Getting Started

A journey of many thousands of miles begins with the decision to journey at all.

This year Mona and I made the decision that for her health, and mine, we must live in warmer climes. She must sell her successful Gently USED BOOKS store, and I must retire from ministry in the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference of the United Methodist Church, and specifically from the post of Lead Pastor at Hope Church, Douglassville, Pa. This was our first step.

Our current home in the midst of a recent winter

The store is up for sale and, Lord willing, we will receive an acceptable offer soon.  I have announced my retirement as of June, 2014.  My last sermon is Sunday June 8. Last of 17 years of sermons in Douglassville, Berks County, Pa. So this is our second step.

Our third will be to purchase an RV.  Retiring earlier than planned requires serious adjustments to planned retirement living locations. But we love to travel, so...right now we are planning to look at a 2006, 35' Alpine Coach diesel pusher motor home when we go south on a pre-planned vacation to Florida in January, 2014.  It seems the Lord is leading us to just the vehicle our research has told us He wants us to have. If this step is as we believe, the current owner will deliver it to our home in Douglassville by the end of January and we will begin outfitting it for travel throughout the North American continent.

Steps four and beyond will come rapidly.  Selling our home, giving the last of our possessions not yet given to our kids and family. Auctioning off the rest.  Storing a few personals in Sister and brother-in-law Loretta and Larry Crum's home in Lititz, Pa, and accepting our daughter's family's offer to be our new domicile and mailing address in Lancaster, Pa.

We hope that all who choose to follow us on this journey will enjoy taking these steps, and many more, with us.

We pray God's blessing on you all, and peace, in the midst of our excitement and some trepidation, for us.

-Ken