Until Then: Stories of Loss and Hope

We are Scott and Tracy Blackburn from Ontario; Canada. We have four children. Our first baby and Tatiana were called home. Caleb is a long-haul truck driver in Ontario, and Jaxon is here with us in Peru. In 2014, after retiring from a successful 28-year masonry career in Canada, we sold everything, closed our businesses, and relocated to the southern Amazon jungle in Peru. We reopened a children’s home that had closed and remained as directors for four years. In 2018, we transitioned from that home, joined a new organization, Impact Hope, and created our new association: Alegre Sonido de Dios ( Joyful Sound of God), where we currently live and serve. Our newest home is called Tat’s Place in memory of our daughter Tat. We are a family who sincerely loves the Lord, and we want to extend that love to all people for whom Jesus sacrificed Himself on the cross.

David and Janet met at church and married a year later in the Spring of 1987. They live in Bentonville, Arkansas, where David works in retail marketing. Janet worked in the telecommunications industry before leaving the workforce to raise their children. The couple lost a son at birth in June of 1992 and two daughters in a three-vehicle collision in December, 2013. Their surviving daughter, Gracen, was born with ARSACS, a progressive neuromuscular disease, and lives at home with her parents. Following the collision, Janet began a blog about faith, grief, child loss, chronic disease, and disability. She’s written articles on mental health issues and child loss for “The Mighty,” an online magazine. Once a month she speaks to adults and teens sentenced to court-mandated defensive driving classes for the Northwest Arkansas Driving Academy. David enjoys yard work and woodworking. Janet is an avid reader. She shares an interest in photography with her daughter and has recently taken up baking. After all, Janet says, life should be sweet!

Buddy and Carol Brown had the great pleasure of celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary in 2021. They have lived in Arlington, TX, for most of their marriage. They have two children: Matthew, who also lives in Arlington, and Jackie, who was called home to Heaven on September 23, 1996, as a result of a car accident. Matt and his wife, Courtney, made their parents proud grandparents with the births of Harper and Dixie. One of their greatest joys is spending time with their granddaughters and endlessly bragging about their achievements. Before retirement, Buddy had a long career in the radio and television industry as an engineer and has been able to use his skills as a member of the technical team in the church. Carol has been active in music ministry, children’s ministry, and several other areas of church life. She started GriefShare programs at two churches and has been blessed to be a part of a ministry that reaches out to hurting people. One of Carol’s favorite activities is participating in group Bible studies, in person and online. The promises and truths found in God’s Word continue to uphold the Browns and give them the foundation and the strength to carry on in the face of life’s greatest difficulties.

Mike and Jenny Coleman fell in love nearly four decades ago and are the privileged parents of three sons and one daughter. They enjoy walks in the Appalachian Mts. near their home in Alabama and playing games with family and friends. Jenny is a retired home-school mom, and Mike has worked as a financial manager for the military and serves as a Crown Financial Ministries budget coach. They have served as missionaries in Thailand and in local church youth, children’s, and worship ministries. Since the loss of their youngest son, Joel, they have become passionate about facilitating small groups using GriefShare and other materials to help the brokenhearted turn to God and develop a resilient faith through time in the Word and in community with others.

The DeSimone family has lived on a small homestead for twenty- four years, nestled in rural Bibb Cty., Alabama. They raised four children, dozens of goats and chickens, a few horses, donkeys, rabbits, turkeys, dogs, and cats over the years. They have four children—three who walk the earth with them and one who lives with Jesus. Hector is a registered architect and construction management engineer who enjoyed over forty years in the industry in various public institutions and private corporations. He’s retired now and enjoying the fruits of his labor, riding tractors and restoring antique cars. Melanie spent the majority of her life educating her own children and others in the homeschool community. Since their son, Dominic, ran ahead to Heaven in 2014, she has spent a great deal of her time and energy writing about their family’s grief journey and ministering to the bereaved parent community through her blog, thelifeididntchoose.com, and in person at retreats and other speaking engagements. Hector and Melanie have been married for thirty-eight years.

We are Deon and Laurette. We live in Hartebeespoortdam, South Africa. Our daughter, Nadine, is married to Martin, and we are blessed with two beautiful grandchildren, Connor and Gianna. Deon is part of B4T (Business for Transformation), where he mentors individuals and teaches business skills with Kingdom principles, with leadership responsibilities for West Africa. Our ministry also involves teaching early childhood development (ECD) to people around the globe. We help individuals provide for their families and equip missionaries with the tools they need to be self-sufficient, partnering with My Father’s World, which is based in the USA. Deon’s hobbies are mountain biking and fishing, and Laurette’s hobbies are hydroponic vegetable farming, mountain biking, hiking, and cooking.

Chuck and Laura have been married for thirty-four years and are both actively involved in ministry at Thomas Road Baptist Church. As a couple, they have worked with youth and children’s ministries for over twenty-five years. As a family, music was a big part of their background. They traveled to churches in Virginia and sang with their two sons for years. In 2008, their sons were involved in a car wreck while coming home from a school event, and their youngest son, Jamie, was killed instantly. In 2018, Chuck and Laura started a grief support group for parents who have lost a child. Then in 2019, they added additional resources for grieving parents—and Ephraim Ministries was born. Over the years Chuck and Laura have opened their home to children and served as “adoptive” foster parents and home-stay parents for international students, and they continue to serve in that capacity. They have one living son and two grandchildren. Chuck and Laura live in Lynchburg, Virginia. In their free time, they enjoy being outdoors either hiking or bike riding on the scenic Virginia trails. To contact Chuck or Laura, visit their website, ephraiministries.org.

