“GateWay” to Grace and Peace

We never intended to live in a standard home again. Having left Virginia shortly after we were married in 2017, a 500 square foot cabin became our US home in West Virginia. The property on which it sat was owned by a daughter and son-in-law. Our frequent trips overseas seemed to be leading us to live in a foreign land. It never happened. Steps to live overseas got complicated. The COVID pandemic shutdown the Philippines and led to the West Virginia property being sold from under the cabin. We felt like we needed to move. Not much was working as planned. Writing tasks, however, began to form. I had to write more resources. Faylene had stories to write about orphans in the Philippines. She had also cleaned the dust from files for a book on cleaning a home to make it hospitable.

It was more than providential that we began investigating a move to central North Carolina that was near other family members. We finally found a dilapidated, abandoned property. The house was in such bad shape it had to be demolished. We worked on a design to integrate the cabin with a new home that would have the same footprint as the original house. We moved the cabin from West Virginia but could not move into it until the fully integrated design was completed. It took 18 months. In early 2023 we moved in just in time to pile everything into the cabin section of the new home before heading back to the Philippines. Several orphans were having a very hard time, so settling in a new home would just have to wait until we returned.

The wisdom of God in the process became more apparent as we settled in the next two years. “GateWay” was a given name. With more talk and prayerful steps, the modest three-bedroom home became our private cabin at the west end of the home, a couple guest rooms in the center section, and a large eastern section with living/dining room and kitchen that could handle 20 people. The property, which was in bad shape with tangled trash, brush, wire fences, and falling sheds, took shape in the first two years. Only a set of magnificent large oaks, magnolias, and a set of crepe myrtles remained the same. Open space, paths, and observing places to see the night skies were developed. The curved entry road became attractive, and the abandoned pond was recovered.

The Writer’s Den is a special place at one end of the cabin. It is where we brainstorm, write, create, and orchestrate the publishing process for children’s books, biblical resources, and a cleaning book. Some things are complete, but the to-do list continues to grow. To most  other people, however, we are husband and wife in a place of grace and peace. The property and home are proving to be more than a home. It is a place of deliberate hospitality and fellowship. Visitors, various meetings, the number of observing sessions to see the night skies, and the testimonies of friends and strangers are growing. It seems the name “GateWay” makes more sense now than ever.

But when the days end or it is quiet, we retreat to the cabin and the Writer’s Den. The little publishing company my wife oversees and we both operate demands that special place of work and creating. If we need breaks, and we often do, we walk the redeemed property and give thanks.

So, we invite you to look at this blog on occasion as the place where two authors and missionaries continue to unfold their future. We might be as surprised as our readers by what could happen at GateWay — even old trees bear fresh fruit if tended.

…every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.”

John 15:2 (ESV)