I was born and grew
up
in Ann
Arbor, MI (Go
Wolverines!).
As a child I was very active in a Free Methodist Church. I
accepted the Lord as my Savior at seven years of age. I
remember
being very aware of God's presence as a young child. I would
sit
outside in awe of His creation. It was at age twelve, though,
when I began to claim His truths for myself. At that time I
began
studying the Bible, focusing on His unchanging presence.
After
high school I went to Spring Arbor College, where I earned my degrees
in Elementary Education and Early Childhood Development, with minors in
Social Science and Language Arts. I also met the uncomparibly
wonderful man who I would marry - Thom! We have been married
since 1997 and have always tried to be sensitive to the Lord's calling
on our lives as it has led us to various ministry positions.
Now
in Bamako, Mali, I'm working on learning the Bambara language so I can
build relationships with Malian women. Between teaching
opportunities, language study and my hope to build a ministry with
Backyard Bible Clubs here in Bamako, life is never dull here!
