Page 83 of Wilder

After opening it, she clicked on a browser and typed inmeal prep Serenity Point,and as she looked through the search results, she ate her protein bar and drank her water. She’d have to get back out of bed to brush her teeth, but that was fine.

There was one result that looked promising. She clicked through to the website, then read the information provided.

It was the best option so far, so she located the contact information for the woman and typed out a quick email, letting her know she was a professional athlete who needed meals prepped according to nutritional values.

She hated to think how much the service was going to cost her, but it was a necessity. At least she wasn’t paying for coaching. If Lev and Irina wanted her back that badly, she wasn’t going to be the one to pay them. She wasn’t earning any money from her skating the way Mik was. Plus, they didn’t have to pay rink rental at the resort because of her.

Mik had texted earlier to let her know they’d be arriving the next day and would be staying at the cheapest hotel in town until they could find rentals.

They were obviously pinning a lot on this reunion. Lexi, however, didn’t feel like she had as much on the line. Still, she was going to do her absolute best. She had nothing professionally now, so anything positive that came from this would be a step up.

She just hoped that her mom would come around and support her and Mik, but she knew it might not happen.

As she stared at the laptop screen, Lexi wondered if she’d see Wilder and other members of his family if she watched the livestream from their church. She put the name Wilder had given her into the search bar, then opened the site. It didn’t take long to find the livestream from that morning.

Relaxing back into her pile of pillows, Lexi began to watch it. Announcements scrolled through first, so she moved the video past those. When the stream went live, it was a wide-angle shot that showed a fairly full sanctuary.

She leaned forward to see if she could spot anyone she knew.

A tall Black man drew her attention, and when she spotted Charli standing next to him, she realized that he must be Jay. She hadn’t met him yet, but she knew he was Janessa’s biological brother.

Soon, Wilder stepped into view, reaching out to hug Jay and the Black woman standing next to him. Other people she didn’t know greeted Wilder with hugs or handshakes.

When the music began, the camera zoomed in on the group of musicians on the stage at the front. The screen no longer showed Wilder, but Lexi didn’t end the livestream.

It might be a nice way to wind down before she went to sleep. With that thought in mind, she let it continue to play while she dashed into the bathroom to brush her teeth, before she went back to the bed.

The songs were familiar, and she found herself singing along. She had always enjoyed the music at their church in Maine. As far as she was concerned, it had been the best part of the service.

When it was time for the sermon, Lexi almost clicked to close the livestream. But she wanted to know what it was that drew Wilder there of his own free will. She’d attended church becauseher parents had told her she had to, but she didn’t think that was the case for Wilder. And she wanted to know why.

The music had been good, but it was something he could have heard on any Christian music radio station. So it had to be the sermons.

The pastor had a surprise for her, however. “Before I bring the message this morning, I’d like to ask Wilder Halverson to come up and share a bit about what he was doing last summer.”

Lexi made the livestream full screen, then leaned closer as Wilder walked up onto the stage. The two men shook hands, then the pastor left Wilder alone on the stage. She’d only ever seen him in jeans and T-shirts, but that morning, he had on a pair of black pleated slacks and a light blue, long-sleeved button-up shirt.

“Good morning,” Wilder said, The warm smile he gave the congregation made her skip a beat even though it wasn’t directed at her. He gripped the edges of the podium as he gazed out at the congregation, apparently not needing any notes. “Most of you know me, but if you don’t, you probably know at least one of my family members. I fall in the lower half of the order of us children, and I still hold the title for giving Mom the most gray hair.

“For reasons my parents have never understood, each spring, I choose to head off for places around the world before returning in time for winter to work at the resort as a ski instructor. Throughout my travels, I’ve visited a lot of beautiful places.”

Wilder shifted behind the pulpit. “It might seem to be a frivolous way to live life, but staying in hostels has given me the opportunity to connect with people I might not have, otherwise. I’ve been able to share about God’s love with many of them.

There was a shift in his expression. “But a couple of years ago, as I visited one of those beautiful places, I stumbled across something ugly.” Wilder looked down at the podium, clearing his throat before lifting his head. “In the process of rescuing a child who was being hurt, I came in contact with an orphanage there. The people operating that one, in turn, introduced me to another orphanage in another country. It opened my eyes to a whole new world. One where good people work hard to rescue the most innocent among us, who are preyed on by the most evil.”

Lexi frowned as she listened to Wilder speak. This was a side of him she hadn’t seen before. So far, she’d known him as a lighthearted man who liked to travel and ski. Oh, she’d seen moments of seriousness, but most of them had been related to her life.

But this… His passion and emotion bled into his words in such a compelling way.

“At those orphanages, I witnessed the resilience of the children. Given a safe place to live with food and a roof over their heads, they blossomed. It was my privilege to be able to spend some time helping at these orphanages and to see how God is using His people to care for these children.

“Being there also showed me the needs that they have. It’s not cheap to run a large home for many children and to pay for people to help them and still be able to buy food and clothing. So many things are needed to raise kids, even very simply.

Smiling at the pastor in the front row, Wilder said, “Today, Pastor Kennedy has given me the opportunity to share this need with you. I’ve put together some pamphlets with more information on the orphanages and how you can help them.They’re at the table in the foyer, so please pick one up and pray about how you can support this very valuable mission.

“Also, in a few weeks, we’ll be having a fundraiser for the orphanages out at the resort. Stay tuned for more details on that. As we move into a time of year that’s characterized by generosity, I hope that you can spare a few dollars to help those who have next to nothing. No donation is too small. And whether or not you can donate, I ask that you pray for the orphanages, especially for their safety, as not everyone where they’re located supports what they do. Thank you.”

Wilder waited for the pastor to come back up on the stage. This time, the pair exchanged a hug, then Wilder walked down the steps and disappeared out of the view of the camera.

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