Tryston’s Hope Summer/Fall Ministry Updates

July - November 2022

We have continued to be blessed with many opportunities to share the Gospel, award Tryston’s Hope Awards, and fellowship with other families walking through life tragedies. We still miss our Tryston dearly as we are approaching the one year anniversary of God calling him home to Heaven, but we are leaning on God and continuing to work His plan for Tryston’s Hope and for our family.

In July we were able to get away as a family and enjoy the beach and also enjoy watching Addy finish up her travel softball before heading off to college. She was also blessed with the opportunity to play one last tournament picking up with the 18U Ohana Tigers King team. It was at this tournament that we met a very special young lady, Hayley King, and her family. We are so thankful that God orchestrated this event in our lives.

In August we were able to visit sweet Hayley at her home and award her with a Tryston’s Hope award. Earlier this year Hayley was diagnosed with Leukemia during the SRT Invitational Softball Tournament that Tryston’s Hope sponsored in March. She played on the Powdersville High School softball team. Hayley has a smile that brightens any room and she is so loving & sweet to everyone. We were so thankful to be able to take her lunch and share with her how much Jesus loves her.

In mid August we were able to be a part of the 6th annual Hayden King Memorial Softball Tournament at Tyger River. We were able to share in a time of devotion, pass out Bibles and bracelets, and support the King family and the 18U Ohana Tigers softball team.

At the end of August we (Kevin and Melissa) started a GriefShare class that was being held at our church (Rocky Creek Church). The evening before the class started we sat down with our children to do our evening Bible study. That particular evening we ended up in the book of Ecclesiastes 4:9-10. We have NEVER done a Bible study in Ecclesiastes and we were asking the kids if they could even spell it. We had been discussing going to Grief Share and had been sharing concerns we had about going. Honestly we had decided that we would go to the first session and that would be all that we would go to. The next evening we went to Grief Share...planning on it being the only session we attended. We watched the session 1 video and at the end of the video they ask that you commit to the 13 week class. Then they referenced a Bible verse...Ecclesiastes 4:9-10. Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. We had decided before we started that this was not going to be for us...but God...He made it very clear that His plan for us was to be in GriefShare. We both could not believe it when we saw the Bible verse and all we could do was tear up. God was giving us clear direction...not our plans but His.

Kevin also reached out to The Gushue family in August. We have been praying for them since March 29 when their sweet daughter, Emily, was in a car accident and God called her home to heaven. She was a senior at St. Joe’s and was the captain on the softball team. St. Joe’s was one of the 8 teams that played in the SRT Invitational Softball Tournament that Tryston’s Hope sponsored in March. As a result of Kevin calling the Gushue family they began attending the GriefShare class with us. We are truly thankful for their friendship and the time that we can share together loving on and encouraging each other.

September was a busy month of baseball for Kaden (with Kevin coaching his baseball team) and Erskine softball for Addy. The kids also talked us into a new puppy…a Shihtzu named Elvis.

On Saturday October 22 we were blessed with the opportunity to love on two Carolina Crush softball teams (14U & 16U), as well as the 18U Ohana Tigers at Tyger River. We provided lunch, shared a time of devotion and shared our new bracelets (The Gospel- God’s Plan For Me). Then on Tuesday (10-25) we had the opportunity to share devotion and provide snacks for the two 14U Mauldin Recreation baseball teams at Mauldin City Park. The two teams then played a baseball game in memory of Tryston that started at 6:30. Kaden was able to throw out the first pitch of the game while Kevin wore Tryston’s favorite Cincinnati Reds baseball hat.

On October 29 & 30 a great group of boys and coaches got together and played a baseball tournament in memory of Tryston. Tryston was diagnosed with stage 3C testicular cancer last year on October 29, 2021. Unfortunately, when we found the cancer it had already spread to his abdomen, liver, and back. He celebrated his 23rd birthday a week later on November 6, 2021. Then on November 13, 2021 God called him home.

Our final session of GriefShare was on November 9 and we were blessed to give everyone in the group a wooden cross ornament that said John 3:16 and a gift certificate for a dozen Krispy Kreme donuts (Tryston’s favorite).

God continues to walk alongside us on the path He has laid out for us and continues to put people in our path that need to hear about Jesus and His love. We are planning more Tryston’s Hope Awards and events where we will be able to share God’s story in the coming months. We truly appreciate all of the calls, text, and prayers.

Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

January and February 2022 Ministry Updates

January/ February Update for Tryston’s Hope ministry…

As we continue to miss our Tryston dearly, we are leaning on our Anchor…trusting God to provide all of the strength, comfort, and peace we need as He carries us through each day. We find so much joy and rest in knowing that our Tryston is in Heaven glorifying God; his Savior…spared from all the pain and suffering of this world. We are so thankful for Jesus and for His love for each of us. He chose to take our place and to die a death that we deserved so that we could have eternal life with Him.

Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

We are so thankful to be able to love and support our community as we continue to have opportunities to fellowship with other families and spread God’s Word. We are planning several events (including softball and baseball events and other ministry opportunities) in the upcoming months through Tryston’s Hope, in loving memory of Tryston. We will be recognizing 10+ members of the community this spring (including students, athletes, and mentors and their families) with Tryston’s Hope Scholarships/Sponsorship/Recognition Awards. We are so excited on following God’s plan, and we will highlight these awards on our website and Facebook page as they are presented.

We have purchased Testicular Cancer awareness items (purple ribbon shoelaces, headbands, and bracelets) and plan to distribute these items and to raise awareness in the community. We created postcards with Tryston’s story to distribute to hospitals, cancer centers, and families in the community to be able to connect with those in need and provide assistance. In January, business cards were distributed to the Cancer Center at Self Regional Medical Center in Greenwood, SC. In the coming months we plan to distribute postcards to more facilities.

We are also blessed to have received a donation of bibles from Johnson Ferry Baptist Church in Marietta, GA. These bibles will be used to continue the bible ministry started in honor of Tryston. We are looking forward to getting these bibles into the hands of children and families that need to hear the Gospel.

We are still overwhelmed and so thankful for all of the prayers and support. We continually pray and seek God’s will and His plan for Tryston’s Hope. Our prayer is that He will continue to place people in our path that need Him and need to hear Tryston’s story and the Gospel.

We love our Tryston so much and we miss him dearly, but we know God loved him more and sent Jesus from Heaven to earth so that those that believe will go from earth to Heaven. We know our Tryston is with our Savior, and it truly gives us great peace and comfort.

Thank you all so much and God bless.