A little about me…I have been married to Ben for 16 years and we have 2 daughters, Annika (9) and Celia (8). We live in Verona and attend Blackhawk Fitchburg. Ben is a meteorologist and business consultant and I work for Blackhawk Fitchburg. In my (little) time, I enjoy hiking, walking our dog, tennis, cooking, travel, and trying new restaurants with my family.

My journey with GO teams and Food for the Hungry (FH) started in 2002 when I was fresh out of college and an idealistic social worker. I had a desire to "change the world" but very little real life experience. I clearly remember Pastor Chris saying in one of his sermons that "every one should go on a short-term mission trip at some point". I have a innate interest in social justice and culture so of course, I was in! The first trip that was offered after that was a trip to Peru with FH so I immediately signed up. Through a series of events, Ben and I ended up leading teams to Peru with FH from 2003-2013. During those years, I developed a deep love for the community we partnered with (La Merced de Neshuya), the FH staff and their work there, as well as South America. My heart and assumptions about the world and people different from me were challenged so much during those years. My worldview has widened and many of my false beliefs about poverty have changed to what I believe better reflect God’s worldview. I still have a lot to learn. 

I want to take a moment to thank the many people who have supported me with prayers, finances and encouragement. Your support is very meaningful to me. We may never know on this side of heaven the impact that these partnerships will have on all of us. These verses from Isaiah 55 have been my meditation as I think about this partnership:

Please follow along on this blog to be updated on our trip. In the meantime, if you would pray for a humble, learner’s heart for our team. We have so much to learn from our brothers and sisters in Bolivia.