My life's travels around the globe started at the early age of 3. My father's work as a leprosy doctor began in Oman. Later, he was transferred to Boende, Zaire with the Disciples of Christ Mission to Zaire. Couple of years later, the Government Hospital of Zaire brought my father on, to serve as their doctor. So he served at Mama Yemo Hospital under President Mobutu. Seven years later my brothers and I were sent to an International School in India while my parents continued their work in Zaire and Zambia. Throughout that time, I had the privilege of being taught not only how and why Christ impacted my parents' personal faith journey, but how much Christ's teachings were an integral part of their work and relationships. No matter how each culture varied, it was a powerful image to see cultural differences be embraced, and bridges built, by the knowledge that Christ came to give His life for all of us. We are all created in His image.
The very powerful and tangible experience of coming to know Christ prior to coming to America is what sustained me in a foreign land where neither social nor familial support existed.
As I strive to bridge my worlds between the East and the West, I can safely say that while I have some eastern/western influences, neither culture bridges my world. Understanding who God is, and knowing Jesus, has helped me recognize the beauty of all nations, and the Hope for a rich life God has to offer all of us.