About Emily:
Hi, my name is Emily and I am 30 years old (I will be turning 31 in less than a month). I currently live in Houston, Texas but was born in Michigan, grew up in Florida, went back to Michigan to attend Spring Arbor University. I graduated with my undergraduate degree from SAU in 2002. After graduating, I began work in the admissions office…nearly 9 years later I am still part of the recruiting team; I just work from home in Houston. I absolutely love my job and my Alma matter.
I got married to Jamos in 2007 and moved to Texas in 2008. Both Jamos and I completed our Masters in Organizational Management in November 2010. We had been asking the Lord to direct our next steps and I was hoping this would lead us back home to Michigan…but God had other ideas and put upon my husband’s heart- The World Race. It took over a year until we were ready to apply for the July race- we did and here we are!
RANDOM THINGS: I love photography, scrapbooking, playing catch phrase, animals (don’t have any though), coffee, church, kids, spending time with my husband, reading, laughing, taking walks, sleeping (oh my-I can nap anywhere!!!), family, sunshine, drinking hot water and lemon, trying to do other crafts (though they never turn out good), and much more!
- I have a bit of an obsession with washing my hands and Clorox wipes – not sure how this will pan out on the World Race…. But odds aren’t looking good for this.
- I am an only child and have a bit of a daydreaming problem!
- I am 6 feet tall (both of my parents were also 6 feet tall). Sometimes I tell people I am 5 feet 12 inches.
- I have been to Russia, Hungary, The Cayman Islands, Germany, Austria, Italy, and Hawaii.
- My favorite color is red.
I am looking forward to this great adventure!
About Jamos:
My name is Jamos Mitchell, but I suppose I should say that my legal name is James Mitchell Jr. I have gone by the name Jamos (like Amos with a J) every since I can remember. The story goes that I was born 8-10 weeks early, and due to this my parents did not think that I would live. So they gave me my father’s name. However, my father goes by Jim and my mom does not like the name James so they pronounced it like it was two syllables “Jam” “es,” needless to say it was a little confusing. My kindergarten teacher spelled my name with an ‘o’ so that she would remember how to say it, and the rest is history.
Beyond having a great name, I am 26 years of age and currently reside in Houston, TX. I am a sales representative for a large appliance company. I grew up in Michigan, where I was the oldest of four. I have two younger brothers, (Jeret & Javin) and one little sister (Justyc). I went to Spring Arbor University in Michigan where I studied Biology, with full intention to become a dentist. God had other plans for me though I do not know the future or if one day I will become a dentist or not but I cannot wait to find out.
During my last semester of undergraduate schooling I studied abroad in Costa Rica. It was an eerily easy decision to make; when I heard about the opportunity to go international I was sold. While in Costa Rica I continued my study of science in the area of environmental science in combination of the language, and culture. During this time I truly feel that God was working on me, molding me, changing my heart, and giving me experiences that would forever change my life.
I returned home with this internal metamorphosis, and not really knowing what would happen next besides graduating. I did graduate from Spring Arbor and was quickly and abruptly introduced to the “real world.” This led me to look for an internship within my hometown to hold me over until I could figure out the rest. To make a long story short the organization was going through several changes and I was hired on full-time.
Shortly after graduation I recognized the one consistent, encouraging, and loving person in my life, Emily Starke. This revelation led to a proposal, which was quite unique and amazing if I do say myself! We married on September 8, 2007.
We then moved to Houston, TX where we have lived for 3 years. During this time both my wife and me acquired our Masters of Arts in Organizational Management. Now, the Lord has laid the World Race on heart. Being aware of the world around me and God’s people that live in it has always been a passion of mine, which has also resulting in mission trips to Mexico, Haiti, and NY. It has been a challenging time, but exciting decision for both of us to join the WR however we look forward to what HE will do in our lives.
Finally, I will give you just a sneak preview of things that I love. I love movies, all kinds of music, running, golf, being the subject of my wife’s photography, my family, 4 seasons, nature, sunsets, stars, and seeing the world.
