The Good Story

04/07/2026

Question: What do Malawi, France, the Middle East, Ecuador, Serbia, India, Portugal, and the United States have in common?

Answer: The Good Story!

Last week, when I signed off from a video call with a missionary couple in Serbia, I looked over at Ryan’s computer to see some logo mock-ups for a missionary in France he was working on. I was struck with an acute awareness of the privilege of what we get to do. I don’t often take the time to pause and marvel at how diverse and wide-reaching this ministry is because it’s the water we have been swimming in for eleven years.

Here is a quick snapshot of the last few weeks:
* Ryan provided technical and website support for a Christian girls' school in Malawi.
* We created a branding suite for a missionary in France who recently got her self-employment status from the government to start her Kintsugi business. The vision she has for hosting workshops and teaching others about this beautiful art form opens the door to relationship-building and to the gospel being shared.
* I executed a communication evaluation and strategy training for a Serbian and Brazilian couple serving the Roma (gypsies) in Serbia.
* I completed a fundraising evaluation, both written and oral, for a new missionary beginning their support-raising journey to join a Crisis Response team in the US.
* Ryan created prayer cards for missionaries serving in the Middle East (specifics withheld for security), India, and Ecuador.
* Ryan facilitated a website training for a Brazilian missionary living in Portugal.

So many countries and frontline workers we get to help equip on their journey. Thank you to our ministry partners who generously support the work of The Good Story, enabling us to offer these services and training at 50% or less of fair market value to our brothers and sisters in Christ who are also living on support and would not otherwise be able to afford professional-grade services. We simply could not do this without you.

Read more of this months newsletter below

The answer may not surprise you.

12/18/2025

Sometimes, when I’m in a sentimental mood, I go into our storage closet at work and pull out old prayer cards and reminisce. It has been almost eleven years since we started this ministry, and all of us have changed. There are the more obvious things, like Kelly slowly becoming the shortest Portnoy and all three guys going through epic hair evolutions. But the journey of our hearts, spirits, emotions, finances, and faith has truly impacted us eternally. Our once 5-, 7-, and 9-year-old children have now begun to leave our nest and enter their young adult lives. Over the years, they have hugged us goodbye 10 times....

Click the link to read our latest newsletter:

Every year or so, we decide (actually just Kelly) to update our prayer card. This typically involves a tripod, Ryan sprinting back and forth to set the timer, semi-cooperative kids, and a tight turnaround to get them printed in time for the next TGS mailing. We always try to practice what we preach....

12/02/2025

It's that time of year! If you would love to receive a packet in the mail from The Good Story, including our beautiful 10-year celebration booklet, drop us a DM with your mailing address.

11/05/2025

Bug traps, a quart of paint, and two plant saucers. That’s all we needed at Lowe's last week. As the automatic doors opened, I wasn’t prepared to be greeted by Christmas music, a 10-foot inflatable Grinch, and a fully decked-out Christmas section.

Already?

I sighed, fighting cynicism, and also registered a quickening in my body that I didn’t like.

Read our latest newsletter :

Bug traps, a quart of paint, and two plant saucers. That’s all we needed at Lowe's last week. As the automatic doors opened, I wasn’t prepared to be greeted by Christmas music, a 10-foot inflatable Grinch, and a fully decked-out Christmas section.

09/02/2025

Hug after hug peppered our time during the five-hour welcome and registration period as we manned our Good Story table.

That evening, I took a long walk with a missionary friend serving in Portugal, as we lamented this stage of parenthood and letting our kids grow up. On night two, we sat from 8 p.m. to midnight with missionary friends serving in France, pouring our hearts out, tears streaming, prayers, counsel, and comfort being generously offered.

I’m only scratching the surface of how well-loved and welcomed Ryan and I felt at the ReachGlobal European Conference. It is never lost on us the privilege to be invited to come and serve, but also partake in the goodness with brothers and sisters we would most likely never have met until heaven. Strangers just 10 years ago, and now some of them have become the dearest of confidants. It’s the closest thing we have to feeling a part of the larger world of missions by serving in such an embodied way.

Click the link in our bio to read the rest of the RG European Conference recap

09/02/2025

Hug after hug peppered our time during the five-hour welcome and registration period as we manned our Good Story table.

That evening, I took a long walk with a missionary friend serving in Portugal, as we lamented this stage of parenthood and the inevitable letting of our kids grow up. On night two, we sat from 8 p.m. to midnight with missionary friends serving in France, pouring our hearts out, tears streaming, prayers, counsel, and comfort being generously offered.

I’m only scratching the surface of how well-loved and welcomed Ryan and I felt at the ReachGlobal European Conference. It is never lost on us the privilege to be invited to come and serve, but also partake in the goodness with brothers and sisters we would most likely never have met until heaven. Strangers just 10 years ago, and now some of them have become the dearest of confidants. It’s the closest thing we have to feeling a part of the larger world of missions by serving in such an embodied way.

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Hug after hug peppered our time during the five-hour welcome and registration period as we manned our Good Story table.

07/21/2025

We are beginning our trek to Frankfurt, Germany 🇩🇪 today leading us to the 2025 ReachGlobal European Conference where we will be serving the wonderful missionaries from this division with communication consultations and strategy meetings, updated portraits, and workshop training. We look forward to this conference every time!!