Our Story

In 2010 Cory and I met doing a semester study abroad program in Israel.

We were both in college. 

I was 19. He was 25. 

We both went there wanting to be completely free. Free from a reputation. Free from responsibility. Free from a relationship. 

Our relationship began with us arguing. About mostly everything. 

The Law in the Old Testament. Lifestyle choices. What was funny and what wasn’t. 

It was like we couldn’t stand each other but at the same time we couldn’t get enough.

We debated. We discussed. We fought. 

Here we are arguing away

We began to share. We began to divulge. We began to agree. 

We left Israel. Cory went to Washington and I to California. 

We barely talked for a year after that. 

It was June 2011. We began to talk again. We began to get to know each other on a deeper level. We began to talk about future. Not together. Just the future. 

August 2011. Cory moved down to California to “finish school.” 

October 2011. We began to date. We went to Disneyland and got our faces painted like tigers. 

We had season passes to Disneyland and Magic Mountain. 

We worked at restaurants, rode roller coasters, and talked about ministry. 

November 2011. Dave Patty, the president of Josiah Venture spoke in chapel. The reality that only 1% of Central and Eastern Europe know Christ as their Savior rocked our worlds. We told Dave we wanted to go to a place of great need and be in a nominal muslim country. He said “You’re going to Albania.” We didn’t know where that was. 

April 2012 we get engaged on a beautiful sunny day at the LA County Museum of Natural History’s rose garden. Cory’s hands were sweaty on the way to the museum and I asked him why. I don’t remember what he said. When he got down on one knee I was blown away. Absolutely shocked. Had not been more surprised in my life (not that he was asking me to marry him in general, just that it was that day). Then I realized why he had sweaty hands. 

May 2012. Cory went to a Josiah Venture conference in the Czech Republic to see if Josiah Venture was indeed something we wanted to be a part of.  JV focuses on discipleship, equipping and the local church. Cory was sold. Now we just needed to go to Albania. 

July 2012 we took our first trip to Albania. We led a team of 11 friends/students to do an English summer camp in the town of Korce. We had no idea what to expect. But, that trip sealed the deal. We loved the culture. We loved the people. We loved the chaos and confusion of the country. Ultimately, we saw the need. 

September 2012 we got married on a 110 degree day in Kingsburg, CA. Cory was wearing a black suit. It was an amazing day. We still talk about it all the time. From our honeymoon we flew straight to Seattle to live and work there while we prepared to go to Albania. 

December 2012 we applied and were accepted to Josiah Venture as missionaries in Albania. 

February 2013 we went to JV Orientation in Chicago. We talked about Josiah Venture, how to raise support, how to use all of the computer programs, how to move forward. 

April 2013 we found out we were going to be a family of three! We were thrilled. Every day she grew in my belly we got more excited. We also sent out our first letter and began the support raising process. 

Orange you glad we're having a baby?

I was 15 weeks so she was the size of an orange...

July 2013 we went to Albania for the second time. This time with 34 friends/students/leaders to do two English summer camps. Some of the students who had gotten saved the previous year were there. It was AMAZING to see what the Lord had done in their lives. They were plugged into the church in Korce and being discipled. That is one of the things we love about Josiah Venture. All ministry is through the local church. 

August 2013 we moved down to California with about 10 days notice. We sold most of our stuff and drove down. Cory was given the opportunity to lead worship at 2 churches in Southern California. They were 5 hours apart and we drove back and forth every other weekend. It was crazy but we were so thankful. Thankful for the love and support of those churches we became a part of. They are both sending teams to Albania this summer. 

Christmas Day 2013 Shiloh Belle was born. Most amazing, insane, intense, crazy, painful, beautiful 24 hours of my life. She has brought us incredible joy and we thank the Lord for her daily. 

In March of 2014 our support hit 100%. So thankful. Thankful for dear friends we have known for years. Thankful for strangers that have become a part of God’s work in Albania. Thankful for the body of believers that has surrounded us as we move forward. 

April 2014. We packed up the Scion, this time with even less stuff, and drove to Colorado for a month of training. Language and culture training. They taught us HOW to learn a language and this part was invaluable. 

Leaving CA, Shiloh's first home

Colorado snow in APRIL

May 2014. We spent a month in Seattle saying our goodbyes, getting rid of more stuff, collecting important documents, eating lots of good food, and shoving the rest of our belongings into body sized duffels. 

June 7, 2014, we got on a plane with our one way ticket and flew to Albania. Amazed at what the Lord has done and what we know He will continue to do.