Outpost Stories
Kathy Teten: Choosing Faith Over Fear
Kathy Teten’s faith story began on the Nebraskan ranch where she spent her childhood. She often found her father studying Scripture as he sought to bring up his children in the ways of the Lord. Sunday School attendance, traditional hymns, and church camps were all threaded into the patchwork of her midwestern upbringing. When she gave her life to the Lord as an eighth-grader, Kathy didn’t know how soon or how often her faith would be shaken by heart-wrenching loss. Read her story to see how the Lord held Kathy fast during times of deep trial, teaching her to hold onto faith and joy rather than to dwell in fear.
Read the full story
Though Kathy’s growing-up years were grounded in church and in Christian teaching in the home, it wasn’t until she was at a junior high church camp that she truly surrendered her life to Christ. During an altar call, Kathy moved forward to proclaim her belief in Jesus.
Kathy: That commitment made me view my life with a sense of safety. I was still stubborn and fought sometimes to have things my own way. But I stayed committed to my faith in Christ.
While Kathy was a sophomore at Chadron State College, her high school sweetheart was killed in a car accident. The sudden loss devastated Kathy.
Kathy: The overwhelming hurt and pain that engulfed me for the next several months is hard to describe. My father was so kind and understanding as I walked through that grief. He helped me to see how my faith could sustain me. My best friend also stood by me. She literally walked hundreds of miles with me, talking with me, helping me work through all the things I was feeling.
A few short years later, Kathy graduated mid-year with a teaching degree. Deciding to wait until the fall to pursue a teaching position, she headed home to work on the family ranch with her dad. Within a month, her father died of a heart attack. Grappling with another unexpected and devastating loss, Kathy dug deep into her reservoir of internal strength and learned to manage the ranch on her own.
Kathy: It was a hard, cold winter with blizzard after blizzard. I had help – a neighbor who showed me kindness, an aunt and uncle who frequently checked on me. My mom and younger brother were living in town. The roads between the ranch and town were closed often due to the blizzard conditions. It was a hard season, and yet I never felt abandoned by the Lord. I knew He was with me, getting me through it.
After surviving a long winter on the ranch, Kathy took her first teaching job. Over the next seven years, she taught in three different schools, interspersed with seasons of helping back at the ranch. Along the way, she met her husband, Tony, and they were married in 1979.
Kathy: I never lost my faith, or walked away from it. There were times when I didn’t walk as closely with the Lord. I was independent, and rebellious in my own way. I loved to argue and push back. Those years after college were probably the years when I moved the farthest away from God. But the Lord kept calling me back. Even when my mind and heart weren’t close to God, I kept attending church, kept singing in the choir. He just wouldn’t let me stray too far. There were always people who nudged me closer.
Grappling with another unexpected and devastating loss, Kathy dug deep into her reservoir of internal strength and learned to manage the ranch on her own. "It was a hard season, and yet I never felt abandoned by the Lord. I knew He was with me, getting me through it."
-Kathy Teten
Tony and Kathy moved to Cody in 1988, following a bitter job loss. With two young kiddos in tow, they were eager for a fresh start in a new place, but the new beginning was more difficult than anticipated when Tony’s promised job didn’t materialize. God took care of the Tetens, providing jobs, housing, and community for the young family, even though those provisions came in unexpected ways.
Kathy: In Cody, I got involved in Bible Study Fellowship, a deep Bible study that really got my faith back on track. I didn’t always feel worthy of God’s grace. I had a hard time fully accepting that His love and forgiveness are compete and unchangeable. But I grew in my faith, and I tried to raise Adam and Jolene, our two kids, to also know and love God.
On a Sunday morning in February 1995, Tony and two friends went boating on Buffalo Bill Reservoir. The boat swamped, and all three men were killed. Adam and Jolene were 12 and 10, and Kathy clung to her faith in God.
Kathy: I knew I had to show my kids that I trusted God to take care of us. I wanted them to see that God was with us, that we needed faith to get through this. We had to lean on God to figure out how to move forward. Our housing was attached to Tony’s job with the Cody Canal, and we had to find a new place to live right away. The Lord provided a timely rental where I ended up staying until after my children were grown.
