In the spring of 2015, I joined Praying Pelican Missions as summer seasonal staff in Puerto Rico to lead teams that came to serve. While there, I felt God calling me to serve in Puerto Rico full-time. But at that point, I was unsure in what capacity that would be. I made many contacts while in Puerto Rico with local pastors. My wife, Carolyn, and I prayed about what my mission would be down there. Then in the summer of 2017, a pastor friend and I were sharing our visions and discovered the two greatly complimented each other.

Just a couple months later, September 2017, Hurricane Maria devastated the island. It wasn't until late December that we were finally able to hear from some of our friends there. They shared how they were in need of clean drinking water. My daughter Leah and I put out a plea for water filters. We received 27 filters and delivered them in February 2018, to a pastor friend in the mountains. By then our family was hooked! I embraced the call to serve in Puerto Rico.

I was born and raised in a Christian family where church life was as important as our family life. When I graduated high school, I moved to Cincinnati to attend Cincinnati Bible College and Seminary. I graduated in 1991, and also while there, met my wife Carolyn. We were married in September 1991. Since then, we have served several churches in the U.S. in a variety of ways, including as Youth Minister and Children's Minister. For the past 24 years, we have lived in Cincinnati, Ohio where we have raised our three daughters Rachel, Hannah, and Leah.

Our daughter Rachel is married to Nolan McClurg, and they currently live in Grayson, KY. Hannah lives outside of Cincinnati and helps lead worship at her church, and engaged to be married to Micah Knisley in November, 2021. Leah and her husband James live in Atlanta, GA are proud parents of Kathleen Marilyn. Leah is our Trip Coordinator for Vine and Branches.