Led By God, This Family of 8 is Embarking on a Two-Year US Road Trip

Not sure what to do after high school Dane Eyerly found himself turning to God for answers. Growing up in a religious household he felt a strong pull to learn more about his own religion and subsequently spent two years preaching in southern California. He says he learned the hard way that when God tells you to do something you should just do it. The now 34 year old married father of six has lived his life, turning to God for guidance, ever since he felt lost as a teenager.

“Knowing the direction is coming from God doesn’t always make it easy, but it sure does help ease some of the worry,”
Eyerly says.

He explained to me that after preaching for two years he once again turned to God for direction and was given clear instruction to attend college, which he did. While there he met Deena. A brilliant woman who had also struggled to find her way with God. Together the young couple determined to put Christ first in their relationship.

After a short courtship the two were engaged underneath Utah’s Delicate Arch in Arches National Park, an engagement they both feel was directed by God. After nearly a year long engagement the two were married and set out to continue their studies. They were happy and excited to start their journey as a married couple. Shortly after their first semester of school as a married couple they felt inspired to move 1500 miles away.

With very few job prospects, and in the midst of a bachelor’s program they followed the inspiration and moved to Texas. There, they found low paying jobs, but sufficient for their needs. They then turned to God again as they prepared to start a family. “The instruction we received was clear — Six kids as quickly as possible,” they both tell me. According to the Eyerly’s they got this instruction at the same time and while they aren’t certain why, they are certain the instruction came from God.

With each child came new challenges and new adventures. Night school, job loss, moves, and more, they always turned to God. It seems every challenge was a preparation for the next thing God would direct them to do.

“With our first, we lost our income right after we got pregnant. Our second child came more than two months early and Dane struggled with that quite a bit but, determined to follow God, we continued to follow His instruction,” says Deena as she excuses herself to tend to the youngest.

“After Bam, that’s our third, we were feeling pretty good about things. The job was good, I was still in school, but we’d purchased a home and things were moving along pretty smoothly,” says Dane. That is, right up until he repeatedly prayed about buying a new motorcycle. As he puts it, even after his prayer was answered with a clear “no” he continued to pray about it and then made up his mind to buy it anyways. That day, on his way to work, he wrecked the motorcycle he already had.

“That was a really dark place for me,” Eyerly says, “but we pressed forward together.” Dane made a full recovery, graduated, and continued growing the family. After graduating he called on God again as he changed careers. The Eyerly’s then had another child, and shortly thereafter found out they were expecting a fifth. This time was different though, Deena’s body was struggling, and they knew this would be the last, but their faith preceded a miracle — twins.

Now, the Eyerly Family of 8 are putting all their faith in God again. As they prayed about their future, they once again felt inspired, this time in a whole new way. “The Lord told us we need to make a drastic change to spend more time together, so we’re doing just that,” Dane says. Now they’re preparing to spend the next two years traveling the US in a double-decker bus which they’ve had converted into a roaming tiny home!

“Our plans don’t always work out, but His do. We bank on that.”