I was born into a Christian family which included my parents as well as an older sister (April) and a younger brother (Philip). I grew up in Shawnee, a suburb of Kansas City and was taught many foundational truths of the Bible. My parents always stressed how important church was; yet growing up it was merely the Sunday routine, followed by the seasonal sport I participated in. As high school continued I was struggling to understand why I was just not satisfied with many of the decisions I had been making. Throughout high school I knew of a few specific Christians who knew the Bible, as I did, but something was different with them. They not only knew the Bible their lives looked different. My senior year I began attending and eventually joined the leadership team of a Christian group called Club 121. I soon met a man named Robert Brown who asked if he could buy me breakfast. I agreed to the free food, and he told me of a personal relationship with God. He taught me how to start reading my Bible on a regular basis and he continued to meet with me that year. Leaving for college he gave me one piece of advice, “Get involved.”

Arriving at K-State in the fall of 2002 I moved into Haymaker Hall and met a few guys who had become Christians the previous year through The Navigators. They invited me to an Ice Cream social, where I was invited to Freshman Connection (a Bible study offered through The Navigators). I took Rob’s advice and decided to make a commitment to this Bible study. Throughout the year we discussed how a Christ-centered life should include a balance of Prayer, the Word, Evangelism and true Christian Fellowship. My sophomore year I remained in the residence halls and God began to teach me how He not only wanted to continue to get to know me but He wanted me to tell others about Him too. God began to teach me how He desires to have a personal relationship with all people. Jesus said, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” God desires all people to have a full authentic life in an individual covenant relationship with Him. As I am graduating with a degree in Music Education, I believe God has called me to spend the next period of my life devoted to advancing His Gospel here at K-State. This December Tracy Diane Reif and I will be united in marriage, “Great is Your faithfulness.” I am eager to continue to learn how “To advance the Gospel of Jesus and His Kingdom into the nations through generations of laborers living and discipling among the lost.”