Crisis to Comfort
How Amy’s Life Journey Sparked Global Ministry
A devastating cancer diagnosis didn’t stop Amy. It launched her into ministry.
Amy Bondon was living a full and faithful life, co-facilitating a GriefShare group in New Jersey, when her life took a drastic turn. In 2019, she received a cancer diagnosis that came with severe complications and emergency surgery. It looked like her ministry might be over.
“I wasn’t supposed to live,” Amy says. “There’s no logical explanation why I survived. I had to believe that God had other work for me to do.”
And He did.
As Amy fought for her life, she kept praying that she would someday be well enough to serve again. At the time, virtual ministry wasn’t even on her radar. But God was already preparing the path.
When life feels like a closed door
Amy’s story resonates with anyone who has ever felt disqualified or sidelined by life’s circumstances.
“I remained anchored to the Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa,” Amy says. “I thought I’d never be able to join my co-leader Lisa back in New Jersey, but God had other ideas.”
For many, it’s easy to assume that limitations such as health struggles, location, or technical inexperience mean ministry is out of reach. But Amy’s story is a powerful reminder: Your “no way” may be God’s “new way.”
“As sick as I was, I still felt the call to keep going,” Amy shares. “And God opened a way I never saw coming.”
A divine setup: from DSL to discipleship
Virtual ministry didn’t come easy. Amy describes her internet connection as “DSL, basically run by hamsters on wheels.” Still, with prayer and persistence, she and her team figured it out by utilizing Zoom calls, email encouragement, and group structures that worked across different time zones.
Amy now co-leads a thriving online GriefShare group, which draws participants from around the world. Her group even includes Gwen (name changed for safety), a young woman from Nairobi, Kenya, who joined after tragically losing her sister in the U.S.
“She found our group online and wanted to connect with her sister’s last home in New Jersey,” Amy says. “We just happened to be two Jersey girls leading this group—and that made her feel like she was closer to her sister.”
It took Gwen two months to receive her participant guide. She joined sessions at 2:00 am Nairobi time. But she kept coming—finding not just support but real connection, prayer, and even academic mentorship through Amy’s network.
That’s the power of online ministry. The reach is global. The impact is eternal.
Faith over fear: “If He ordained It, He’ll sustain it”
New leaders often worry they’re not qualified to lead. Amy gets it.
“Every single time I step out in leadership, I feel unqualified,” she says. “But I go back to the truth: If God ordained it, He’ll sustain it.”
That mindset pushed her through technical challenges, health limitations, and even public speaking events far outside her comfort zone. Recently, Amy was the keynote speaker for Nurse Appreciation Week at her cancer center, which is part of a team of over 2,000 people.
“I kept thinking, it’s not about me,” she recalls. “It’s about what God did through those nurses. I just had to show up and let Him use me.”
Practical encouragement for aspiring leaders
So, what would Amy say to someone who’s on the fence about leading?
“You don’t have to be a Bible scholar. You just have to show up, listen, and care,” she says. “Active listening is everything. Be okay with the silence. Let people process. That’s when healing happens.”
She also encourages leaders never to do it alone.
“We always say, no one can break a threefold cord,” Amy explains. “You need at least one other person alongside you. Don’t try to carry it all yourself.”
And for those who worry about burnout?
“Pray. Prepare. Let it go. Remember, showing up is powerful. Your group sees that, and it builds trust.”
From the edge of death to a global reach
Amy’s story is a living illustration of 2 Corinthians 1:3–4:
“God comforts us in our troubles so we can comfort others.”
“I didn’t think I’d be able to keep going,” she admits. “But God used my downtime to build something even bigger.”
That “something” now connects people from South Africa, New York, Florida, and beyond. It offers comfort to people grieving alone. It transforms pain into purpose.
“I wasn’t supposed to survive. But I did. And as long as I have breath, I’ll serve.”
Feel unqualified or limited?
Start your online GriefShare group—right where you are.
