“This isn’t about politics, it’s about education and helping scared people feel less alone,” Ruth said. “Everyone in my family works in education, in one way or another, so it makes sense that I would be an educator too. This is my way of giving back, helping mothers, helping children.”

Ruth Boyette’s father, Howard Stuart, teaches ethics and philosophy at Rappahannock Community College. Her sister, Marianne Stuart, recently founded the country’s first low-residency Christian writing school, near Sarasota, Florida. The Tour of Life is funded by a grant from God’s World God’s Word, a national faith-based organization involved in education and outreach, and will take the Boyettes to a number of churches and “educational institutions” like her sister’s newly founded school. In the Boyettes’ absence Healing Waters will be helmed by Associate Pastor Charles Walker, though Darryl and Ruth will have weekly videoconference sessions with congregants throughout their three-week trip. They are expected to return to church in August.

Most articles about Ruth and her church—a BBQ fund-raiser, a homecoming reunion, a new twist on vacation Bible school (VBS All Summer Long!)—were in the free local tabloid, print-only and clipped and mailed to Marianne by their dad, usually without comment. But this one, accompanied by a photograph of Ruth, appeared in a larger, regional paper. Though it was in a section called Faith Notes, it was not written in the gossipy, suspense-driven style the local rag favored (Guess who is going on a Tour of Life? Have you ever heard of or been on a Tour of Life?). It was available online and had popped up in Marianne’s Google Alerts, set to notify her when any mentions of Marianne Stuart, Eric Osborne, Genesis Inspirational Writing Ranch, or Davonte Gold appeared. So far there’d been dispiritingly little traffic, but this wasn’t what she had in mind—her sister putting her own maudlin misunderstanding of their family’s history, of Marianne’s mother, in front of everyone, or at least the readers of Faith Notes.

Heart pounding, she called Howard, who answered on the third ring.

“Dad! The article—did you see it?”

“Marianne?”

It had always been exasperating to have to announce herself to her own father. “Yes! It’s Marianne. Check your email—I just forwarded you this awful article about Ruth’s Tour of Life.”

“I know about it. I’m picking up the mail for your sister and Darryl while they’re gone.”

“They’re in the paper,” Marianne said. “The Tidewater Review. Ruth is going to talk about Mom. At antiabortion rallies. At my ‘educational institution’—why is that in quotes? Do they think it’s not a real school? Dad, did she tell you she was coming here? Did you know that she thinks this?”