God is our refuge and strength,
always ready to help in times of trouble.
2 So we will not fear when earthquakes come
and the mountains crumble into the sea.
3 Let the oceans roar and foam.
Let the mountains tremble as the waters surge!Psalm 46:1-3
A home is a place to abide in, to take refuge in as a family. It’s something we can easily take for granted.
We have been endlessly thankful for the many homes and families that have welcomed us into their spaces over our years in overseas mission work. We could share for hours of the love and generosity from so many.
Just a brief look back: Chris and I were married in 2002, and we felt the Lord wanting us to stay flexible for international mission work, therefore we did not accumulate all-the-things or “settle down”. Everytime we have visited the US we have happily either rented, lived with families, or been blessed with a place to stay. We have never owned our own home, and in Thailand we rent a home from a Thai pastor.
In our current circumstance of being in the US for cancer treatment, God is making a way for us to purchase our own home in Grand Rapids, MI. Over many years the Lord has asked us, and allowed us, to remain flexible. Though now, in our storm, he is providing stability, a tangible refuge for our family, which is an enormous gift!
All 5 of us sincerely desire to return to Thailand. We fondly remember attending a Bible dedication just less than a year ago. We are thankful our work can be done from the US in the meantime, though we often wrestle with the inbetween and the unknown of our return. Yet, in the midst of this uncertainty God is inviting us to abide in the midst of the unknowns and uncertainty.
For those that do not know, when we left Thailand in October, we left our rented home of 14 years and most of our belongings. We know he will use our home in Thailand to bless others. Currently, we have missionaries using it as they live in our city and have a respite from difficult work.
Ultimately, Christ is our home and any place we live is His to be used for his purposes. The places he allows us to live are gifts from him as we walk the journey he has for us.
Through some friends we were introduced to homeowners who were previous missionaries and planning to move – the home was not yet on the market. Through God’s lovingkindness he is providing a home that is in excellent condition at a fair price, something unheard of in our local housing market. Praise God with us for this family and the doors the Lord opened to allow this blessing. We plan to close on the house and move in the next few weeks!
The picture at the top of this post is of our home in Thailand (left) and our new home (right) in Grand Rapids, MI.
We are praying and trusting God for what our family needs, both the biggest things like complete healing for Chris, and the smaller things like, “I thought we saved those dishes…where are they after 15 years?”.
Please continue to pray for our children, they are excited about what God has provided, it is above and beyond anything we could have imagined. But this gift naturally stirs up concerns about our return to Thailand. In our previous visits to the US the lack of permanency was a sure-fire reminder we would return, and probably soon….this feels much different. They continue to need prayers for friends and courage when they are lonely.
We will take on Round 4 of TEDDI-R the week of February 10th and then we will try to wait patiently for the tests and results the week of Feb 24th. The results will determine if Chris moves directly to CAR-T (in Chicago about March 4th) or undergoes radiation for a week and then moves to CAR-T. We will keep you updated along the way and continue to value your prayers and encouragement.
Short Summary / Bio
We have served as missionaries with Wycliffe Bible translators in SE Asia for 14 years. Our kids have grown up in and call Thailand their home. In September 2024, Chris was diagnosed with CNS lymphoma which left our family in a crisis and brought all of us out of life, ministry and school in Thailand so that Chris could start treatment in Grand Rapids. Even before Chris got cancer, we’ve felt a strong desire to establish ourselves more permanently in Grand Rapids, even as we long to continue ministering and return to life in Thailand. In December, we felt God prompt us to look for a home to buy that would provide stability for our family in the midst of so many unknowns. We’ve never bought a home before, so the process has been exciting and terrifying all wrapped up together. As we trust God, He has clearly led us to a wonderful home that we believe only he could provide in the midst of a challenging housing market. We have never been in debt or had a mortgage before, and we own almost no furniture. In the past God has provided for all of our needs – I know we can trust him in the practical matters of acquiring furnishings and paying off a mortgage.
Whether or not you live in the Grand Rapids area, please send us an email if you’d like to know more about our situation and/or would like to help us with furniture and practical needs for our new home – we are happy to share!
May this new home be a blessing to you and some stability. May God provide for all of your needs. Praying!
Only send to the email shown. Today is my last day, I am retiring and moving.
