Bigger Than Any Mountain

By Darla Butterfield August 6th, 2025

The First Storm

One year ago this month, my life was shaken. The phone call came on our anniversary. My husband was suddenly unemployed from the job he’d held for five years that was influential in leading us to Oregon. My heart sank as we tried to celebrate our marriage at dinner that evening, while reeling from the shock of what this would mean for our family. While we’d walked through unemployment before, this felt riskier. We had four kids at home, and I had been a stay-at-home for years. As we sat together that evening, praying over our future, God reminded me that this wasn’t a surprise to Him. He was the same God the day before when my husband had a job. His character hadn’t changed. It was time to trust in the One who we knew was holding us while we faced this uncertainty.

Within three months of his layoff, Josh started a new job that met our needs financially and that he quickly realized he loved! We were so excited for this blessing and provision…but it wouldn’t last. Two and a half months later, there was a 30% budget cut that hit the company and as the newest hired, Josh was the first to be let go. We were starting all over again…returning to the rollercoaster of emotions through applications, interviews, waiting, and wondering. That same weekend, our dog of eighteen years died. It felt like one blow after another with no end date in sight. In those darkest days, there was still a whisper in my spirit as the Lord reminded me…I see your tears. I’m still here, with you, holding you in the unknown.

Interviews came and went. Josh was informed that he was overqualified, or the company chose to not hire anyone due to economic uncertainties. Days turned into weeks and weeks became months. We began to question how we would survive financially much longer. How long, Lord? What was God doing? Did He still remember us?

God’s Healing Touch

In the midst of the questions, God met us. We were asked to host a table at our church’s Alpha Holy Spirit Conference. During the prayer time, one of the ladies sitting by Josh said she felt led that we needed to pray for him. In addition to the unemployment he was experiencing, he also had a health condition known as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. It would affect his energy, often requiring him to use a power wheelchair or mobility aids to conserve energy. There were a myriad of other symptoms that he dealt with on a day-to-day basis. As those at our table gathered around Josh, another woman said she sensed the Holy Spirit prompting her to pray for healing over something related to his head. She began to pray specifically for healing from brain fog, not knowing that that was a significant symptom Josh dealt with. As we prayed, God did a miracle; from that day forward Josh has been healed from brain fog! Not only that, but his other symptoms have also continued to improve, and he no longer needs those mobility aids. This healing can only be explained by the work of our God! His faithfulness in healing gave us hope during Josh’s continued unemployment. We waited and prayed for the right door to open.

A job interview came that looked perfect for Josh. This had to be the job we’d been waiting for. I prayed fervently for God to open this door, that it would meet our needs, and be the answer to our prayers…but our hopes were dashed when the news came that Josh was overqualified. We were devastated. This made no sense! Yet in my spirit, I knew God still had a plan even if I didn’t understand.

A New Direction

Following that disappointment, Josh further sought the Lord’s direction. He began to realize God may be leading him down a different road than he had imagined…one that involved ministry and not climbing the corporate ladder of success. We prayed together, sought counsel from others in ministry, and asked the Lord to lead us to the next step.

Five months following his second layoff, that next step came in a job offer at a non-profit ministry based in Salem. We were amazed at this opportunity and how it combined Josh’s skill set in his previous jobs with his heart for ministry and what he knew God was calling him to. It was an exciting moment of answered prayers and provision for Josh and our family, yet we also knew this was a huge step of faith. Josh’s income would be far less at a non-profit and this would mean that God would have to meet the needs of our family in another way, likely through my employment. I saw God’s fingerprints all over this job for Josh. The weekend of his last layoff, our beloved dog died. This time, God provided our family with a new puppy, Gracie, that we welcomed into our home the weekend before Josh started his new job.

Stepping out in Faith

As I prayed about how God would meet our needs, I knew I had a choice to make. I could scale back what I was doing for Arise Women’s Ministry and go back to teaching in the classroom, where I have a degree and credential to teach high school math. That would be the logical solution to the problem…but I knew in my spirit that was not what God was asking me to do. He was asking me to step out in faith, continue the work that He’d called me to do with Arise, and trust Him to provide…and that would mean pursuing fundraising for the ministry which is completely outside of my comfort zone.

As I contemplated that task ahead, I felt like Moses questioning God at the burning bush. I know nothing about fundraising. The concept of asking for money felt terrifying. How, Lord? This looks like a mountain that’s too big for me to face.

In that moment of fear, God met me. He reminded me of His track record of faithfulness and how He brought us through two seasons of unemployment and that my husband was a walking miracle of God’s healing power. God whispered to my heart a phrase He spoke to me when my husband was first diagnosed with his health condition… I’m bigger than any mountain you may face.

As I began to prepare for fundraising, a pastor in Malawi, Africa contacted Arise about the women in his church there. He was interested in translating my Joseph: God’s Faithfulness in the Waiting Bible study into Chichewa, their local language, to be used in the ministry of the women there. God was using Arise to have a global impact in ways that I never imagined! This further confirmed what He was calling me to do. Would I trust Him to be faithful to provide?

In my moments of weakness and questions, the Holy Spirit brings to my mind the Truth of His Word. When Moses questioned how God could possibly provide enough meat for the Israelites in the wilderness, “The Lord answered Moses, “Is the Lord’s arm too short? Now you will see whether or not what I say will come true for you.” (Numbers 11:23)

The God who healed my husband's brain fog, who provided jobs in His perfect timing, and who is taking Arise global…He's the same God asking us to trust Him now. And I've learned that His track record speaks for itself.

Join us in the Journey

To answer the call God has placed on my life, I’m stepping out in faith into ministry. I’m trusting that He is bigger than the mountain of fundraising that I’m facing. Our goal is to raise $25,000, knowing that the Lord’s resources far exceed what I can imagine.

If God is stirring your heart to be part of this journey with us, we'd be honored to have you join us in trusting that His arms are never too short to provide. Together, let's watch Him move mountains, one faithful step at a time!

If you would like to partner with Arise Women’s Ministry and God’s kingdom work in the hearts of His daughters, we are looking for those that will give monthly to support the ongoing work of the ministry. One-time gifts will also help us reach our goal. With just 30 donors, giving a range of different amounts, this is an example of how we can raise $25,000:

If He’s whispering to your heart to give, you can do so through our website: https://www.arisewomensministry.org/giving or by mailing a check to:

Arise Women’s Ministry

830 N 7th St.

Aumsville OR 97325

Jesus can do anything! He’s the one writing our story in a way that will bring Him glory! A year from now, I believe I'll look back on this moment not as the time I took a scary leap, but as the beginning of discovering just how faithful our God truly is. We can't wait to see what He does next.

If you’d like to learn more of the impact that Arise Women’s Ministry has had over the last five years and the scope of our ministry, you can view it here: Arise Women’s Ministry’s Expanding Impact Brochure