An Arizona family that abandoned the United States in search of a
life with less government interference returned home on Sunday.
Hannah Gastonguay, 26, her husband Sean, 30, his father Mike, and
the couple's infant daughter Rahab and 3-year-old daughter Ardith set
sail from San Diego for the tiny island nation of Kiribati, northeast
of Australia, in May after moving from Ash Fork, Arizona last year.
Hannah
told the AP that her family fled the United States because as
Christians they don't believe in “abortion, homosexuality, in the
state-controlled church.”
“The Bible is pretty clear,” she said.
Sean sold the house in Arizona and quit his job as a carpenter.
He told Chilean daily Las Ultimas Noticias that he wanted to
escape the U.S.'s high taxes.
The couple said that their boat took a beating as they faced
multiple storms.
“We were in the thick of it, but we prayed,” she said. “Being
out on that boat, I just knew I was going to see some miracles.”
A Canadian cargo ship offered supplies at one point, but their
boat was dinged as the ship pulled up alongside.
Eventually, they were rescued by a Venezuelan fishing vessel,
transferred to a Japanese cargo ship, and landed in Chile on Friday,
91 days after setting sail.
Hannah Gastonguay said that she would “come up with a new plan.”