Comments:
I can't believe it has already been 10 years! Well, after high school, I went to ASU for 2 years and then took a few years off and lived in Australia. I attended a Discipleship Training School (DTS) with Youth with a Mission (YWAM) and then became a leader of that school for a year (www.reeftooutback.com). What a life changing experience!! During my time with YWAM, I was blessed to participate in outreaches to Indonesia, Samoa, New Zealand and Australia - including the Olympics in Sydney.
When I came home from Australia, I didn't have a clue what I wanted to study but went back to ASU. After changing my major multiple times, I graduated with a bachelors degree in interdisciplinary studies with emphasis in communications and family studies. (what a mouthful!) The fun thing about taking a few years off of school is that my sister and I graduated together in Dec. 2004.
In January 2005, I went to Kona, Hawaii and studied photography with YWAM. When the school ended, I was blessed to travel to Japan and four countries in SE Asia (including a tsunami refugee camp in Thailand). That experience of photographing people in foreign countries gave me the humbling opportunity to photograph some of the field work that Food for the Hungry does in Bangladesh and China (in March '08).
When I came back from Kona, it was time to turn in my green apron at Starbucks and get a "real job." Since nothing was really available at Food for the Hungry (FH) where I really wanted to work, I became an academic counselor for University of Phoenix. After a year and a half of that, God opened up the door for me to work at FH (an international Christian relief and development organization that is based out of Phoenix). And that is currently where I work - in the short-term teams department, working with churches and schools to get involved overseas in the work that God is doing through FH. It truly is a huge blessing to be a part of something globally, but still get to live in AZ near my family and friends. I also am blessed to travel sometimes. Last year I led a team to Kenya, and this year, I'm leading a team to Rwanda (and my sis and hub are going too!!).
And that leads me to my biggest blessing - my husband, Brett. We were actually introduced by Amy (MacKinney) and Brycen Snyder back in 2003, but didn't start dating until Sept. '05. And we were married on November 18, 2007. He truly is my best friend and I am incredibly thankful for him. Brett is blessed to work for a company that is involved in something he loves too - Golf! He is the manager of marketing and communications for Troon Golf.
We attend East Valley Bible in Gilbert and serve in our 20 somethings ministry. Kiddos are hopefully in our future, but for now, we enjoy our neices and nephew (on his side, not my sis).
