries, and assisted with LOTH events. Every person I served this summer touched me deeply, and they showed me what true strength and resilience looks like. I also saw God working in the LOTH staff every single day. Some days are extremely tiring- mentally, physically, and emotionally, but the kind souls that work there always show up again the next day to serve their siblings in Christ. I love them and will miss them all dearly!

I also spent time at the church, where Pastor Monica graciously answered my questions about deaconship, and brought me along to church meetings and her Sunday dinner ministry, The Table. I went out of my comfort zone a few times to deliver the message at The Table, and wrote a few devotionals for the church newsletter. While it was nerve wracking for me at the time, it was a fruitful ministry experience that helped me build confidence in my writing.

I’m also so grateful for all of the beautiful souls at The Table that welcomed me with open arms. They have an incredible community there, full of love and support. I was overwhelmed by the presence of the Holy Spirit in that room every week, bringing people together in fellowship to share a meal and their stories. Monica started something truly amazing at The Table.
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This summer was an immense blessing for me and I miss it already! I can’t thank Beth and Monica enough for creating this job to support me in my ordination journey, and I’m so excited for my next chapter!

Peace and Love,
Grace Carlson

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