Born in California and raised in Oregon, I never would have imagined laying down roots in central Indiana. After high school, I ventured off to Taylor University in rural Indiana figuring that my four years in the heartland would earn me enough laurels to stay outside the area for the rest of my life. After college, I collected my laurels and set off across oceans. Inspired by an intense interest in travel and a desire to witness God's work around the globe, I taught in international schools in three continents: a year in Kenya, four years in Peru, and four years in Amman, Jordan.