Redemption Takes Flight
An unexpected answered prayer on an airplane led Ashley and her family to find a church home at Woodmen.
Ashley Harlow was preparing to fly to San Diego, but her heart felt like it was crashing. She had just received word that the church she and her family called home was closing. Broken by news of failures within church leadership, feelings of betrayal and hopelessness washed over Ashley.
She made it to the airport in desperate need of encouragement but didn’t know where to turn. It was hard to look to other Christians for support when these were the people who let her down. As she boarded her flight, she shot up a simple prayer of desperation. Heavy-hearted and emotionally exhausted, she prayed that she would sit next to someone kind.
Ashley knew God answered her prayer when she saw a girl in front of her on the plane reading the Bible. She knew enough of God’s faithfulness to realize this wasn’t a coincidence, so it wasn’t hard to work up the courage to speak to the girl. Ashley briefly explained her situation and asked the girl, named Raegan, to pray for her to be encouraged. Raegan readily prayed for Ashley’s spirit to be lifted.
Just before Ashley left the plane, Raegan handed her a piece of paper — a handwritten letter of encouragement, gently reminding Ashley to focus on the hopeful truths of God’s character rather than the shortcomings of Christians. The letter was filled with scripture.
“It was a big encouragement to me,” Ashley admitted. “I still have it and I remember reading it for days after Reagan gave it to me.”
Raegan also mentioned Woodmen to Ashley, because she’d grown up attending with her family. Ashley was grateful for the recommendation but didn’t think much of it because she lived in the south side of Colorado Springs — far from the Woodmen location she’d heard about.
Over the next six months, Ashley and her husband, John, tried unsuccessfully to find a new church. These visits often included their four kiddos, all below the age of seven, kicking and screaming on the way into unfamiliar environments.
The Harlows’ search for a faith community seemed stalled until one Saturday night, Ashley recalled Raegan’s kindness on the plane. She looked up Woodmen on her map app. To her surprise, there was a campus near their house!
The next morning, the whole family piled in the car to attend Woodmen Southwest. They received a warm welcome and the kids were happy to go to Sunday school. Kevin Feldotto, the campus pastor, greeted Ashley and John as they walked in.
When Kevin asked, “how did you hear about Woodmen?” Ashley’s response was quick and unexpected: She began to cry. She tearfully related the story of meeting Raegan on the plane and was surprised to learn that Kevin knew Raegan. Raegan was good friends with Kevin’s daughter.
“It felt like home,” Ashley recalls. She and her family knew right away that Woodmen was where God wanted them. Today, Woodmen has become a significant part of the Harlows’ community. In addition to growing their faith through participating in a Community Group, Ashley and John are investing in the lives of the next generation. Ashley serves in Woodmen Kids and John serves with students.
Ashley and Reagan are both in awe of how God worked through their unexpected mid-flight meeting. Raegan reflects, “It's a testament to who Jesus is. He can take a situation that’s broken and restore it into something beautiful. That’s just a perfect example of the gospel.”
Return to Stories