A Ladder of Hope

At Jacob’s Ladder Ministries, our mission is to embody Christ’s love by meeting people where they are with compassion, kindness, and the love of God.

We are dedicated to supporting individuals facing grief and hardship through our outreach programs and initiatives. Whether providing comfort, encouragement, prayer, or practical aid.

Our goal is to be a ladder of hope, guiding others toward healing and renewal.

We welcome everyone, regardless of background or beliefs, to join us in our mission to reflect Christ’s love in action.

Get in Touch

Our Why

Jacob’s Ladder Ministries was born from deep pain — and even deeper hope. After experiencing the tragic loss of their son Jake, who had a heart for serving others, Kevin and Diana Kadamus chose not to let grief have the final word. Instead, they made the courageous decision to pour their hearts into serving others, creating Jacob’s Ladder Ministries to continue Jake’s legacy and share the same hope and love that has carried them through their darkest days.

Each member of the Jacob’s Ladder Ministries team has walked through fires of their own — seasons of suffering, loss, and hardship. These experiences have shaped who we are and fuel our passion to reach out to others who are hurting.

At Jacob’s Ladder, we believe that no pain is wasted when it is placed in the hands of God.

You are not alone. Hope is real — and His name is Jesus.

What We Do

SoulFest

We are proud to partner with events like SoulFest to share the life-changing love of God through His Son, Jesus Christ.

From August 6 to 8, the JLM team will return to SoulFest for our most significant outreach of the year. We will have the privilege of sharing Jake's story and ministering to hundreds of people in need of prayer, counsel, or simply someone to listen and offer comfort.

To make this trip possible, we need to raise $7,000. On May 1, 2026, it has been 17 years since Jake went home with Jesus. We invite you to consider a tax-deductible monthly donation of $17 in memory of Jake.

Thank you for helping bring comfort and hope to so many.

Donate

Speaking

Kevin and Diana are available to share Jake’s story and their testimony at your youth event, church service, or community gathering. Kevin can also lead worship at these events.

After the unimaginable and tragic loss of their son, the Kadamus family struggled with shame and guilt. Despite these challenges, they chose to keep God at the center of their lives and experienced His redemptive and healing power in profound ways. Their story of faith and hope will deeply inspire your community with the message that no pain is too great for God’s love to heal.

Please reach out to us if you would like them to speak or participate in your events, conferences, or gatherings.

SoulFest 2025

SoulFest 2025 saw our Cross Team/Jacob’s Ladder Ministry back at the Franklin County Fairgrounds in Greenfield, MA. The yearly event now had new owners, and we welcomed some positive changes. Our ministry was still near the main stage by the big wooden cross, but better positioned for visibility – for concertgoers as well as of our own view of the stage. A nice plus! Our new banner also helped, clearly identifying us as a place to come for prayer, as well as find out what Jacob’s Ladder is all about.

The last couple of years people primarily wanted to write their prayer requests and leave them in the box provided for our team to pray later. Likewise, the requests nailed to the cross would at some point be taken down and prayed over. There were also many written prayer requests this year, but people kept coming and asking us to pray with them too. Our entire team had the privilege and blessing to be part of a steady stream of prayer. The needs were great, but our hearts wanted to pray God’s Truth and promises, in the Spirit, with confidence and boldness, trusting our BIG God to hear and to act. We questioned people to see if they truly understood the gospel, “Who is Jesus Christ to you?” My husband and I have volunteered with this ministry at SoulFest for about six years, and this was the most people we have seen come for prayer. Our twelve year old granddaughter was part of the team, and she prayed and served right along with us. We had prayer inside the tent, and prayer outside by the cross. A sweet memory is a little girl coming to our booth and handing me a dollar for Jacob’s Ladder. The children were a particular blessing, coming with a parent or grandparent, praying for a beloved family member, and also requesting prayer for themselves. Children also wrote out prayer requests for loved ones, or notes expressing their love for Jesus. I pray the enemy of our souls will never steal their joy and the love they have for Him.

It was HOT! The sun beat down mercilessly, but as my husband said, this was a resilient crowd. The water crew remained busy filling the jugs stationed at various points of the fairgrounds, including our booth. Though some folks came prepared with umbrellas or small tents for protection, many sat in the sun, savoring the music and worshiping God. Then on Saturday, the heavens opened and everyone ran for cover. Torrential rains fell for an hour, and the parched earth suddenly flooded with inches of water. I had finally given in to the impulse to buy some of the ice cream everyone seemed to be raving about. Almost at the service window, I was forced to run for shelter. Fortunately, the fairgrounds had several covered picnic table areas, and the one I ran to was packed. Thunder boomed and people clapped. Some began singing and most joined in. I saw people reading, playing a game on a phone, eating, visiting, laughing. I didn’t have my phone because my granddaughter had borrowed it, but I did have a little notebook and a pen so I started writing. When I looked up, my husband was standing there with two umbrellas. He had come to my rescue. I still wanted my ice cream though, so I took off my sandals and walked in the mud. It felt good! The heavy rain had caused water to flow into our booth, so everyone had quickly moved into action to get everything out of harm’s way. The dry ground was already drinking up the water, the sun dried everything out, and soon the show went on! As was said, it was a resilient crowd.

