As I’m sitting in the beautiful Couer D’ Alene area my mind and heart just goes racing back to so many memories of Donnie. At the age of 14 he came off the stage in the middle of service at New Life walking through crowds of people just to get to a broken little girl and wrapped his arms around me, while I was terrified at the moment and so broken he held me as tight as he could, ( I may have thought he was going to squish me?) but prayed life over me. He was there when I got Baptised , He was there when I got married, and one of the very few who have been to Idaho to see me since I’ve been married in 25 years. There were few people in my life I wanted to make proud but Donnie was definitely one of them. The countless hours that Donnie and & Cindy would spend with me I’ll always be so incredibly greatful for. For all the times they let me just hang with them in their house, go shopping, and just be a part of their family . He will forever be one of the best Preachers, and storytellers of all time. I am pretty certain I will miss his hugs the most no one can match those. Donnie’s Integrity can’t be matched , his humility and love for people is absolutely contagious… and so beautiful. I’ll always remember the countless times we would be at restaurants after church and he would always just love on the servers with such grace I’m sure he never new those moments marked my life and taught me more than he would ever know! oh how I wish I could thank him for that one lesson alone along with the thousand others.
I adore their family more than life itself… and still remember the miracle of finding out Cindy was pregnant with Brooke for the first time. I think I was 16. I was so excited I went out and bought her a new stroller and had it delivered lol. I am pretty sure that must have been a lot for a 16 yer old girl. I guess thru the years he’s played a lot of roles in my life. Pastor, father, mentor, leader, hero and FRIEND
I ❤ YOU DONNIE, you will always be missed but never forgotten.
I will do my best to make you proud
and if I can even remotely love and lead people the way you do I will have made you proud. I will at least live my days trying.
Cindy, Brooke, Anna and DJ I love you all so much! If you need anything at I’m only a phone call and a flight away!!!