Through that unspeakably hard loss, Kathy chose to walk by faith and not to crumble in fear. She let the joy of the Lord sustain her and give her the strength she needed to raise her children as a single mom. Friends in the community supported Kathy and the kids, loved them well, and walked with them through grief.
Kathy: By God’s grace, I have two wonderful adult children and their spouses. I also have five grandchildren, three in Powell and two in Omaha, Nebraska. There have been ups and downs, and difficult trials. But I am grateful for getting to watch my children grow to become really wonderful adults. I have learned to hold onto hope, and not onto fear. In all the things we have gone through, I have learned that, because of God’s love, it will be okay.
Kathy’s character and strength have been shaped through aching losses, and she eagerly anticipates a forever home where pain and suffering have no place. Yet, in the here and now, she is choosing to live her life with zeal, courage, and unwavering faith. She chooses to serve, to love, and to be a conduit of God’s grace to others. For years, Kathy led youth ministry here in Cody. When COVID policies shut the ministry down, Kathy chose to shift churches to Outpost, where she has found a new and refreshing sense of community. While Kathy doesn’t know what will happen next in her life, she knows the One who does, and is following Him.
“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of ethings not seen.” Hebrews 11:1
Outpost Stories
Kathy Teten: Choosing Faith Over Fear
Kathy Teten’s faith story began on the Nebraskan ranch where she spent her childhood. She often found her father studying Scripture as he sought to bring up his children in the ways of the Lord. Sunday School attendance, traditional hymns, and church camps were all threaded into the patchwork of her midwestern upbringing. When she gave her life to the Lord as an eighth-grader, Kathy didn’t know how soon or how often her faith would be shaken by heart-wrenching loss. Read her story to see how the Lord held Kathy fast during times of deep trial, teaching her to hold onto faith and joy rather than to dwell in fear.
Read the full story
Though Kathy’s growing-up years were grounded in church and in Christian teaching in the home, it wasn’t until she was at a junior high church camp that she truly surrendered her life to Christ. During an altar call, Kathy moved forward to proclaim her belief in Jesus.
Kathy: That commitment made me view my life with a sense of safety. I was still stubborn and fought sometimes to have things my own way. But I stayed committed to my faith in Christ.
While Kathy was a sophomore at Chadron State College, her high school sweetheart was killed in a car accident. The sudden loss devastated Kathy.
Kathy: The overwhelming hurt and pain that engulfed me for the next several months is hard to describe. My father was so kind and understanding as I walked through that grief. He helped me to see how my faith could sustain me. My best friend also stood by me. She literally walked hundreds of miles with me, talking with me, helping me work through all the things I was feeling.
A few short years later, Kathy graduated mid-year with a teaching degree. Deciding to wait until the fall to pursue a teaching position, she headed home to work on the family ranch with her dad. Within a month, her father died of a heart attack. Grappling with another unexpected and devastating loss, Kathy dug deep into her reservoir of internal strength and learned to manage the ranch on her own.
Kathy: It was a hard, cold winter with blizzard after blizzard. I had help – a neighbor who showed me kindness, an aunt and uncle who frequently checked on me. My mom and younger brother were living in town. The roads between the ranch and town were closed often due to the blizzard conditions. It was a hard season, and yet I never felt abandoned by the Lord. I knew He was with me, getting me through it.
After surviving a long winter on the ranch, Kathy took her first teaching job. Over the next seven years, she taught in three different schools, interspersed with seasons of helping back at the ranch. Along the way, she met her husband, Tony, and they were married in 1979.
Kathy: I never lost my faith, or walked away from it. There were times when I didn’t walk as closely with the Lord. I was independent, and rebellious in my own way. I loved to argue and push back. Those years after college were probably the years when I moved the farthest away from God. But the Lord kept calling me back. Even when my mind and heart weren’t close to God, I kept attending church, kept singing in the choir. He just wouldn’t let me stray too far. There were always people who nudged me closer.
Grappling with another unexpected and devastating loss, Kathy dug deep into her reservoir of internal strength and learned to manage the ranch on her own. "It was a hard season, and yet I never felt abandoned by the Lord. I knew He was with me, getting me through it."