Gary and Laura, originally from Indiana, currently live in Lynchburg, Virginia, and are parents to three children. Ryan and Megan live nearby, and Nathan resides in Heaven. Early in his career, Gary served as a pastor, then as a professor teaching at the graduate level in the area of Christian ministry. Laura is a former RN, then treasured the years as a stay-at-home homeschooling mom, and currently serves as the Director of Marketing and Communications for the Institute for Excellence in Writing. After Nathan’s death in 2016, they experienced the comfort found by spending time with other bereaved parents. Yearning to provide similar opportunities for other grieving parents and to challenge them to trust Jesus, Our Hearts Are Home was born. Married for thirty- nine years, Gary and Laura enjoy walking on any beach, reading, and spending time with their children. For more information visit the website at ourheartsarehome.org.

John and Sharon raised three beautiful daughters in Horseshoe Valley, Ontario, Canada. John re- tired as an Inspector from the Ontario Provincial Police and he continues to work in the field of policing as a consultant. Sharon is a teacher. After several years of teaching in the public system, Sharon began her own Christian school for pre-K and Kindergarten age students in her home— Treasured Kids School. Each of their three daughters excelled in academics and athletics and kept very busy with extracurricular activities. Since the home-going of their oldest daughter, Amanda, their two younger girls have excelled in and continued on paths of their own interests. Their middle daughter, Debra, has worked in the financial industry and is currently completing her MBA in France. Their youngest daughter, Jenna, is an RN. The Kelsells are so grateful for the family the Lord has blessed them with and the way God has continued to be with them on their journey of grief. They look forward with great anticipation to the ultimate family reunion with Amanda one day soon!

Originally from the Detroit, Michigan area, Karen and her husband of thirty-four years, Ernie, currently live in beautiful Virginia. They are privileged to be in full-time ministry, sharing the good news of Jesus and teaching and encouraging fellow Christians. Currently, they are working with Rock International, producing a video series encapsulating the Bible’s theme of redemption in a chronological format in the style of deaf storytelling. They ministered at a Bible college in Wisconsin for nearly thirty years where they raised their four beautiful children. They love reading, investing in people, spending time with their family, going for walks, picnicking, enjoying the outdoors with their three surviving kids, three kids-in-law and four grandkids. They are always missing their last born, Levi, who left this earth in 2016 at the age of nineteen. And because of Jesus, he is more alive than ever, and they’ll see him again someday.

Brad and Jill have been married for thirty-five years, are the co-founders of the While We’re Waiting ministry, and live in Hot Springs, Arkansas. The While We’re Waiting ministry provides free faith-based retreats for bereaved parents all around the United States, as well as maintaining a network of Biblically-based, in-person support groups and social media resources for parents grieving the loss of a child. Jill also hosts a weekly podcast titled “While We’re Waiting–Hope After Child Loss,” which is available on all major podcast platforms. The goal of all While We’re Waiting services and events is to point parents to the hope we have in Jesus and to encourage them to live well while they’re waiting to see their children in Heaven one day. Before retirement, Brad was a school administrator, and Jill was a speech-language pathologist. In their free time they enjoy Razorback sports, hiking in the Ozarks, and spending time with their daughter Bethany. For more information about the While We’re Waiting ministry, please visit the website at whilewerewaiting.org.

My name is Rhyl Venning, and I had the privilege of being Kari-Lee’s mother. I’m an Australian who lives on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, Australia. If you Google it, you’ll see that it’s a beautiful place to live, with miles of awesome beaches and picturesque countryside. I’m married to Peter and have one remaining daughter, Tiana, who is now twenty-seven years old and married to Matthew. I currently work as a nanny, but before Kari-Lee went to Heaven, I worked as an Occupational Therapist, spending the last twenty years working with children who have moderate to severe disabilities. I facilitate a While We’re Waiting support group for bereaved mums, am the Volunteer Care Coordinator for our local Make-A-Wish group, and am a puppy carer for Seeing Eye Dogs. I really enjoy my KYB (Know Your Bible) study group, and I’m also part of a writer’s group, as I attempt to write my memoir about Kari-Lee’s life and how I’ve managed to survive without her. In my free time, I love to walk on the beach, scrapbook, swim, grow veggies, read, and catch up with friends and family for a cuppa and chat.

Molly Huffman is a teacher, encourager, and author of The Moon Is Round: A True Story of Extraordinary Loss, Grief, and the Fight for Faith. Her unique experiences with grief and loss have shaped her love of Christ, and His words and have birthed a desire in her to provide comfort and hope through Scripture and story. She and her family live in Morehead, Kentucky. They will tell you if you want any of the popcorn, don’t share a bowl with Molly. Connect with Molly at mollyhuffman.com or on Instagram @mollymhuffman.