My quarantine story starts in March 2021, when I began leading Agape Moms Tehaleh after our wonderful and lovely Laura left to start her adventure in Tennessee. When I took over for Laura, I was so relieved that our Tiny Tribes were flourishing and had become such vibrant communities of women. Mamas were joining Tiny Tribes in droves, and there were such great, close connections being made to the glory of God. Agape Moms Tehaleh was in a very healthy place, which was such a blessing for me as I learned (and am learning) through trial and error how to lead and care for the ministry that Laura started.

Our Tiny Tribe out enjoying a spring market!

My heart and love for Agape Moms has been there right from the start. When I first heard Laura cast the vision of what Agape Moms was, I knew that I wanted to be part of it. And in this community, I have found women earnestly seeking Christ, and wanting to live in a way that is pleasing to the Lord amidst the messiness of motherhood. This is a community that is authentic, not in a buzz word way, but in a pure way. Women share the joys and trials of their lives, the sin struggles they face, and the way that God is working through all of the messiness to bring us closer to Himself. It’s been a community where women hear the gospel – the actual GOSPEL! – not watered down feel-good platitudes. We don’t shy away from hard topics, and women feel like they can ask questions to better understand God’s heart behind His words. We welcome new mamas and any who are new to Jesus with open arms. It’s been a life-giving community that I have been extremely grateful for.

“Favorite Things” Moms Night Out. So many new faces, and women so eager to gather again!

At the end of April, I hosted an Agape Moms: Connect night. The purpose of the evening was to gather as one tribe (since we had all been apart for so long), and to open up opportunities for women to join teams so we could start having events and activity again as a body. I had seen that while our Tiny Tribes were so connected, the rest of our group had been very disconnected by the necessary pause of all of our other events. Due to Covid-19 and quarantine logistics, we had become very healthy but isolated groups within Agape Moms – and myself & the other discussion leaders (Sarah & Annie) wanted to see how we could connect women with the larger Agape Moms tribe again. It finally felt like the right time, with restrictions lifting in our state and women feeling more comfortable gathering. It was such an incredible night! Women were excited again about the vision of Agape Moms, and they signed up for the teams that night! I was so encouraged by the response and knew that God was calling us to gather together in bigger groups while keeping the Tiny Tribes that everyone loved.

Soon we had Moms Night Outs (MNOs), Brunch + Plays, and Prayer Nights on the calendar. We decided to increase the MNOs to twice monthly during the summer to increase the opportunities to invite new mamas to something that felt casual and noncommittal. The new moms came in droves! It’s been so wonderful to see new faces at nearly every event, knowing the Lord is working in our community to bring women into our tribe. The excitement of being together and the eagerness to join us has been so incredible to witness. God is the one at work, and He is using Agape Moms Tehaleh for His kingdom.

“Speed Friending” Moms Night Out. It was such a fun theme and a great way to reconnect after so much time apart!

The highlight of the summer was once again our retreat. The theme this year was “Joy in Christ” and it felt perfect for the weariness and anxiety the unknowns of covid-19 have laid on our hearts. We stayed in a gorgeous cabin in the woods and spent a lot of time eating, relaxing, and enjoying nature. We had some beautiful group sessions centered on joy in easy times, joy in suffering, and joy in motherhood. We bared our hearts, laughed heartily, and thoroughly enjoyed the time together. I’m so glad that Laura had the suggestion last year to start an annual retreat! It’s been such a joy to have this time together.

Agape Mamas at our 2021 Joy in Christ Retreat

When I reflect on the past 6 months, I feel so encouraged to see how God has worked to use this ministry to be a light in our community. I’ve been told (and feel) that we truly have something unique many women have never experienced, inside or outside the church. There is a genuine love for others that permeates our group, and although we are not perfect and still sin against each other, you can feel the grace that only comes from God surround our community of women. There was a moment at the retreat when I watched the women there selflessly serve each other in all their different roles, and I thought about how this is a reflection of what Christ called the church to do – to serve using all of our unique giftings to the glory of God. It brought tears to my eyes as I witnessed what the Lord has done through us!

Enjoying our annual Agape Family barbeque!

To end, I want to speak to the woman who might be reading this, feeling the call from the Lord to start an Agape Moms group but also feeling a lot of fear, insecurity, and doubt. I want to tell you that when I was considering taking over for Laura, I felt ill-equipped to lead this ministry. Laura is a phenomenal leader, and a lot of self-doubt and insecurity crept in as I contemplated stepping up into this role. I kept remembering though that it’s not about ME, it’s about God working through me. His strength is made perfect in my weakness. I prayerfully considered it and worked to trust Him more and more that if He was calling me to lead, he would equip me to do so. I can tell you that it’s by far been such a blessing to serve these women and to lead this ministry in my neighborhood. Watching God work through you to connect, encourage, and equip women is such an unspeakable joy. Following His will for your life is always worth the cost.

Saxon Condon

*Leader of Agape Moms Tehaleh.*
Saxon grew up in the Northwest, and has lived in Tehaleh for since 2016. She’s loved watching the neighborhood expand, and loves being a part of bringing salt and light to her community. She has been married to her husband Ian since 2015, and they have two precious girls that bring daily joy to their lives. Saxon loves hosting gatherings, homeschooling, playing board games, exploring the outdoors, baking, reading, and heartfelt conversations.
Saxon was raised Catholic, but didn’t understand the gospel message until the Lord radically intercepted her life when she was in her mid-20s. She’s seen His amazing mercy, love and grace so beautifully rescue her from the destruction of the life she was living, and is in daily awe of how loved she is despite how sinful she still is (!) She knows the transformative power of the gospel, and has a heart to want to lead women to their Savior, and help them internalize truth in a world that is constantly telling them lies. She loves to live out the mission of Agape Moms by inviting moms to join her in sharing the good news we have in Christ in the ordinary moments of daily life.

Saxon's Story: God's Faithfulness in Quarantine