-Kathy Teten
Grappling with another unexpected and devastating loss, Kathy dug deep into her reservoir of internal strength and learned to manage the ranch on her own. "It was a hard season, and yet I never felt abandoned by the Lord. I knew He was with me, getting me through it."
-Kathy Teten
Tony and Kathy moved to Cody in 1988, following a bitter job loss. With two young kiddos in tow, they were eager for a fresh start in a new place, but the new beginning was more difficult than anticipated when Tony’s promised job didn’t materialize. God took care of the Tetens, providing jobs, housing, and community for the young family, even though those provisions came in unexpected ways.
Kathy: In Cody, I got involved in Bible Study Fellowship, a deep Bible study that really got my faith back on track. I didn’t always feel worthy of God’s grace. I had a hard time fully accepting that His love and forgiveness are compete and unchangeable. But I grew in my faith, and I tried to raise Adam and Jolene, our two kids, to also know and love God.
On a Sunday morning in February 1995, Tony and two friends went boating on Buffalo Bill Reservoir. The boat swamped, and all three men were killed. Adam and Jolene were 12 and 10, and Kathy clung to her faith in God.
Kathy: I knew I had to show my kids that I trusted God to take care of us. I wanted them to see that God was with us, that we needed faith to get through this. We had to lean on God to figure out how to move forward. Our housing was attached to Tony’s job with the Cody Canal, and we had to find a new place to live right away. The Lord provided a timely rental where I ended up staying until after my children were grown.
Through that unspeakably hard loss, Kathy chose to walk by faith and not to crumble in fear. She let the joy of the Lord sustain her and give her the strength she needed to raise her children as a single mom. Friends in the community supported Kathy and the kids, loved them well, and walked with them through grief.
Kathy: By God’s grace, I have two wonderful adult children and their spouses. I also have five grandchildren, three in Powell and two in Omaha, Nebraska. There have been ups and downs, and difficult trials. But I am grateful for getting to watch my children grow to become really wonderful adults. I have learned to hold onto hope, and not onto fear. In all the things we have gone through, I have learned that, because of God’s love, it will be okay.
Kathy’s character and strength have been shaped through aching losses, and she eagerly anticipates a forever home where pain and suffering have no place. Yet, in the here and now, she is choosing to live her life with zeal, courage, and unwavering faith. She chooses to serve, to love, and to be a conduit of God’s grace to others. For years, Kathy led youth ministry here in Cody. When COVID policies shut the ministry down, Kathy chose to shift churches to Outpost, where she has found a new and refreshing sense of community. While Kathy doesn’t know what will happen next in her life, she knows the One who does, and is following Him.
Grappling with another unexpected and devastating loss, Kathy dug deep into her reservoir of internal strength and learned to manage the ranch on her own. "It was a hard season, and yet I never felt abandoned by the Lord. I knew He was with me, getting me through it."
-Kathy Teten
Grappling with another unexpected and devastating loss, Kathy dug deep into her reservoir of internal strength and learned to manage the ranch on her own. "It was a hard season, and yet I never felt abandoned by the Lord. I knew He was with me, getting me through it."
-Kathy Teten
Outpost Stories
Kathy Teten: Choosing Faith Over Fear
Kathy Teten’s faith story began on the Nebraskan ranch where she spent her childhood. She often found her father studying Scripture as he sought to bring up his children in the ways of the Lord. Sunday School attendance, traditional hymns, and church camps were all threaded into the patchwork of her midwestern upbringing. When she gave her life to the Lord as an eighth-grader, Kathy didn’t know how soon or how often her faith would be shaken by heart-wrenching loss. Read her story to see how the Lord held Kathy fast during times of deep trial, teaching her to hold onto faith and joy rather than to dwell in fear.
Read the full story
Though Kathy’s growing-up years were grounded in church and in Christian teaching in the home, it wasn’t until she was at a junior high church camp that she truly surrendered her life to Christ. During an altar call, Kathy moved forward to proclaim her belief in Jesus.
Kathy: That commitment made me view my life with a sense of safety. I was still stubborn and fought sometimes to have things my own way. But I stayed committed to my faith in Christ.
While Kathy was a sophomore at Chadron State College, her high school sweetheart was killed in a car accident. The sudden loss devastated Kathy.