We just moved two weeks ago and have good prices on furniture at New2U on 29th street SE
Connie VanDyke
As we have talked about, God is in the details and your home here in Grand Rapids is a realization of those detail!
Praising God for his provision and grace.
Love you!!
Dawn
God does provide above and beyond what we ask or can evern imagine. God’s richest blessings on you and your family during this time of needing a bit of stability in your lives! And May God continue working his healing power in your body, Chris. Above all, may he continue to be made known as great in and through your lives. Thanks so much for living transparently, so that the rays of Christ and his hope can shine through you.
Love you and your family, bro
Dawson
Both homes, Thailand and MI, look lovely but pale in comparison to the most REAL HOME of all. It is not cheap; but is unimaginable in beauty. It has already been secured and reserved for you at great cost to HIM. So, homeless, you are not and never will be!
Wonderful! Happy for you guys!!
How exciting. So happy that you were able to acquire such a great home.
Sending lots of love.
Jan
Happy for you to have a new home to rest and heal. Praying for this new round coming up and for the test results to allow Chris to move to the next step and for the kiddos to establish new and wonderful friends. Love to you!
We need to talk. I suspect we might find a serious “win/win” between you needs to inhabit a new home and our need to seriously downsize as we prepare to transition to a retirement community. 😉
Congratulations!
My church and I are praying for you.
I rejoice with you! How wonderful that God has provided an affordable home for you. May you enjoy it and may the kids come to love it as their “second home”.
God bless and heal!
Hella
Continue to follow God’s Leading, good and faithful stewards. I’m not surprised at all that the home was owned by previous missionaries looking to move. Looking forward to what God has in store.
God will make a way where there seems to be no way, He works in ways we cannot see, God will make a way for Thee.
Keeping your Thailand friends/missionary family in my prayers at this time.
More prayers coming, Katy T.
We are thanking God for His faithful provision!
Congratulations on your new home! You must have a housewarming party and invite all your friends over to see your lovely new residence. You are always in our thoughts, Shelley and Rick
Praising God with you for a beautiful resting place. I’m praying for rest, peace and a settled but obvious joy to reign in this home. Thank you for sharing testimony of God’s faithfulness and provision in the difficult times, it’s an encouragement to us all.
As I read about God’s provision of a home for your family here in GR, the words of the song, “God Will Make a Way” came to mind.
God will make a way
Where there seems to be no way
He works in ways we cannot see
He will make a way for me
He will be my guide
Hold me closely to His side
With love and strength for each new day
He will make a way, He will make a way
Oh, God will make a way
Where there seems to be no way
He works in ways we cannot see
He will make a way for me
He will be my guide
Hold me closely to His side
With love and strength for each new day
He will make a way, He will make a way
By a roadway in the wilderness, He’ll lead me
Rivers in the desert will I see
Heaven and earth will fade but His Word will still remain
And He will do something new today
Oh, God will make a way
Where there seems to be no way
He works in ways we cannot see
He will make a way for me
He will be my guide
Hold me closely to His side
With love and strength for each new day
He will make a way, He will make a way
With love and strength for each new day
He will make a way, He will make a way
Yes, he will, he will make a way for you
So thankful with you for the provision of a home here in GR. I will continue to pray…and go take a look at the document for the housing and practical needs.
So blessed by this story of God’s provision. May this new home truly be a refuge for each of you.
So good that you are able to buy your own place. May the Lord continue to bless and provide.
Congratulations on your new home. Seeing God provide for our new home in CLT after we returned from CM was an incredibly faith building experience for our family. We pray that you will be able to see in an even deeper way how generous and good our Father is. Enjoy your home, receiving it as a gift given by God in ‘good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over….’ Luke 6:38.
Covenant CRC has a ministry of helping people get settled in. Not sure of cost but I am sure it is reasonabl! They are west off of eastern avenue. That could be cutlerville area.
God is good, always! How wonderful to read of how He is blessing you with this place to call ‘home’. May it truly be a place of peace, restoration, tranquility, joy, laughter, purpose, healing and a light house to the community. Praise the Lord!
Lucas has really shot up over the last year. Wow. Looks like you need new shoes as well as furniture. Man, having to move back when you want to be in Thailand is tough. It’s a grief and that pain can’t be avoided. I feel for your kids.