Barbara Vernoski is a busy homeschooling mom of 7 and a caregiver to a paralyzed daughter. Despite her exhaustive schedule for 26 years she has held many volunteer positions with Stonecroft. She knows all there is to know about this ministry and is an out-of-the-box thinker who thrives on creativity when working to reach women for Christ.
New Jersey is her home, after spending half her life on the move as a military dependent. Barb’s father, prior enlisted, retired as a career officer. As a young girl she was familiar with frequent moves, new schools, and kids that “pulled rank” on the playground. She married an Air Force F-16 pilot who became a Persian Gulf War veteran. Her varied experiences help her relate to the specific challenges faced by military families.
After her husband left the military, Barbara became involved in Stonecroft. Her first Stonecroft speaking engagement was at a military base. So, it’s a natural step for Barb to serve on the Stonecroft Military National Team, the group she calls a “great think tank of women.”
Last fall, Barb joined the team and others for a Stonecroft Military Leadership event in Cheyenne, Wyoming. This “Bootcamp,” event featured hands-on training where participants conducted various outreaches from beginning to end.
“We became the participants and facilitators,” Barb says. “It was brilliant as it gave us the perspective and understanding of the ‘whys’ to help us understand the ‘whats’ behind each event.”
Barbara gets a little emotional when she shares how one guest responded to a training outreach:
The retreat participants conducted a tattoo outreach where women share the stories behind their body art. Someone noticed a woman covered in tattoos at a nearby gas station and invited her to attend.
One panelist, a former military GI, showed her tattoo of a national symbol from a different country. “I just want to let you know that I have always loved everything about this other nation,” she said displaying the image on her ankle. She told how as a young GI, she crossed the border and searched for a tattoo artist. The audience smiled and laughed.
Later, organizers asked the audience to share their tats. “I have a tattoo from the same nation,” the woman from the gas station responded, showing the national flag on her arm. But her tone was different from the first gal, as she told how a family who called themselves “Christians” adopted her from that country – then abused her. She selected her arm art as a reminder that she would never again allow herself to be placed in that painful situation. She went on to describe her life of abandonment, abuse, and heartache – the inked images weaving her story.
What the volunteers saw in front of them was a soft, little girl who had been betrayed by people calling themselves “Christians,” Barb says. And what the visitor saw facing her was a group of compassionate Christ-followers with love, and some tears, in their eyes, full of concern for her.
“God ordained the whole thing,” Barbara says, asking what were the chances the invited stranger would even have come to the event?
“Her life changed and our lives changed.”