Lead Kindly Light: Volume 1

In this true story, Van and Celestia have two compelling dreams: to raise a family of twelve extraordinary children, and to build a suitable home for them all, with the labor of their own hands. When they arrive in Alaska during the oil boom, it seems that the Last Frontier will be their own Land of Promise. They soon find out that achieving their dreams requires a long and adventurous stint in the wilderness. Their journey is funny, inspiring and faith promoting. Van is a man with simple aspirations. All he really wants to do is support his family, make some lasting contribution to his community, and serve God in whatever way God needs him. Not least on his list is to have his wife all to himself once in a while, no easy task when you have twelve children. Van’s difficulty, from Celestia’s point of view, is that he’s an engineer who believes problems should have rational solutions. Celestia, on the other hand, is an artist whose original perspective can produce off the wall solutions that really work, much to her husband’s amazement. She can’t help stopping to smell the roses, and loves nothing more than stealing a few moments to paint the scenes that delight her eyes and gladden her heart. She loves her husband whole heartedly and adores her children, but with her sometimes haphazard approach to organization, and a houseful of very clever children, life can’t help but be full of surprises. As Celestia and Van build their unique family and love each other through the highs and lows, they form a bond that will inspire others to find meaning, hope and humor in the most desperate conditions.