Volunteers and staff from In His Wakes showed up with their boats, tubes, and water skis at Scott and Teri Hendricks’ home for “A Day to Remember.” In His Wakes, a non-profit founded by Kristi Overton Johnson, is a water sports ministry. Johnson, a former world record holder in water slalom started In His Wakes in 2003. Her vision was to combine her love for water sports and her passion for seeing young people learn about the love of Christ. Over 20,000 young people have been impacted by her ministry including many of our Mercy residents.
For the ninth year, Scott Hendricks, a renowned country music producer, and his wife Teri hosted “A Day to Remember” for our Nashville home residents at their beautiful property on the Cumberland River. When asked about how he got involved with Mercy Multiplied, Scott responded, “Jason Tucker, a well-known local member of the Nashville Ski Club and illustrious ski coach, educated me on In His Wakes in 2010. Jason has been instrumental in being the liaison between In His Wakes and Mercy Multiplied since the first ‘A Day To Remember’ event. Teri and I felt super blessed to have such a perfect place to host these events and wanted to share that blessing with In His Wakes and Mercy Multiplied.” Teri adds, “We just want the residents to know we support them and believe in them. Their positivity and resiliency inspire us, and we walk away so full of joy. We are thankful for everyone at In His Wakes and Mercy Multiplied and honored to be part of something so meaningful!”
Scott Hendricks and Nashville residents
“A Day To Remember” is an incredible event hosted by In His Wakes that is specifically designed to create an atmosphere for spiritual breakthrough through water sports! Volunteers donate their boats for a day to take the residents tubing and teach them how to water ski. Many young women have never had the opportunity to participate in water sports. At first, some residents are standoffish and afraid to even get out on the water. The In His Wakes staff encourage the young women to “get off the dock” and take a leap of faith! Soon girls who were afraid to get on the boat start laughing and asking the drivers to go faster. They learn that no matter how many times they may fall down, they always have a second chance to get up.
“Watching the residents gives us so much joy!” said Teri. “They grow in confidence and create sisterhood bonds. The volunteers are so wonderful with the young women. Every year is different, but in a great way.”
At the end of the day, residents are given awards and allowed a time to reflect. For many residents, this special day allows God to speak to them in a tangible way. The staff connects everything learned on the water back to having faith in God.
“This is our favorite day of the year!” Scott said. “It’s become a reunion of sorts with so many of the volunteers that we only see on this day. Every year brings new victories with the ladies from Mercy Multiplied. We sincerely appreciate the spirit that In His Wakes brings each and every year. It is truly a ‘Day to Remember’ for all involved!”
This event is a favorite for our residents, and it would not be possible without Scott and Teri Hendricks and all the In His Wakes staff and volunteers. We are so grateful for these amazing people who go above and beyond! To find out more about In His Wakes see their site here. To learn about how you can support Mercy click here.
