Our Story
You might be here because you heard about a big family living in a converted school bus, saw us in a magazine, or you’re knee‑deep in your own build and looking for ideas. However you landed here, this is the story behind the Good News Bus, the family that calls it home, and the road that led us here.
As you read, you’ll see our conversions, meet our family, and step into the moments that shaped us. This isn’t just about a bus—it’s about calling, adventure, faith, and building a home on wheels that carries our story.
Meet Our Family
My name is Shane. I’m a husband, father of eight, carpenter, musician, filmmaker, and a bit of a jack‑of‑all‑trades.
Julie is my wife and partner in all of this—mother of eight, incredible cook (her cinnamon rolls are legendary), carpenter who can swing a hammer with the best of them, musician (she sings with me), filmmaker, and architectural designer who specializes in small spaces. Together we designed and built both the original Good News Bus and Good News Bus 2.0.
Where It All Began
I was born in Seattle, Washington. My dad was from Florida and worked for Boeing, and my mom—born in Washington— stayed home to raise my sister, Summer, and me. She also worked at times as a licensed beautician.
Growing up, the smell of jet fuel and diesel wasn’t just background noise—it was part of the soundtrack of my childhood.
In 1983, when I was six, my parents decided to move from Washington to Florida to be closer to my dad’s family. They needed a way to move everything the 2,800 miles across the country. Renting a U‑Haul was expensive and limiting, so they bought an old GMC diesel school bus they saw in the paper.
They turned that bus into a rolling home—space for all our belongings, a makeshift kitchen, bunks, and a queen bed for my parents. That bus became the backdrop of our family adventures. We used it for years, moving from Washington to Florida, then to Virginia, and back again. Even now, the smell of diesel takes me straight back to those trips.
In 1993, when I was fifteen, we were on the road again, headed back to Florida. Somewhere near Pasco, Washington, the bus broke down. The engine needed a full rebuild—more than the bus was technically worth. My sister and I begged my dad not to send it to the scrap yard. It felt like part of the family.
After a lot of pleading, my parents chose to fix it. A month later we were back on the road, my dad’s old screwdriver wedged against the gas pedal as “cruise control.” We made it to Pensacola, Florida. That would be the last trip in that bus. Eventually it was given a new home, but the memories stayed.
At seventeen, “bus fever” hit me again. A friend and I bought another bus down the road, gutted it, and I built out a simple layout—kitchen, dining area, twin beds, and a big rear storage space. I poured everything I had into it… including my entire budget. We never took a single trip in that bus. Eventually, we had to sell it. The dream was still there, just waiting for its time.
From Religion to Relationship
After selling that bus, I started community college, majoring in criminal justice. During that time I met a guy named Jason. We became friends, then lost touch. One day he called out of the blue, his voice full of excitement.
He told me how he’d been caught up in drugs and the wrong crowd, and how everything changed when a friend invited him to a church in Pensacola. He said, “God totally set me free and changed my life. You have to see what’s happening there.” I’d heard stories like that before, but something about this one stuck.
I always believed God existed, but I didn’t know you could actually know Him. I thought being a Christian meant attending services and hoping it earned points with “the man upstairs.” I was a “good person,” so I didn’t think I needed anything dramatic. I was wrong.
More and more, I heard about this church in Pensacola where lives were being turned around. People were traveling from all over the country and even from other nations. Deep down, I’d always wanted to know my Creator and be known by Him. I remember staring at the ceiling at night, asking, “God, are You really there?” Eventually, I decided to go.
When I arrived, there were lines of people wrapped around the building—some had been waiting since the night before. I stood in the parking lot and prayed, “God, if You’re here, I really want to know You.” Inside, over two thousand people filled the sanctuary, with overflow rooms and an adjacent chapel watching via CCTV. News crews were there. Something was happening.
I’d been in church my whole life, but I’d never seen anything like it. People weren’t there out of obligation—they were hungry, expectant. When the music started, I began to weep. It felt like peace wrapped around me. In that moment, I knew I never wanted to lose what I was experiencing. I realized I’d been going through religious motions without relationship. It became clear: sin separates us from God, and it was my sin that kept me at a distance.
That night I decided to follow Him with all my heart, to say “no” to what I knew He didn’t want for me, and to let Him truly be Lord of my life. God went from being a distant idea to my closest friend. I realized it was actually possible to know Him.
I was hooked. These weren’t “just services.” The church met every day, Monday through Sunday, and hundreds of young people kept showing up. Why? Because God was moving in a real, life‑changing way.
