Hope Found

This book was written to those who are struggling to find their way out of total darkness hoping to see a sliver of light. To those who feel God is silent and long to hear His whisper, you are not alone. His presence may be faint and dim, but we promise He is there and you will find Him waiting to meet you in places you never thought possible.

Col Jim Ravella USAF (ret) and Ginger Gilbert Ravella, both widows, faced the unthinkable; the loss of their spouses at a young age. Between them they were left with seven children to raise alone.

Jim’s late wife Andrea was initially diagnosed with stage II breast cancer but tragically, later learned it had spread to her bones, liver and lungs. Andrea lost her fight with cancer but won her place in eternity. Jim was her primary caregiver and a F-15E fighter pilot in the United States Air Force (USAF).

Ginger was the mother of five young children married to Major Troy Gilbert a USAF F-16 fighter pilot. While Jim’s loss was long suffering, Ginger’s loss came with a sudden knock at the front door. She faced every military wife’s greatest fear; her husband had been killed in combat.

Both families struggled to pick up the pieces of their shattered lives while reconciling their faith in God with the reality they faced. Ginger and Jim found each other and joined their two broken families. They quickly realized they had many shared experiences of God’s faithfulness.

They started a blog to document their journeys and found numerous others were helped by their authenticity. This book grew out of their grief and from their desire to openly share what God so graciously taught them. It is about life and death and life after death. But always it is about God’s unfailing love for us.

They met and married in 2008 and now reside in San Antonio, Texas where they raise their blended family. They speak nationally sharing their story of loss and hope and have appeared on national television, radio and numerous publications.