Don and Tracey started dating in their senior year of high school and got married five years later. After graduating with a BBA in accounting, Don moved from Michigan to Texas where he took a position with a CPA firm. Three months later, Tracey finished her first year of teaching and joined Don in Texas. While Don was working at the CPA firm, Tracey got a job working as a math and science teacher in a local private school.
Early in their marriage, Tracey went off on a private retreat and returned with a vision “To Serve Those Who Come”. Don saw the wisdom in this message Tracey had received and they organized their life to support this vision. Amazingly enough over the years, the right people came at the right time and Don and Tracey invited over 120 people to live in their home.
There were many reasons people came to their home:
- To create a community
- A stable place to stay until a baby was born
- A stable place to stay whil5 raising a young child
- Recovering from addictions
- Save some money
- They just enjoyed each other
- Time out between mission trips
- Temporary place to stay after relocations
Having these people in their home while raising six children created a wonderful environment to learn how we are designed to love.
Of course, over the years Don’s career changed and he became a Chief Financial and Chief Operating Officer for a consulting firm and Tracey retired from teaching to home-school their children. What has not changed is their commitment to serve those who come believing that God will work in both the lives of the people that come and their own life.