Did you know that nearly one thousand Minnesotans under the age of 24 die every year? Smile Again Grief Ministries exists to support families going through this tragic reality.

This year has been a whirlwind for our family. We got a puppy in January, found out we were expecting our 7th child in February, and I resigned from my longterm pastorate in March. Jill and I had been sensing God stirring in us for over a year, and after much prayer, counsel, and anxiety, I submitted my letter of resignation to my Elder board not knowing what we were going to do next. I was very nervous. We love our church and community and didn’t really want to move. God was asking us to trust Him, but I’m not great at trusting. We took the leap of faith. Twenty-four hours later we saw the posting for the director’s position at Smile Again Grief Ministries.

One of the reasons I’m not always good at trusting is because we lost our 3rd daughter seven years ago. Maria was almost four years old when she caught a common virus and spiked a fever in 2016. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary for three days. Her fever broke. She seemed to be recovering, but as I was laying her in bed Friday evening, she gasped and her heart suddenly stopped. CPR and paramedics were unable to revive her. She died suddenly and completely unexpectedly. To make matters more complicated, Jill was nearly nine months pregnant with our fifth daughter. The following week we had to postpone Maria’s funeral because Jill went into labor. We welcomed baby Lucy into the world, and buried Maria three days later.

So, seven years later, we found ourselves resigning from our beloved church, not knowing what was next, and at the same time, thirty minutes down the road, Smile Again was searching for new directors! God is faithful. We started in July and had a busy summer hosting and ministering to grieving families, and in September our 7th child, Josiah, was born. We’re excited and trusting what God has planned for us and for Smile Again’s future.

We are reaching out because it is the annual Celebration of Life campaign for Smile Again. We are so grateful for all of you who have blessed grieving families through SAM. This year’s goal is $60,000.00. The GREAT news is that once again we have donors who have committed to match your donation, dollar for dollar up to $25,000! For every dollar you give, they will match it with one of their own up to $25,000. The Celebration of Life campaign runs from today through Dec. 31.

Did you know that your giving allows families to stay at Whitetail Lodge for just $50 a night? That’s for the entire family. We can’t offer this low price without the faithful support of donors. Please consider giving to our campaign this year and please pray for us as we hope to expand the reach of this vital ministry. Please share our campaign with others and on social media. You can give directly at the SAM mailing address or on SAM’s website. Thank you for your support and generosity!

Celebration of Life Matching Grants

Dennis and Barb Gregory

$10,000

Marilyn and Junior Eibensteiner

$10,000

Susan I. Schulzetenberg CPA, LLC

$5,000

2023 Celebration of Life

Fall Workday 2023