Rest and Healing Ministries exists because God met us in one of the most difficult seasons of our lives. What began as our own journey toward healing became a calling to help others experience that same hope, rest, and restoration.

Our journey has been marked by both brokenness and God's faithfulness. Through every season, we've seen His hand at work.

In 2020, just before the pandemic, Ryan disclosed that there had been betrayal in our marriage, leading to two separations that year. Determined to honor God by doing everything we could to save our marriage, we sought counseling and were eventually led to a retreat center for a marriage intensive. Although we were skeptical at first, God used wise counsel, intentional time away, and a peaceful environment to begin restoring what had been broken. Through His grace, our marriage was reconciled, and our lives were forever changed.

As God continued restoring our marriage, He also began reshaping our lives. He challenged us to trust Him in new ways, leading us through seasons of uncertainty that ultimately prepared us for the ministry He was calling us to.

In the fall of 2022, we attended another retreat focused on prayer, fasting, and spiritual formation. During that retreat, we each completed a spiritual exercise called a Longing and Desires Map. Without discussing it beforehand, we both selected the exact same future date and described remarkably similar visions for what we believed God was calling us toward. In that moment, it became clear that He was leading us into retreat ministry.

Even with that confirmation, the calling felt overwhelming. Joanna quietly asked God for one more sign—a butterfly. Knowing it was late fall in Indiana, she believed seeing one would be highly unlikely. Yet on our drive to lunch that very day, a beautiful monarch butterfly crossed directly in front of our car. For us, it became a deeply personal reminder that God was leading the way.

From that point forward, we committed ourselves to following wherever He led. We immersed ourselves in learning how to start a nonprofit ministry, sought wisdom from mentors, and trusted God through each step of the journey. One of the first reminders of His faithfulness came when our application for 501(c)(3) status was approved in just 20 days, despite being told the process could take up to six months.

While our long-term vision remains creating a dedicated retreat property where people can step away from the noise of everyday life and encounter God, He has already opened doors for us to begin serving today. Through marriage ministry, support groups like Conquer and Still Waters, spiritual renewal retreats, and community events, we are grateful to watch Him bring hope and healing into people's lives one story at a time.

Everything we've experienced—the brokenness, the healing, the waiting, and the calling—has shaped the ministry God has entrusted to us.

Rest and Healing Ministries was born out of our desire to offer others the same peace, stillness, and healing that we experienced. We don't have all the answers, but we know the One who does. It is our privilege to walk alongside others as they pursue the same hope, healing, and restoration that Christ has so graciously shown us.

Our prayer is that every person who walks through our doors encounters the hope, grace, peace, and transforming love of Jesus Christ.