December 6, 2025
Nearly 12 months ago, we were bringing in a new year. Now the time has gone and the year is nearly complete. As I usually do this time of year, I want to take a look back at what God has done and how He has brought us through to nearing 2026.
February 20 soon arrived, marking another anniversary of receiving my spinal cord injury. This time marked 40 years since my family’s life changed to a very different path than most. It continues to amaze me how long God has brought me through and fulfill every need. My list of living friends with spinal cord injuries shrunk again in 2025, but I am thankful to still be active and have excellent health.
With March, came the end of my winter hibernation and heading out into the world. After a regular doctor’s appointment, my first main venture was speaking at the chapel service for Peoria Christian School. This is an opportunity that I have every other year, but it is also one of the most challenging. Speaking with students from kindergarten through eighth grade, I find it hard to pick a topic that will keep everyone’s interest and be educational for all age groups.
April and May continued with my regular school visits as well as one additional campus. Even after 20 years of visiting grade schools, I look forward to them every time and greatly enjoy working with the kids. I often wish I could spend more than just 30 or 40 minutes with them and get to know the kids better. While I was speaking with local students, my dad was floating far away.
It took much planning, but dad was able to take a 10-day rafting trip down the Grand Canyon. He went with a creation ministries organization and had a great time of rafting, hiking, and camping out under the stars. At the end of 2024, the student nurse that had been helping me for three years graduated and moved back to Arizona. Abby graciously returned to help mom and I in the evenings and weekends so that dad could take a trip of a lifetime. It 
was fun getting caught up with her after a few months away and we were very thankful that she was willing to help. That would not be the only vacation that took place this year.
After 15 years of volunteering as a CHAMP camp counselor, I retired in 2019 due to no longer physically being able to endure the week. This year was camp’s 35th anniversary and they invited alumni to come and visit for one special evening. My last extended outing was also in 2019, so this sounded like a good opportunity to get out and see the country again.
My night nurse Michael agreed to come along and help take care of me at night and my parents would handle the days. In mid-June, the van was loaded and the four of us took off to the east. It was great to see friends again at camp as well as the changes to the grounds and meet a few of the new campers. Even just spending one afternoon and evening made me remember all the years of enjoyment and helping kids. Thoughts of trying to 
return as a counselor went through my mind, but also the challenges of travel.
I reluctantly said our good-byes and headed east from Indianapolis for two days in Kentucky. Even though I have been to the Creation Museum and Ark Encounter before, I was looking forward to seeing the changes and review what I may have missed the last time. My parents and I spent the morning at the hotel while Michael rested. Around lunch, we would leave and have the day’s activities. Both attractions have expanded in the 7-8 years since I last visited. I enjoyed seeing new information as well as confirming the accuracy of the early chapters of the Bible and that it could be trusted in every verse. 
Unfortunately, I brought home more souvenirs than t-shirts.
We stayed in a hotel near the Ark Encounter for two nights. At our final evening, I laid in bed with my parents sitting around me while Michael caught a few winks before taking over. As the air conditioning ran, it seemed like it was blowing straight up my nose and made my lungs sore. When Michael took over, the situation didn’t improve and I started needing frequent suctioning, which is highly unusual.
The trip home couldn’t go quickly enough for me, but we only had to stop once for suctioning. Unfortunately, the next few weeks had a lot of trouble with my lungs and much more frequent suctioning. Michael also felt ill with congestion and breathing problems which made the two of us suspect mold or some kind of problem with the hotel air-conditioning. Thankfully, my breathing returned to normal after a month. I was reminded a few times that this was the last vacation I’ll be taking and my hotel experience helped solidify that thought.
Starting in August, one of my night nurses needed to be on an extended leave with uncertainty as to win she would return. Therefore, from the middle of the month until halfway through October, I had two nights every week without help. Other than the three times I preached, my family 
missed going to church the entire period and had much difficulty with energy and activities on the weekends. My parents and I are very grateful for all my caregivers, and long periods without help remind us of God’s blessings.
As summer turned to fall, I upgraded two items I use most frequently, my computer and wheelchair. My good friend Tom and I debated on different technology options, and eventually came to a conclusion. He came for a few days in late September to help switch systems and get caught up again. Not everything went as smoothly as hoped, but another quick visit and upgrade in late November got it all 
working quite well.
In May, I officially ordered a new wheelchair. My Invacare TDX that I have used for ten years was doing pretty well, but possible upcoming funding changes prompted the switch. At the end of October, I first got to sit in my new chair. An entire day of adjustments commenced, but I didn’t officially get to use or drive it until mid-November.
It has now been a few weeks since I got it and I have put a full mile on the odometer. The system has aspects I like, much to get used to, and a number of changes that remain. One of them being the tendency to tip over when in the van and making right-hand turns.
Throughout this year, God also allowed me to volunteer with fellow evangelists during Tulip Time and the Iowa State fair. I also preached a number of times for different congregations. In early November, I started having trouble with my trach button closing over. Medicine made little progress and I am therefore scheduled to have it surgically opened again in mid-December. I still continue to use a mouth stick for most of my computer work, but am slowly increasing use of voice control and dictated much of this letter.
I pray that everyone had a blessed 2025 and look forward to another year ahead. We never know what God will bring, but trust in His plan whatever may come.
Joel Vander Molen
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