Our Bios

Chris' Biography:

I was born in Connecticut in 1974. I was a MK, not a “missionary kid,” but a “military kid.” Because of this, I did not grow up in one area. By the time I was 12 years old, I lived in Connecticut, Maryland, Virginia, South Carolina, and Puerto Rico! The most important event in my life happened when I was 9 years old. By God’s grace, my family moved to Puerto Rico in June 1983. One Saturday morning in August 1983, two ladies came to our house on the Naval Base while door-to-door witnessing. They invited us to their church, Maranatha Baptist Church. The next day, my mom, sister, and I went to the church building. One month later, on September 25, 1983, the church had a special Sunday with a special speaker. That day I realized during the evening service that I was going to Hell if I didn’t repent and believe in Jesus as my Savior and Lord. I remember very clearly the Holy Spirit convicting my heart of my lost condition and my need for a Savior. During the invitation I prayed at my seat and asked Christ to save me from my sins. Praise God He did! The next Sunday morning I went forward and gave a testimony to the missionary church that I had trusted Christ. My salvation is a great miracle!

I spent my high school years in Charleston, South Carolina where I graduated from Northside Christian School in May 1992. Because I felt the Lord leading me into Christian education to teach Math at that time, I majored in Math Education at Bob Jones University. Throughout this time in high school and college, the Lord had been working in my heart about missions but I never did sense a clear call into missions. I was always open to foreign missions, having taken many missions trips in high school.

A few months before I graduated from BJU, Clemson University offered me a teaching assistantship to work on a Master’s degree in Math. I decided to pursue this degree because of my interest in Math and also my interest in college ministry. Just before I started my Master’s degree, I was able to take a summer missions trip to Kenya, East Africa during the summer of 1996. The Lord used this trip and many others things in my life to make it clear that the Lord was calling me into foreign missions. Through some wise counsel, I continued my Master's program at Clemson and finished my degree there in 1998. I am so glad I did because in the second year of the program, the Lord brought Heidi into my life! The next fall I began Seminary to prepare for the ministry. Little did I know that God would save me in a missionary church and then call me to be a missionary!

Chris' Education:

Bob Jones University
Bachelor of Science in Math Education (1996)
Master of Arts in Theology (2001)

Clemson University
Master of Science in Mathematics (1998)

Detroit Baptist Theological Seminary
Master of Divinity (2002)

Currently working on a Doctor of Intercultural Studies

Chris’ Likes/Interests:

Traveling and learning about different cultures

Talking about Missions Philosophy and Theology

Playing board games (i.e. Chess, Samarai Swords, Settlers of Catan, and Ticket to Ride)

Running and exercising

Bubble tea, Peanut Butter M&M’s, and Indian food

Heidi’s Education:

Bob Jones University
Bachelor of Science in Nursing (1995)

Heidi’s Likes/Interests:

Cooking and Baking both old favorites and new finds

Coffee and Chocolate!

Travel and learning about new cultures.

Reading on my Kindle and playing games

Keeping up with friends

Heidi’s Biography:

I was born in South Carolina in 1972. I had the privilege of being raised in a Christian family and was saved at the age of four after attending an Awana meeting. During the meeting I was given a tract showing how we should give our hearts and lives to Christ since He had died to pay the penalty for our sins. After reading the tract, I knew that I was a sinner and needed Jesus Christ to save me. That day, with my Dad present, I trusted Jesus Christ as my Savior.

Most of my growing up years were spent at Bob Jones University where my parents teach and work. I thrived in the academic and cultural environment and even managed to enjoy being called a “faculty brat!” My lifelong desires were realized when I graduated with my nursing degree in 1995. After graduation I worked in a number of different areas of nursing and loved them all! Throughout all of this time I felt that I was willing to serve the Lord in whatever way He would choose for me. Still, I never sensed a specific call to Christian work or to missions.

In the summer of 1997 through some unusual circumstances the Lord brought me out to University Baptist Church in Clemson, SC. I immediately felt at home in this church. In spite of the fact that I lived and worked 45 minutes away, I decided to become as active as possible in their outreach to the Clemson college campus. During a church missions conference that fall, God clearly showed me that His will for my life was to serve Him as a missionary. The Lord graciously allowed me to take a short-term mission trip to Papua New Guinea in 1999. Through my experiences in that primitive and spiritually needy place, God confirmed to me that He was calling me to minister for Him on the foreign mission field.