18 Months Later….

Hi friends!

Travis and I both felt it was time to reconnect with those of you who have supported us through the last few years.  We appreciate your love, encouragement, and belief in us as well as having honored the silence that has filled much of the 18 months since he returned home.  I had envisioned his return to be easy, effortless, and enjoyable.  I also envisioned an ending, a feeling of finality, and a strong sense of accomplishment to engulf both of us.  Yet what unfolded in the past 18 months required even more grit, grace, and tenacity than either of us expected.

Let’s rewind to February ’24.  Travis secured employment shortly after returning home and returned to work.  It seemed as though we were getting back on track, and just a few short months later his employer interviewed him for a promotion that would have been very similar to the job he lost when his case broke on national media in June ’22.  It was the reclamation he had been talking about ever since losing his previous job.  He knew his talent would massively impact someone’s business and believed this opportunity to be it.

But that was not the case.  Even though they had verbally offered him the job and agreed upon a compensation plan, the position they were creating to offer him never developed.  In addition to the stress he was experiencing with this elusive promotion at work, he was fighting extreme fatigue that would have him sleeping nearly 16 hours a day.  Quite literally if he was not working, he was sleeping.  He suffered from reoccurring and debilitating migraines, and he had regular bouts of dizziness that made his world spin.  He had a challenging time accessing words he’d want to use in a conversation and pronunciation was an obstacle course his tongue struggled to navigate as the fatigue from the day took over.  These were the most prominent symptoms, yet he was experiencing a plethora of uncomfortable symptoms daily.

We were unsure what was going on with him, but it was very apparent his health, which had diminished while incarcerated, had continued to erode with the stress he was experiencing.  In February ’23, Travis called me panicked that he couldn’t speak clearly or use his tongue normally.  There was so much fear and urgency in his voice I made note of it in the journal I was keeping even though I could not tell over the phone during brief conversations.  He did not trust institutional medical care enough to seek answers until after his release. 

In June ’24 we received the answers to what had been plaguing him: a stroke.  In addition to the symptoms listed above the stroke had affected his body’s ability to regulate his hormones and blood labs revealed many of his hormones were critically low.  Both neuro-healing and hormone balancing are tedious and slow processes.  Like so many other families experience, our insurance coverage was inadequate in providing the services he needed.  We agreed it would be best for me to find employment with benefits to help navigate his rehab and recovery.

In August ’24, SJ (my best friend and business partner that I met while working for the federal government) mentioned there would be a job opening at headquarters in December that would be a great match for my skillset.  My knee jerk reaction was ‘absolutely not’ and she lovingly pointed out all the reasons why it would be so great suggesting I think about it.

One month later, I met up with another incredible friend who also works for headquarters, and she encouraged me to attend the hiring fair that was going to be right here in Lincoln with jobs offered on the spot in just a couple weeks.  My response was less resistive this time as I saw and felt in my soul what God was orchestrating so with a sarcastic ‘of course’ I asked her to email over the information. 

This story is wildly inspiring and a testament to the way God works miracles, and when told in full is an entire blog post of its own.  In short, I was offered a promoted position on October 10 (10/10 at 10 am).  While over 200 jobs were offered that day only 40 of us began in January ’25 before the change of administration and hiring freeze.  While I could not understand why I was being called down this path at the time, I’ve found deep conviction over the last nine months that I am exactly where I’m meant to be.

In November ’24, one month after I accepted the job with the federal government, Travis’s life pivoted to focusing on healing and being pardoned.  We are both grateful for the pronounced improvements we see physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually!  Despite the prosecution’s attempt to tie Travis to the events of January 6th, he was not granted an automatic pardon like those defendants received.  Travis meticulously worked on his 135-page application this year submitting it just a couple weeks ago.  We invite you to join us in believing a favorable decision will be granted yet this year.

One other notable aspect of the reintegration experience has been the isolation and withdrawal from engaging with others and life.  Travis shared this article that he said quite accurately explains what it’s like to rejoin society after incarceration, and it explains the perspective much better than I can.  

These 18 months have cultivated an even deeper faith in God, greater awe for the experience of life, and doubling down on commitment to one another as we watch many disclosures we knew to be true in 2022 but could not prove at the time.  This includes disclosures on censorship, the COVID narrative, and selected targeting of citizens who dissented– all which were mentioned in Travis’s statement to the court that the judge called “non-sense”.

I will share a few of those case-changing reveals with you over the weeks and months to come.  (I am still live on the air with Eyes Wide Open twice a month and having so much fun sharing how to regularly create these moments of miracles in life that I am no longer speaking about current events on that platform.)  Stay tuned here for more updates…

Until then, please know we love you and are deeply grateful for you being alongside this wild, life journey with us!

Peace & Love,

Janessa & Travis