Photo by Byron Johnson on Unsplash

“I lift up my eyes to the hills. Where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.” Psalm 121 is a familiar passage, but sitting here in the shadow of the Blue Ridge Mountains, the words take on a new weight. The mountains around Ridgecrest stand tall and immovable, their ridges rise high against the morning sky. They remind us of permanence, of God’s strength, of the place where we turn when life is uncertain and the way ahead is steep. This morning’s plenary echoed that psalm. One after another, testimonies rose like voices from the valleys, telling stories of hardship and calling, of loss and joy, and of waiting for help that came from the Lord.

The Very Rev. Norman and Beth Beale began by sharing about their years of ministry in Nepal, where they served as pastors to cross-cultural workers through Anglican Frontier Missions. Their work was often marked by long journeys, sometimes tens of miles on foot, to reach villages that had never heard the name of Christ. Norman reminded us of Paul’s words in Romans, “I make it a point to not preach where Christ’s name has been proclaimed, lest I build on someone else’s foundation.” For them, this was not theory but a lived commitment. They chose to go where no one else had gone, and to remain there, even when the work was slow and difficult.

They also carried with them the compassion of Christ, of which the scriptures said, “When he [Christ] saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, for they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd…Pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest field.” (Matthew 9:36-27) For the Beales, prayer was not optional but essential. They prayed over the villages, over the people they came to love, and over the doors that seemed closed. Slowly, answers came. People responded to the Gospel, hearts softened, and miracles of healing testified that God was already at work. Their story was one of faithfulness, of looking to the hills in difficult seasons and trusting that the help they needed would come from the Lord.

Following their testimony, we heard from Wade and Chelsea Weeldreyer. Their story began in Israel, where Wade was teaching theology and Chelsea was serving in cross-cultural ministry. Together they discerned a call to Rwanda, where they served for three years as missionaries through the Society of Anglican Missionaries and Senders (SAMS). For decades, SAMS has been sending and supporting missionaries in the Anglican tradition, equipping them to live alongside communities around the world and to proclaim the hope of Christ.

In Rwanda, Wade and Chelsea learned what it meant to encounter joy in both expected and unexpected places. They witnessed the resilience of the Rwandan church, the depth of faith in communities marked by suffering, and the joy of Christ shining through it all. Now serving in Ambridge, PA as Co-Directors of Missionary Care and Mission Engagement for SAMS, they continue to walk alongside missionaries with the same hope that sustained them overseas. Their testimony reminded us that the nations are not only far away but also right in front of us. Hope is not confined to one geography. It springs up wherever the Gospel is lived and shared.

The plenary concluded with the moving testimony of the Rt. Rev. Jeremiah Maet Paul, Bishop of Gambella, Ethiopia. He told us of his mother, who died when he was only twelve years old. Her last words to him were a commissioning: “Take care of your family, and remember you will see me again in heaven. I am going to my Father.” Those words became an anchor in his life. As an orphan, he came to see God not as an abstract idea but as a Father who protects and provides. That vision shaped his faith and eventually his call to the priesthood in 2003.

Since then, Bishop Jeremiah has preached the Gospel in villages across Ethiopia, planted churches, and led a growing movement of Anglican believers in the Horn of Africa. His ministry has not been without trials, yet his testimony is filled with gratitude. He spoke of challenges faced, but also of the blessings that come when God calls and equips. Through his story, we glimpsed the reality of the psalm once more: God truly is the keeper of his people, the one who neither slumbers nor sleeps, the one who preserves our going out and our coming in.

Listening to these voices together, it is hard not to think again of the mountains that surround us here at Ridgecrest. They stand as silent witnesses to the faith of God’s people. The Beales’ long treks across Asia, the Weeldreyers’ years in Rwanda, and Bishop Jeremiah’s childhood loss and courageous call each testify that help does not come from human strength alone. It comes from the Lord, who watches over his people.

The theme of this year’s gathering is “Hope for the Nations,” and this morning that hope felt tangible. Not a vague optimism, but a steady assurance rooted in the God who has always been faithful. These testimonies reminded us that when we lift our eyes to the hills, we are not only seeing the grandeur of creation. We are being invited to lift our eyes to the Creator, the source of help for weary pilgrims and for nations longing for redemption.