It Was a Chance for Me, as a Military Wife, to Support Other Military Wives

Facebook may be the “old” social media, but Facebook groups still have an impact.

Shawn learned about One by One when someone in one of her Facebook groups posted that OBO was seeking military wives to mentor other military moms. She says this opportunity spoke to her in several ways. “My husband separated from active duty more than 20 years ago after we were at our seventh duty station. Over those years, I was active in our spouses’ groups, lived on and off base, and had twins during one of his deployments. We have had many family members serve in almost every military branch. Also, our youngest daughter became a teen mom and wife, so we were newly experienced in how recommendations for pregnancy and caring for a baby have changed since I had my children. I prayed about it and truly felt God was leading me to provide support to a mom who maybe didn’t have a parent or adult figure who could give her the emotional support needed or who might not understand the challenges of being a military spouse – the constant worry for your spouse’s safety, the secrecy to protect your service member when outside the US, government shutdowns stopping payroll, having all aspects being under the service member vs. you as an individual, etc.”

So Shawn, who lives in Mississippi, signed up for mentor training. She says OBO has been there both before and after training to answer questions, provide guidance with perspective, and to pray. Training also helped prepare her for good and bad situations she might encounter as a mentor, how to cope with frustrations, and how to celebrate joyous moments. “As mentors, we are vulnerable because we want to help those in need. We want to share our experiences, and we empathize with our mentees’ situations. We also want to share our testimonies, how God has been with us all along our journeys, even when we strayed, and how Jesus is eagerly waiting for moms to call Him into their lives.”

Shawn is mentoring a mom in Texas. She says as a military spouse it’s hard to meet in-person with mentees, so she’s thankful OBO’s virtual program allows mentors to serve moms who also have similar limitations. She also feels that the virtual program eases the anxiety some young moms may feel about meeting in-person. She loves that the virtual program allows for more impromptu, frequent contacts. “With my mom, my favorite FaceTimes included her child. I got to see how much both had developed over the previous month, how mom interacted with the baby, and to share in mom’s excitement as she showed off her redesigned nursery.”

Shawns shares her favorite Bible verse was in OBO’s Mentor Guide – in the sixth month visit lesson plan. “Our Lord, You keep Your word and do everything You say.” Shawn says this verse has two meanings for her: “First, God is always consistent, dependable, and does not falter. No matter the situation, how ‘bad’ you are or how distant you are from Him, His word is still the same. Second, as a parent, this is how you need to be for your child. Strive to be a parent who is choosy with the words you say because every word has meaning to a new human being who does not understand hidden meanings, sarcasm, angry words, etc. Give yourself and your child grace (not excuses) as you figure out how to follow God’s example. This is probably the hardest job as a parent, requiring the most prayer for discernment and guidance during the course of a day.”

One by One's virtual mentoring program serves pregnant and new moms anywhere in the US. Moms can apply for a mentor here. Christian women interested in becoming a mentor - either in-person or virtually can apply here.