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A single moment can split your life into “before” and “after” and you do not get to vote on the timing. Don and Susan Thayer know that kind of turning point firsthand, and they share their story with a level of honesty most people only admit in a counselor’s office: childhood trauma, adoption, ministry life, and the sudden loss of their 19-year-old son, Parker, during a family vacation.

We talk about what grief actually does, not the inspirational version. Don describes anger at God, the brutal swing from shock to sorrow, and the scary places his mind went when the pain would not let up. Susan explains the difference between knowing Bible verses and having them hold you up when your face is on the floor, plus how healing from sexual abuse can resurface years later inside marriage and why patient love matters. If you have ever wondered whether your faith can survive tragedy, this conversation stays with the tension instead of papering it over.

Then the story turns outward to Chiang Mai, Thailand and a business as mission model built around coffee. Through P-Rex Coffee, they partner with local believers serving Hill Tribe communities, supporting a Christian dorm, discipleship, and sustainable livelihoods for coffee farmers. It is grief and grace in motion, with a mission that keeps the gospel close to the ground and the product connected to real people.

If this resonates, subscribe, share this with someone walking through loss, and leave a review so more people can find stories like this. What part of their journey did you most connect with?

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