A Foundation for Miracles
Sue and Jeremy announcing their engagement. (2008)
For most people that come to His Mansion, it is the place where they encounter Christ and find the strength to overcome a life-altering habit or trauma. This was true for Sue and Jeremy. Both arrived at His Mansion for different reasons, but both received the healing they needed. That healing would be the foundation for their own relationship, as well as the relationships they encounter in the future.
Jeremy arrived at His Mansion in 2006, with a failing liver, given six months to live. Within a week, Jeremy dramatically changed, giving his life to Christ. The judgemental and punishing God he thought he knew became a God full of grace and mercy. The Lord was working on Jeremy’s heart, releasing him from his chains of depression and alcoholism. “To be that broken and to be loved anyway...the His Mansion community was and is our family,” Jeremy said in response to how the Lord used the community to change his heart.
As Jeremy began his time as a Servant Leader in 2008, Sue also arrived at His Mansion to serve the women in the recovery program. Her goal was to help women find healing, but she soon found that she would need healing herself. When she was 20 years old, Sue lost her mom. After five months of wrestling with her own fear and pride, Sue dropped her walls and let her own healing process begin. She walked with the women in recovery as both Servant Leader and sojourner through the recovery journey.
“May our sons in their youth be like plants full grown, our daughters like corner pillars, cut for the structure of a palace.”
Sue and Jeremy celebrating with their children (2020)
“Vulnerability and transparency are strongly encouraged there,” explains Sue, “so we got to know each other deeply with God’s guidance.” By serving together, Sue and Jeremy became close and soon approached the leadership to see how to begin their relationship the honorable way. “I was saved at His Mansion, so I felt safe starting my relationship with Sue there. I knew I wanted to honor God in it and we wanted to start out right.” Their relationship progressed, and after they finished their time as Servant Leaders, they soon got married.
As newlyweds in a new home, they promised each other and God that wherever they lived would be used for His glory. Together they decided that as Christ was the foundation of their relationship, He should be glorified in all aspects of it.
Sue and Jeremy admit it has not always been easy over the years. As Servant Leaders, they both learned to put the needs of other people above themselves, and now they must do the same for each other. Both agreed wholeheartedly as Jeremy said, “It’s as if God is saying, ‘Think about Me and your love for Me.’” That simple thought always brings them back to the common ground that brought them together, and through communication and help from others, their personal ministry has flourished. Their love continues to grow with their faith.
They maintain a relationship with their His Mansion family by leading mission trips from their home in Niagara Falls to the grounds at His Mansion. Most importantly, they have shared His Mansion with those most in need of it, “The best blessing is being able to recommend His Mansion to some hurting young adult.”
Sue and Jeremy’s kids playing outside (2021)
It is one thing to experience a drastic rebirth upon encountering Christ, quite another to witnessed it happen before your eyes. Sue and Jeremy have both experienced the drastic change and witness it in other’s lives. By clinging to Christ, Jeremy was healed both spiritually and physically. To this day, there is no evidence of scarring on his liver, and doctors don't understand how Jeremy survived his terminal diagnosis. “God has shown us that no matter what we think is impossible, He can still do it.” Because of their faithful trust in the Lord, Sue and Jeremy always find their cup overflowing and have little fear of the unknown, despite difficult circumstances.
In 2020, Sue and Jeremy celebrated their 10th wedding anniversary along with their three children. This year, they will also be celebrating the 15th anniversary of Jeremy’s sobriety. The pain of their past has been woven into something beautiful that points others to the freedom Jesus offers. The couple hopes that the love God has given them will extend to their three children and continue to grow through the generations that follow them.