We moved to Jim and Bonnie’s home around mid-December, worn and frazzled. They were so friendly and kind that many of the pressures we had been constantly under began to dissipate. We were able to spend a lot of time sharing with each other our different experiences, which helped form a sweet kindred spirit form between the four of us. Jim was mostly on the road, but when in town, he and I would ride around to check out the different sites in town. Jim had a wonderful personality. He loved to tell stories about his experiences on the road and always had a funny joke to share. He continually kept us all in stitches! Jim, a trucker by profession, was a tender-hearted caring individual who helped me to feel accepted during a very difficult time.
Christmas was nearing. We felt a little awkward due to our situation, but God gave us grace, and His peace was heavily upon this lovely family we were staying with. We still did not know our purpose for being in Lawson. I believed we were sent to minister, yet doors were still not opening.
Jim and Bonnie: there are simply not enough kind words I could say about them. We hope for every family of God who find themselves in a homeless situation, God has a family like this to help them. Here we were, strangers, with a large family, and newly arrived in their town, and they opened their home and their hearts to us and made us feel at ease in the midst of a crazy situation. We celebrated Christmas with their family. I was so humbled, yet so thankful. I pray that I will be able to host families as graciously as they hosted us. May God forever bless and keep this family and their children and their children’s children forever in His most tender mercies.
We had been through a number of homes, but at Jim and Bonnie’s there was total peace, and we felt sincerely welcomed. Truly the peace of God that was upon their home was more than I have ever experienced in my entire life. We surely needed it! We were an enigma to ourselves, but committed to obeying God. We did not at the time understand what God was doing, but we wanted to be faithful to all of His directions.
Janie shares…
I want to share that several years after the time of living with Bonnie and Jim in their home, Bonnie shared a special word with me. She opened her heart to tell me that many years before she met our family, she had prayed several times that God would let her host a missionary family in their home. Certainly many years earlier, God had prepared Bonnie’s heart to receive our family. God had prepared the way to answer her desires and to fulfill our needs. This is a beautiful sample of the way God operates. 
He is so awesome; He is always working ahead of us preparing the way for our salvation.