From time to time, God calls us to Home before we think we think we are ready.  Our son, James Altschuler (1987-2023; age: 36), was one of those individuals.  On November 28, 2023, he suddenly and surprisingly passed from an aortic aneurysm. He was at home alone at the time; he had just excitedly purchased his own Christmas tree and was preparing decorate. The ‘kid’ in him wanted to be the first in the neighborhood to shine the Christmas tree for all the kids in the area.

James was ambitious and successful in all areas. He was in incredible health, physically and emotionally. Hired as the 10^th employee in 2012, he went on to help lead the company to be publicly traded in 2021, became Vice President of Sales, leading and mentoring numerous teams internationally both professionally and personally. According to the CEO, James was an inspiration to everyone.

After 13 years of non-stop full time work, and a difficult marital separation/divorce; James began to discuss the need/desire for a sabbatical.  During a short period of dedicated reflection, James re-dedicated his life to Christ, and found ways to lead an extremely helpful integrated lifestyle.  He listened to the counsel of several close friends and associates, developed a ‘therapeutic’ passion for intricate Lego projects, trained physically and ran in several marathons, renewed his golf game, and journaled daily. Through his research, he found no concept of a ‘professional sabbatical’ available; nothing specifically organized for private professionals interested in personal growth and restoration while still keeping their jobs.

Unfortunately, James found that he was a common but little-known statistic, that over 80% of professionals in the technical fields experience extreme burnout – even though he was only 35!  Together, Nancy and James quickly discovered that ministries and health care workers are at the top of this statistic by only a few percent – 85% of health care workers experience severe burnout symptoms, while the technical/digital profession is just behind at 80-82%.

The James Altschuler Memorial Fund aims to help raise scholarships for program costs and future participants in Horizon Refuge Sabbaticals. It is hoped that by remembering James’ experiences, we can provide a reminder of the need for respite/retreat programs like Horizon Refuge.

Would you like to remember your loved one through a memorial fund benefitting retreat, sabbatical, or restorative stays?  Contact us, and let's talk soon!