Thank you, everyone, for continuing to pray for me, my family, and our household. I deeply appreciate the support. For those who haven’t seen previous updates, my father was recently hospitalized with a collapsed heart valve and signs of renal failure. He was placed on a BiPAP machine, and by God’s grace, just a few days later, he made a remarkable turnaround. He’s now off the BiPAP and receiving low-flow oxygen through the nose—not because he can’t breathe on his own, but as additional support.

This all comes during a major life transition. I’m preparing to move into a new home and hoping my fiancée will be able to come from the Philippines soon. I ask for continued prayer for that process. I also manage a large household—an 11-bedroom home with about 11 tenants—and recently, it feels like I’ve been hit from every angle. On top of all this, I’m preparing for neurosurgery to stabilize my spine so I can return to work at Goose Creek Correctional Center, which I believe God has been calling me to for quite some time. It’s never been about resisting the call—just waiting for the right moment and getting things in order.

But lately, the pressure has felt relentless. I’ve faced hardship before, but this season feels like a spiritual battle on a deeper level—one that touches not just me, but my household, my relationships, and even my tenants. While I strive to maintain peace and respect for everyone’s background and choices, I’ve also felt the weight of spiritual unrest. I’m asking for prayer to protect the integrity of our home and for God’s presence to remain strong in this place.

There are times when I sense heaviness—tensions and influences that seem out of my hands—and while I do my best to handle things practically and graciously, I know this is also a matter for prayer. I’m not trying to blame or judge anyone; we all carry our stories, and I respect the freedom God gives each of us. But I do feel that something more is at work, and I’m asking for your prayers to cover this transition, this household, and those who live in it.

I believe part of the reason the pressure is so strong is because something good is coming—namely, my upcoming marriage. This has been one of the deepest longings of my heart for many years. And while I’m incredibly grateful, I also feel the weight of delayed dreams and missed moments. It’s painful at times to finally receive something so precious after years of waiting and hardship, only to feel too weary to celebrate it fully.

I’ve tried to live with integrity, avoiding harmful choices and finding joy in the small, everyday things—quiet mornings, fresh air, good food. But the darkness in the world can feel overwhelming at times. And in those moments, I understand why even Jesus cried out in anguish on the cross. There’s a kind of sorrow that comes not from losing faith, but from loving deeply and feeling distant from the comfort of God’s presence.

Sometimes I wrestle with questions—about eternity, about calling, about what it means to be faithful in a broken world. I’ve given much of myself to helping others, to counseling, to building people up. And yet, I’ve often felt misunderstood, even pushed away. That’s not easy to admit, but it’s the truth of my heart.

So I’m asking for prayer—not just for strength, but for renewal. For the protection of my home, for the success of my surgery, for a smooth path to marriage, and for the deeper restoration of hope in the midst of this season.

I know God is still good. I know He’s still at work. But I’d be lying if I said I didn’t need the prayers of others right now.

Thank you for standing with me.