Greetings from our home in North Carolina. 

As Cindy always says, “It just so good to be at home.” We are certainly enjoying the blessing of being at home for this extended amount of time. Routine is something we hardly get to experience and are seeing a greater need for more of it in our lives. However, we do enjoy the ministry God has called us to and count it a privilege to give hope to those who are hurting. 

As I reflect on our past few weeks, I am incredibly thankful that God has been working on our behalf. In fact, we’ve seen this verse become a reality for us many times. “It shall come to pass that before they call, I will answer; And while they are still speaking, I will hear.” Is. 64:24 

I’ve heard someone say, “Good and evil run on the same tracks and arrive about the same time.” I believe this means some of our best and worst moments can come from the same experiences. It may be hard to see, but the most difficult things in our lives can produce the best things in our lives.

Our lives as believers are about receiving the love of God, and walking by faith. Unfortunately, we cannot truly say how much we love God or how great our faith is until we’ve been tested. And this is a good reminder for our family as we face challenges.  

Last week we discovered high toxic mold levels in Alisha. With further testing this week, we discovered the bus we travel in has a high mold count. Although there is no obvious smell or visible signs, the lab tests indicated toxic levels. We are thankful to finally discover a contributing culprit to her health challenges, but are praying the issue can be corrected efficiently. The types of mold identified can be life-threatening for someone with a suppressed immune system like she has, so we need to be aggressive in the remediation.

The bus is scheduled for some mechanical work in Pennsylvania. Yesterday, one of our committee members flew into Charlotte, NC where I met him with the bus. We were grateful that he was able to drive it to PA for us, and for the many volunteers who assist with needs in our ministry focus.

After being in PA, the bus will be going to Ohio for some additional repairs before returning home. We are praying the mold issue and other repairs can be resolved in the next few months. 

Alisha appears to be slowly improving, although the progress has been much slower than we’d like to see. We are eager to see what happens once we can get the high mold levels out of her body. We appreciate your continued prayers in this area. 

It’s an amazing gift when your children express their desire to pursue God in a greater way. Chantaya and Kyra asked, and have been joining me at 7:00 each morning for their personal devotions and prayer time. It has brought such joy to my heart! I’m sure many of you as parents can identify with the joy that comes when you see your children desiring the things of God.

God bless you richly as you face your challenges, focus on your blessings and make Him known to those around you. Thank you for standing with our family. We are humbled and blessed at the many ways you show you care.

Because of Jesus,

Duane