New this year were various children’s activities, and I took note of many young ones enjoying them.

I saw adults dressed in cow costumes, and I could only imagine how hot they were wearing them!

There were buildings selling band merchandise, SoulFest merchandise, Christian books and gifts, shirts, hats, totes, etc. Various ministries were also represented, and my granddaughter and I had an enjoyable conversation with some wonderful young adults representing a small Christian college in Maryland.

Because of our ministry’s location, I mostly saw the performers on the main stage. It was an engaged audience, and I particularly appreciated when a performer gave a testimony, shared the gospel, or invited everyone to find what they needed in Jesus, trust in His love, let Him break their chains, serve Him with joy. My granddaughter thought KB was “pretty cool,” and she high-fived the leader of Switchfoot when he came down into the crowd. I had noticed some women wearing eyelet dresses and high white boots, and I wondered if that had some significance. When I saw a performer, I think it was Katy Nichole, in a dress and high white boots, I understood. All the performers were excellent

and the variety was welcomed. At times the mood was contemplative. Other times was just plain fun!

There is a building on the fairgrounds where there was teaching, sharing of the Word of God and testimonies. This is where Kevin, our team leader, shared his testimony. After hearing his story of God’s redemptive power and grace in his life, there are always people who come to our tent for prayer. SoulFest isn’t just Christian music, but a place where hope, salvation, and transformation can be found in hearing God’s Word, The Spirit’s presence, prayer, and corporate worship.

The Saturday evening candlelight service was beautiful – led by Matt Maher, everyone singing,

holding their candles high. It felt like one of those transcendent experiences. That is, until it ended in a jarring way when a secular song started playing. The mood broke, and people didn’t seem to know what to do. There needed to be a better transition from candlelight and a sense of sacredness, to the last performance. Maybe next year!

Clean up at the end is exhausting. We’re tired, and take-down is quite a bit of work: packing everything up, removing all the nails and prayer requests from the cross, taking down signs, tarps, cleaning tablecloths, sweeping floor mats, folding chairs, etc. I picked up trash as my granddaughter and I walked to the restroom one last time. I noticed some things left behind, a bag of Chick-fil-A leftovers, a wet sock, a big black and white summer hat. Each couple in our team, and my granddaughter, brought home a bag of prayer requests. We prayed over the requests again when we got home. My granddaughter sent me a photo of one she received, written in Asian characters. That was a first!

SoulFest 2025 was a special event. One felt safe in the presence of the Lord, surrounded by a crowd of other believers and seekers. There is power worshiping together in song and prayer, hearing Scripture, meeting new people, and looking out for the well-being of others. It was also fun! There was plenty of good food to purchase, and the food provided to the volunteers was also good. There was a sense of sadness when it ended.

Thinking of how next year can be even better, we plan to return. We pray many more people will come, be part of, and enjoy the particular blessing that is SoulFest.

God Bless,

Donna Otto

Support Our Mission

Your generous support enables us to bring hope through Jesus to those enduring unimaginable pain.

Every donation empowers us to speak out, serve, and walk alongside individuals and families seeking healing.

How You Can Help

• Donate today and make a lasting impact

• Invite us to speak or partner with your event to expand our reach

• Pray for the people we serve, offering spiritual support

Thanks to a partnership with Intentional Legacy, your donations are 100% tax-deductible. Click the button below to contribute, and be sure to mention "Jacob's Ladder Ministries" in your note.

Join us in our current initiatives:

• Building a church community

• Supporting SoulFest

• Facilitating Grief Share

• Ministering to families who have lost a child

• Assisting local food banks

• Engaging in community outreach efforts

Donate

Welcome to Jacob's Ladder Ministries

Welcome to Jacob's Ladder Ministries

Upcoming Events - SoulFest

A Ladder of Hope

Our Why

What We Do

SoulFest

Speaking

Video

SoulFest 2025

Support Our Mission

Jacob's Ladder Ministries

We'd Love to Hear From You!

Who we support

Our Partners

Welcome to Jacob's Ladder Ministries

Welcome to Jacob's Ladder Ministries

Upcoming Events - SoulFest

A Ladder of Hope

Our Why

What We Do

SoulFest

Speaking

Video

SoulFest 2025

Support Our Mission

Jacob's Ladder Ministries

We'd Love to Hear From You!

Connect With Us

Who we support

Our Partners