Here is a little about me and my life up until now. I was born and raised in Minnesota. I grew up about 1/2 hour west of the Twin Cities in TonkaBay close to Excelsior. Excelsior is known for being right on Lake Minnetonka. So I grew up spending my summers swimming and being with friends. Life as a child was mostly care free. I grew up in a single parent home where money could be tight but looking back God always provided.
Growing up I
lived with my mom and was very close with my grandma. My mom, grandma and I were 3 peas in pod and were . Unfortunately, my grandma passed away when I was 12. Due to a lot of dysfunction in my family my mother and I were never close with most of my extended family. I do have an aunt and uncle in Florida with three cousins. I don’t get to see them enough but we enjoy the time we do get to spend. I never really got to know my father as he chose not to be in my life. Although I do not have a large extended family I was blessed to have a god father who has been there for all the big and small events of my life and has been like a father to me.
When I was 16 I went on my first mission trip to Arkansas. This in itself was just a powerful experience. I learned what it was like to serve others with out thinking about myself. With my mom working a lot to make ends meet while I was growing up we didn’t really have much time to join a church. After Arkansas my mother and I both decided we needed more of God in our life and joined a little church that the mission trip was through. Minnewashta Church was where I had the opportunity to grow in my faith and experience the greatness of a church family. I later went on mission trips to Montana, Minneapolis, Mexico, and Guatemala. 
After high school, I went on to the College of Saint Catherine an all women’s college. I had several different opportunities to travel with school. First, I went to China where I studied women’s health. We ended up learning not only about women’s health but many things about the culture and the people; it was truly an incredible experience. Later, I traveled to Spain where I finished up my Spanish minor. I graduated in 2006 with a nursing major.
I now work as and Oncology nurse which I enjoy very much. After beginning in my career, I felt God’s call out of my little hometown church and I now go to SanctuaryCovenantChurch in North Minneapolis. It is a multi racial, mutli cultural church that strives for justice and peace in the city. We focus mainly in North Minneapolis a very poor and at times very violent neighborhood. 
Although, I didn’t like the idea of change from my old church to my new I was so blessed by this transition.
I now have countless number of friends and prayer warriors on my side. I have lived in north Minneapolis for a year and plan to move home to save money for the race. I am saddened to leave North but I remember that it is not always my timing but God’s timing. God has really had a hold of my life whether I have always accepted that or not. I am ready for him to show me what this opportunity will bring for my walk with him and his people.
