Help Tim and April Recover from a Cascade of Crises

Help Us Recover from a Cascade of Crises

On January 25, Tim's car broke down two hours from home. We had it towed to a dealership, where it sat for nearly four months waiting on a part. When they finally called on May 17 to say it was ready, Tim made the trip to pick it up. Within 30 minutes of leaving the dealership, something felt off. He called them right away, and they said, “Keep driving—it’ll work itself out.”

It didn’t. Within another 30 minutes, the car broke down again.

It was towed back to the dealership. This time they told us the engine had locked up. Just like that, we were out a vehicle we still owed $9,000 on—and about to face one of the most expensive months of our lives.

The very next day, April’s van started acting up. We brought it to a mechanic and found out it needed a new transmission. We had no choice but to put a $5,000 transmission into a van we still owed $5,000 on.

While we were reeling from all of this, disaster struck at home. On May 26, our plumbing backed up. Black water filled our tub and toilet, flooded the bathroom, kitchen, bedroom, and even the basement.

Since then, we’ve been living in chaos—bouncing between plumbers and septic companies, trying to figure out how to get clean water flowing in our house again. Plumbers say it’s a septic issue. Septic companies say there’s a plumbing blockage. The county has no record of where our septic tank is located.

Meanwhile, we’ve spent:

Our home insurance will cover some repairs—but not the plumbing or septic issues, which are considered “maintenance.” What they do cover will require thousands out-of-pocket first and is subject to a $7,066 deductible.

We are a minister and a teacher, living paycheck to paycheck. We’re still climbing out of debt from cross-country moves for Tim’s ministry work, and our student loans now exceed the original amounts we borrowed. Our parents have helped, but their funds are not unlimited, and the reality of paying everyone back is deeply overwhelming.

And the dealership? They’re still charging us $3,300 for a “repair” that ended with a dead engine.

We’re exhausted. We’re overwhelmed. We’re unsure what else to do.

If you’ve read this far—thank you. If you’re in a position to help, please consider donating or sharing this fundraiser. Every bit helps more than you can imagine.

From the bottom of our hearts,

Thank you.

If we receive more than our goal, or if insurance reimburses more than expected, those funds will go directly toward paying down our existing debt—or be paid forward to others in crisis, as we’re able.