First Semester

It’s been two months since we hit the road. We say that with surprise: sometimes, time moves faster than Jimmy on his way to a new coffee shop, and at other times it moves slower than Bradley eats. Either way, it’s truly hard to believe we have only one more conference in Holland, Michigan before Winter Break. 

Over all, this semester has been new in various ways for each of us, but it has been surprisingly encouraging (Lori), growing (Bradley) and different (Cameron), and God has truly sustained (Jimmy) us. We wouldn’t say it has been easy, but the difficult things are what grow us to be more like Chirst, so it is good. 

The churches we’ve been to have been amazing. God has been working right in front of our eyes, and we know there are many stories that we are not even aware of. The ones we do know are encouraging and humbling, and we wanted to share a couple with you: 

“…This week, God has once again challenged us to give sacrificially. With willing and thankful hearts, we are going to put our future in God’s hands and give the bulk of our savings….The thing that excites me the most about this time around is that my children have embraced what it means to invest in things that have eternal value. Last night we challenged them to pray about what God would have them give. This morning, each of them pulled out their “money jars” and gave sacrificially out of what they had. As a father, no amount of financial security could ever replace the joy of seeing my children participate in the blessing of obedience. Thank you for reminding us to hold loosely to things that have no eternal value and to cling to the Kingdom of Heaven…”

“ I could tell there was some distance between [me and my wife], so I asked her and she wouldn’t respond. She didn’t really know how to put it in words….You know, Over time, animosity creeps into marriages in ways you don’t expect it to…it can be lots of little tiny things that add up to become this monster, this behemoth, that’s sitting there and you kind of just ignore it. Tuesday night, she let me know what was causing bitterness…and it was hurtful to the core. She didn’t mean it to be, but it was the truth. I got angry and completely walled off and slept in another room for four nights…and then finally, Saturday morning, God broke my pride down. After the Home LIfe Cafe, we went to the prayer room and talked for an hour and made some really strong moves toward healing that. And then we got to go home and have a really great talk with our kids about life and what a family looks like…all to God’s glory…”  

“God helped me to admit that I am not fine. I have learned this week that I have got to admit that I have anger issues…and most of all I have to admit that my husband deserves a better wife. And through God, I have to overcome these things and be what I’m supposed to be.”

We hope those were encouraging for you as much as they were for us, because you are a part of what we do. 

Speaking of people who are a part of what we do, here’s another team member interview!

Jimmy: Okay, let’s see (looks down at ipad for inspiration and chuckles)…well, I guess we should start simple: what is your name? 

Stuart: Stuart, Stuart Trout

Jimmy: How long have you traveled?

Stuart: Uh, this is my fourth year in Life Action.

Jimmy: Next question should be…what do you do on the road?…Yeah, what DO you do?

Stuart: (jokingly) No one ever knows…uh yeah, I’m in charge of vehicle washing and I teach youth as a secondary.

Jimmy: Ha! As a secondary? I think we might, uh, need to go to coffee this week and talk about your priorities, (chuckles) but seriously. … What’s your favorite thing about traveling?

Stuart: (no hesitation) Host homes! I love host homes.

Jimmy: (surprised) Really? Why do you love host homes so much?

Stuart: Yes. Uh, it’s the adventure of being dropped off at a stranger’s house every week. Having to sink or swim and to be put in uncomfortable situations and learning how to overcome them.

Jimmy: So you’re an adrenaline junkie…

Stuart: Yes, a social adrenaline junkie. 

Jimmy: Okay then, well…what’s the hardest thing about traveling for you?

Suart: (again no hesitation) Host homes. No, just kidding. Honestly, not a lot of alone time. As I get older –you know, more increased in years– I need more alone time.

Jimmy: So why do you stay? 

Stuart: Oh, for the money, actually. There’s a lot of money around here…yeah, no. I uh, I genuinely love my job, so much-

Jimmy: Which job?

Stuart: -Ah ha ha, youth… and also vehicle washing…don’t like that one so much. I actually love what I do so much that that is why I am here. It’s not just something I do to be here, it is, like, why I’m here. 

Jimmy: That’s good! I’m glad you like what you do. So, uh, (looks over glasses at list again) last question: What are two fun facts about you? 

Stuart: Um, I was once a Dunkin Donuts mascot…giant coffee cup named Cuppy…and I once broke my dad’s toe in a dojo.

Jimmy: Ouch…okay, I actually have one more question. This one is really important, so think before you speak.…How do you feel about coffee?

All joking aside, Stuart is passionate about what he does and is a great asset to the team. We love seeing how God works in these “kids” as they travel, and Stuart is no exception. He’s the 7th sibling from his family to travel, and we have loved having each one of them in Life Action. 

As we go into our last conference, and then the holiday season, we would appreciate your prayers: Jimmy will be busy with leading band practices, meetings, and speaking for pre-sessions; Lori will move from meeting to meeting to meeting with team members, mostly the girls, helping them prepare for being apart for seven weeks; Cameron has a full schedule of band practice, online classes, and team responsibilities; and Bradley has started online classes while being a Children’s Ministry intern and keeping up with his homeschool subjects. It’s a lot, and it can seem overwhelming at times, but God has gone ahead of us and we always make it through; we know (and appreciate) that your prayers are a big part of that.

Realities of Road Life:

Do you ever wonder how we manage to live in an RV every year? We do too! Most of the time, it’s fine, but occasionally we have hiccups that have us wondering what we were thinking, even 10 years later. Here are two examples: 

We were shown where to park at the church in Chancellor, and Jimmy needed to pull through the grass to get there. In a setup like that, we would usually get stuck. (It has happened many times on the road, and it typically turns into a huge ordeal to get us out.) As you can see in the picture, though, they were prepared! There was a man in the church who worked for the local power company, and they use these pads often to keep from getting bogged down when working. They offered to let us use them and it worked perfectly! We didn’t get stuck at all and it was a HUGE relief.

For Lori, the potential frustrations usually come from the inside of the trailer. In these pictures, you see an example of life just…happening. You can plan and prepare, but sometimes the bowls are just going to fall out of the cabinet, and there’s not much you can do but learn from it and keep going. 

We are so grateful for this semester on the road, but we are also definitely looking forward to being on break. Drop us a line and let us know what plans you have for this holiday season: we’d love to hear from you!