I was born in 1981 and grew up in rural New Jersey with my parents and two sisters. I was confirmed in the Lutheran church in 1994 and continued education in the New Jersey public school system. In 1999, I graduated from Voorhees High School with plans to enlist in the United States Marine Corps.
I attended Marine Corps boot camp in September of 1999. I graduated in December and continued training the following year. In May of 2000, in Pensacola, Florida I came to an understanding of the salvation that had been accomplished for me by Jesus Christ and came to a personal faith in Him. I finished school in Pensacola and subsequently in Jacksonville, North Carolina before being stationed in Quantico, Virginia at the Presidential Helicopter Squadron, HMX-1 in December of 2000.
I remained permanently stationed at Quantico until September of 2004, working as an Avionics Technician and Presidential Support Specialist. While at Quantico, I was involved with the Vineyard Church in Woodbridge, Virginia and then the Sovereign Grace church in Fairfax, Virginia. After being honorably discharged from the Marine Corps, I spent several months praying and fretting over my life and what I should do with it. At the same time, I was dissatisfied with my experience in the church and as a Christian overall, and was very conflicted for a while.
In February of 2005, God answered my prayers and gave me assurance beyond what I thought was possible that Jesus was the Christ and that He indeed had ascended to heaven after His resurrection and given the gift of the Holy Spirit to His church. Following this, I spent the summer of 2005 on a cross-country road trip, driving from the east coast of America, eventually to Seattle, San Diego, Pensacola and then back to Virginia. Then, since I was still in a travelling mood, I accompanied a couple friends to Missouri before returning again to Virginia.
In October of 2005, I became involved with Spotswood Baptist Church of Fredericksburg, Virginia. I eventually became a Sunday School teacher there and continued with that community until 2009. I returned to school at the Aviation Institute of Maintenance in Manassas, Virginia in 2006 and graduated in 2007. I began working at Capital Aviation at the Manassas Regional Airport in May of 2007 and continued working there as an Avionics technician until June of 2012.
After leaving Spotswood Baptist Church, I became involved with a small group at First Baptist Church of Woodbridge in 2010, I continued meeting with them until June of 2012. Also, I began meeting more regularly with a small group/home fellowship in Fredericksburg, Virginia. Finally, in September of 2011, I heard about the World Race and applied and was accepted on one of the July 2012 routes. I am currently travelling the world as a missionary with “H” squad, serving local churches around the world and testifying to the gospel of Jesus Christ.