For the next six months, I didn’t miss a single service. A Bible school was birthed out of that move of God, and I was among the first to enroll. During that season, a love for writing and playing music began to grow in my heart. I practiced on an old piano that had belonged to my grandmother.
In 1998, my dad was asked by the school to lead a mission trip to Germany. I joined the team and watched God move in powerful ways—people set free from addictions, marriages restored, bodies healed, and hearts meeting the Lord in a real way. I began leading music on those trips and loved it.
In early 2000, just four years after I’d first sat at that old piano, I recorded my first album, Passion for You. Seven of the songs were originals, three were covers, and the album received international airplay.
In 2001, while ministering at a church in Canada, I met Julie. At first it was just a quick “hello,” but on a later visit we ended up talking after the service and really connected. Before I flew home, we exchanged email addresses. A little over a year later, we were married.
As a wedding gift, my parents gave us an acre of land. We started dreaming and designing our home right away. In 2003 we broke ground, and over the next three years we built it almost entirely ourselves. We finished debt‑free, which felt incredible.
We didn’t want to stay in the South forever, so in 2008 we put the house up for sale. That decision opened the door for something I’d been dreaming about since I was a kid: building a bus conversion for our own family.
The Birth of the Good News Bus
By this time, we had four children—Isaiah, Arwen, Ashton, and Ethan—and Julie was pregnant with our fifth, Elisha. Our ministry agreed to help fund part of a bus conversion since we’d be using it for ministry travel. I started researching, hoping to learn from others who had gone before us.
To my surprise, there weren’t many detailed bus conversion blogs out there. So we decided to lean on our own design, carpentry, electrical, and plumbing skills—and to document the entire process so others could follow along. That’s how the Good News Bus blog was born.
We found a bus on eBay for $3,500 that fit what we needed: a 1995 International 72‑passenger flat‑nose Genesis with an AmTran body and a DT‑466 7.6‑liter diesel engine. We drove from Alabama to Louisiana to pick her up. By the time the deal was done, it was late, but we decided to drive home anyway. Our two oldest begged to ride with me in the new bus. We rolled in early the next morning—exhausted, but thrilled.
On May 3rd, 2009, we officially started the project. We completely gutted the bus, even pulling up the original plywood subfloor. Over the next year and a half we framed, wired, paneled, trimmed, stained, varnished, nailed, drilled, cut, painted, and installed everything: stove, lighting, gas lines, water lines, water pump, flooring, countertops, toilet, black/grey/fresh tanks, fridge, sink, water heater, inverter, batteries, radio, speakers, seating, and more—until a school bus became a full‑blown home on wheels.
In the end, we accomplished our goal: a fully functional, beautiful home on wheels for our growing family.
A close friend and supporter suggested the name “Good News Bus,” and it stuck. A graphic designer friend created the logo, and just like that, our bus had an identity.
On December 5th, we set out on our first adventure in the Good News Bus—a trip all the way to Canada.
Since finishing the conversion, the bus has been more than a vehicle. Over the last eight years, we’ve lived in it more than we’ve lived in a traditional house. We’ve used it while traveling, while building two different homes, and while working on remote projects. It’s become part of the family. Our kids are getting to experience road life the way I did as a child in that first old bus.
Music, Media, and the Road
On August 9th, 2011, I posted a simple YouTube video walking through our bus conversion. That video has now been viewed over a million times.
In September 2015, we released our first “Bus Life with 9” episode: Meet our Large Family & School Bus Conversion. As of this writing, it’s nearing 900,000 views.
In 2014 we released a three‑song EP titled Jump!, professionally recorded and produced. In 2016 we released two singles, Longing and The First Time.
In late 2017, we found out that Julie was pregnant with our eighth child. We knew our current bus wouldn’t be big enough for all of us, so the search for a new bus began.
We eventually found a 2005 Thomas HDX 38' bus in Avon Park, Florida, at a place called Avery Bus. In December, we drove south and picked it up. We then drove it to Orlando, where a church graciously allowed us to do the entire build in their parking lot.
The new bus has turned out amazing, and we’re so grateful for it. Our adventures continue to grow, and you can follow them all on YouTube.
Featured & Still Rolling
Our family’s story has been featured in multiple online publications and in the August 2016 edition of Good Housekeeping. The journey hasn’t slowed down—we’re still traveling, still creating, still raising our kids on the road and at home, and still sharing the story as it unfolds.
We’d love for you to come along.
Comments
Would it be possible to have a 10 min time slot pick at your brain. Your fresh off of a build and would love to soak in some knowledge from you. If this possible please let me know!!!
My number is 9405953412