Dear Pleasant Valley Church Family,

I am Pastor Sophia. Have you ever stood at a hospital waiting room, sitting between the moment of diagnosis and the hope of healing? Or maybe you’ve experienced that long pause between sending out a job application and finally hearing back. Those in-between moments can feel heavy with uncertainty, can’t they? We’re not where we used to be, but we’re not yet where we’re going.

The disciples knew that feeling well. In Acts 1, after Jesus ascended into heaven, they stood staring at the sky—caught between what had ended and what was yet to begin. They had walked with Jesus, eaten with him, and seen the risen Lord. And now… he was gone. All they could do was look upward, wondering what would happen next.

What the disciples discovered, and what we also can hold on to, is this: God does not leave us staring at the sky. Instead, He calls us to move forward in faith, empowered by the Holy Spirit, and to pray boldly for His kingdom to come in our lives, our community, and our world. Why is it? Because we are Easter people—people who know that God is still writing His story through us.

This Sunday, we will reflect together on what it means to live not with fear or hesitation, but with the courage and joy of Easter people—people who know that God is still writing His story through us.

As you go through this week, I invite you to pray not only for your needs, but for God’s mission. Pray that we, as a church, would be a blessing in our community. Pray that we would live not just looking upward but also moving forward, trusting the Spirit who goes before us.

I look forward to worshiping with you this Sunday. Come ready to be encouraged, challenged, and reminded that we are indeed Easter people!

With love and peace in Christ

Sophia (Seung Hae) Yoo-Hess

Pastor of Pleasant Valley United Methodist Church

43987 Little River TWPK, Chantilly, Virginia

Office: (703) 327- 4461