Meet Lani Palmer

 
My entire life has been a journey of learning to trust the Lord and His leading. In high school I had dreams of using my good math grades to get a degree in actuarial science to make lots of money that I promised the Lord I would use for His Kingdom. In a move that only the Lord could pull off, I ended up going to a Christian university to get a degree in education where I met my future husband, Jon, instead. Thinking we might get married, I applied to student teach in Saint Louis, where he would attend seminary. I got sent to Shanghai, China, instead. When I moved back to the states, I wasn’t able to get a teaching job because I was only going to be in Saint Louis a year before we would leave for Jon’s vicarage, so God sent me to work at Stephen Ministries, a not-for-profit Christian education organization, instead. When Jon got his first call as a pastor, God called me to be a stay at home mom and eventually homeschool our kids. I thought 3 kids sounded like a good number. God gave us 6. I had back surgery when I was 30 to repair a herniated disc from a previous epidural, yet God called me to homebirths for our last three kids. To help support my family I began a photography business, which God later asked me to lay down during Covid years to work for the church instead. So here I am, completely humbled by the work of God in my life, unable to take any credit for any of it, because it is all His leading. I love our crazy, big family life. I love that I get to work alongside my husband and the staff God has called to The Way while still homeschooling my kids. I love that I’m able to use my hobbies and interests to serve the Lord at The Way Church. It is my joy to encourage my church family to get connected to a group where they can be supported on their own journey where God is leading and guiding them where they will be challenged to practice the way of Jesus, supported, prayed for, cared for, and encouraged. If I’m not at church, you just might find me in my gardens, working on our current house renovation project, painting, crafting, or hiking with my family.