Kathy: The overwhelming hurt and pain that engulfed me for the next several months is hard to describe. My father was so kind and understanding as I walked through that grief. He helped me to see how my faith could sustain me. My best friend also stood by me. She literally walked hundreds of miles with me, talking with me, helping me work through all the things I was feeling.
A few short years later, Kathy graduated mid-year with a teaching degree. Deciding to wait until the fall to pursue a teaching position, she headed home to work on the family ranch with her dad. Within a month, her father died of a heart attack. Grappling with another unexpected and devastating loss, Kathy dug deep into her reservoir of internal strength and learned to manage the ranch on her own.
Kathy: It was a hard, cold winter with blizzard after blizzard. I had help – a neighbor who showed me kindness, an aunt and uncle who frequently checked on me. My mom and younger brother were living in town. The roads between the ranch and town were closed often due to the blizzard conditions. It was a hard season, and yet I never felt abandoned by the Lord. I knew He was with me, getting me through it.
After surviving a long winter on the ranch, Kathy took her first teaching job. Over the next seven years, she taught in three different schools, interspersed with seasons of helping back at the ranch. Along the way, she met her husband, Tony, and they were married in 1979.
Kathy: I never lost my faith, or walked away from it. There were times when I didn’t walk as closely with the Lord. I was independent, and rebellious in my own way. I loved to argue and push back. Those years after college were probably the years when I moved the farthest away from God. But the Lord kept calling me back. Even when my mind and heart weren’t close to God, I kept attending church, kept singing in the choir. He just wouldn’t let me stray too far. There were always people who nudged me closer.
Tony and Kathy moved to Cody in 1988, following a bitter job loss. With two young kiddos in tow, they were eager for a fresh start in a new place, but the new beginning was more difficult than anticipated when Tony’s promised job didn’t materialize. God took care of the Tetens, providing jobs, housing, and community for the young family, even though those provisions came in unexpected ways.
Kathy: In Cody, I got involved in Bible Study Fellowship, a deep Bible study that really got my faith back on track. I didn’t always feel worthy of God’s grace. I had a hard time fully accepting that His love and forgiveness are compete and unchangeable. But I grew in my faith, and I tried to raise Adam and Jolene, our two kids, to also know and love God.
On a Sunday morning in February 1995, Tony and two friends went boating on Buffalo Bill Reservoir. The boat swamped, and all three men were killed. Adam and Jolene were 12 and 10, and Kathy clung to her faith in God.
Kathy: I knew I had to show my kids that I trusted God to take care of us. I wanted them to see that God was with us, that we needed faith to get through this. We had to lean on God to figure out how to move forward. Our housing was attached to Tony’s job with the Cody Canal, and we had to find a new place to live right away. The Lord provided a timely rental where I ended up staying until after my children were grown.
Through that unspeakably hard loss, Kathy chose to walk by faith and not to crumble in fear. She let the joy of the Lord sustain her and give her the strength she needed to raise her children as a single mom. Friends in the community supported Kathy and the kids, loved them well, and walked with them through grief.
Kathy: By God’s grace, I have two wonderful adult children and their spouses. I also have five grandchildren, three in Powell and two in Omaha, Nebraska. There have been ups and downs, and difficult trials. But I am grateful for getting to watch my children grow to become really wonderful adults. I have learned to hold onto hope, and not onto fear. In all the things we have gone through, I have learned that, because of God’s love, it will be okay.
Kathy’s character and strength have been shaped through aching losses, and she eagerly anticipates a forever home where pain and suffering have no place. Yet, in the here and now, she is choosing to live her life with zeal, courage, and unwavering faith. She chooses to serve, to love, and to be a conduit of God’s grace to others. For years, Kathy led youth ministry here in Cody. When COVID policies shut the ministry down, Kathy chose to shift churches to Outpost, where she has found a new and refreshing sense of community. While Kathy doesn’t know what will happen next in her life, she knows the One who does, and is following Him.
Grappling with another unexpected and devastating loss, Kathy dug deep into her reservoir of internal strength and learned to manage the ranch on her own. "It was a hard season, and yet I never felt abandoned by the Lord. I knew He was with me, getting me through it."
-Kathy Teten
“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of ethings not seen.” Hebrews 11:1