How we met
Our paths first crossed and sparks flew—at least for me (Jeff)—in November of 2002, while we were both at WorldVenture’s mission headquarters in Denver . At that time, Greta managed to elude my further pursuit. Two months later, however, the Lord miraculously orchestrated a second “close encounter” through some mutual missionary friends. Much to my delight, Greta relented and our courtship culminated in a beautiful wedding in May 2004 in Nacogdoches , Texas (Greta’s hometown).
When we met, I (Jeff) had just completed a two-year mission to multi-national refugees near Vienna , Austria , and was excited about the plans I had to return there. Greta was contemplating the possibility of returning to France as a career missionary, where God had used her during the summer of 2001 in some profound ways among Muslim refugee women.God confirmed our vision for reaching the nations via Vienna on a trip we made together to Austria (staying in the homes of our future teammates) in June of 2003.
Our Calling to Missions
Jeff- My passion for sharing his faith began when he came to know Christ during my freshman year at Southwest Missouri State University . My desire to serve God as a missionary was first sparked on an outreach trip I took to inner-city Chicago back in the late 1980s. My calling to missions was further confirmed through a few other short-term mission trips I had the opportunity to go on, as well as through the biblical studies program I completed in Boise , Idaho .
Greta- I came to know the Lord as Savior at age 7, but it wasn’t until my early 20s that I became passionate about sharing my faith and missions. The Lord clarified my calling to missions through a trip I took with a mentor to Africa and Brazil in 1999. My calling was confirmed during the time I spent at Moody Bible Institute, where I had the opportunity to go on several short-term mission trips to various countries. Previous to meeting Jeff, I was leaning toward returning to France , where I felt God had used me to reach out to Muslim refugee women in a special way.
Going Forward
We both feel incredibly privileged to be serving the Lord as full-time vocational missionaries. Although our first term is only four years in duration, we both hope to do this kind of work for the rest of our lives, regardless of wherever in the world the Lord might lead us. At this point, we're just honored and excited to be serving Him "Unto the Nations" via Vienna !
