Modern Day Saints: Pam Smith

When we think of “saints”, we tend to think of people way back in the past and the Catholic or Orthodox church who have earned a special title or place in Heaven. As humans, we like to classify people into different categories. Some denominations decide to use terms like “missionaries”. To me, someone within any one of these terms is simply an individual who showed Christ’s love while here on earth and it impacted many people. I’d like to share a more modern day story of someone I would consider a “missionary” or a “saint”. She’d maybe not like that term - but was simply someone who was doing great things for Jesus.

When I was only twenty - one years old, I met a husband and wife who were running a home for teenage mothers. Believe it or not - I was an extremely timid and shy girl. Pam and her husband saw a girl who could run an entire home of teenage girls and their children by herself, alone, all night, multiple nights a week. I did not see that - just to be clear. This family’s belief in me helped me conquer and overcome many different fears.

I remember learning to care for a baby from teenage girls who told me “it’s just like holding a football”. For several years, I had a front row seat into the lives of a family serving others. I also had a front row seat to girls’ whose lives were impacted by the love shown to them. I was able to watch a community of believers pour into those who needed extra love. While having a massive heart to help girls in need, she also prioritized her family.

After graduating from grad school (two and a half years later), I entered back into the world of Wisconsin and the world of the pro - life movement. I found a world riddled with feminist attitudes in the church and women who would tell me to leave men out of the picture. Pam’s story encouraged me to believe that women could be Godly leaders, respect their spouses, and steer clear of feminism. Around the year 2018, I was inspired to attempt to start my own home for teenage mothers. Many of you at Tirzah have followed that journey - you can read that journey through this article series (click my name to find the rest of the series). It’s the story of Tirzah Place and how another young woman and I truly wanted to see a similar model happen in Wisconsin.

Many people don’t realize that I kept in touch with Pam through those years. I’d send random email updates and even visited her. She was incredibly supportive of my pursuit of this dream. Her daughter was too! When I stepped out of working alongside her, I stepped into friendship and continued to have that long - distance friendship with her daughter. I was able to continue watch the teenage mothers that she continued to impact. You may or may not understand the non-profit world, but after years of work in it I continue to see the importance of Godly foundations. To put it in context, if you follow my journey in life, you see that I work at All God’s Children. 

Maybe you watched the podcast interview I did with Kathryn Maupin? Kathryn (Kat) is the daughter of Pam Smith. She continues to live that legacy. Unfortunately, times changed and Pam’s original dream of a home for teenage mothers had to shift. Because of the foundations that she and her husband laid, the vision was able to shift and expand to build many different programs. That includes the one that Kat and I share a deep passion for - Godly foster families and placing foster kids in their home. My original vision of a home for teenage mothers still hasn’t happened in Wisconsin, but I was able to step into Pam, and now Kat’s (and her brother’s) vision. This is a testament to the foundations of both Pam’s life and All God’s Children as a non-profit founded on a vision God wanted to see here in Kentucky.

In July of 2023, Pam went to be with Jesus. It’s crazy because, at that exact time, I had returned to Kentucky to stay with my grandparents for a month before starting a new job in Wisconsin. I had wanted to see Pam - and, instead, found myself at her funeral. I stayed to myself, sat in the back, and ran to the bathroom before leaving at the end. As I went to leave the bathroom, I almost literally ran into her daughter - who was very surprised to find me there and we reconnected for those couple of moments. Looking back, I continue to see God’s hand over Pam and her family.

October of 2024 found me in a spot where I would be finishing up a job that was a temporary assignment. As I prayed, I continued to want to return to Kentucky and be with my grandmother. There was a time, I chose to fast and, as I fasted, I told God that in order for me to be in Kentucky I wanted to be a part of Pam’s vision here again. I specifically prayed that I was willing to work in the daycare - and that would be the final thing that led to me going. During that time, a new position was posted that required the biggest parts of my heart and was even full - time. I still waited until the end of that week and applied - to which I received an almost immediate response from Kat. We were on a “catch - up” call and introduced to my new boss very quickly. Someone else who had fond memories of Pam and teenage mothers.

A saint isn’t someone who merely helps people. It’s someone who lays foundations and builds legacy. When you walk through the halls of All God’s Children, you hear stories of people of all ages, genders, and backgrounds who were impacted by her heart. That’s what a saint does. It’s really cool to be a part of a legacy that closely aligns with God’s heart in a world that wants to downplay the beauty of God’s design for family and Godly womanhood. It reminds me of one of my favorite lyrics in a song (the artist I probably would not agree on many things -but this song is an incredibly impactful one):

“When the bones are good

The rest don't matter

Yeah, the paint could peel

The glass could shatter

Let it rain

'Cause you and I remain the same

When there ain't a crack in the foundation

Baby, I know any storm we're facing

Will blow right over while we stay put

The house don't fall when the bones are good”

-Maren Morris

Yes, this is a love song - but it applies to building foundations in all areas of life. The foundation built inside of All God’s Children is the same foundation that continues to inspire me to lead Tirzah. A foundation built on Jesus and His values. Pam’s legacy started with teenage mothers.

Within the walls of a home for teenage mothers, I found my voice. At the same time, I started partnering with Yelena and doing Tirzah. It ignited a desire in me to help other young women discover that they had a voice, no matter where they were at, to stand up for teenage mothers, other women, and foster children. Tirzah’s foundation is very directly tied to this. I went from being invisible to visible while serving other women. I hope Pam’s story inspires you to find your voice in God’s Kingdom and helps you realize that you can be single or married and building up family and Godly men/women.