Intro Mary Beth

Hello! My name is Mary Beth, and this will be my second SALT adventure and my third international mission trip. I'm a member of Our Saviour Lutheran Church in West Lafayette, Indiana. My husband and I have been members since we rolled into town in 1989 as fresh-faced and newly-married graduate students. Since then we've earned a few degrees, had a couple of sons, and been blessed in a thousand ways by our church. It is because of the saints that surround me and my family that I can step out in faith on another mission trip.

Other facts about me:

- I grew up in Galveston, Texas, and went to St. John's Lutheran school and church. Later, I attended and graduated from UT-Austin. I had a wonderful time in the Plan II Liberal Arts Honors program there, and met my husband while working at the University Co-op bookstore. We were wed at University Lutheran Church by Pastor Charles Born.

- I have two Master's degrees from Purdue: one in Rhetoric and Composition, and one in Counseling and Development.

- My husband works for an oil exploration company. He is away from home for five weeks at a time, working on a ship that might be on any ocean of the world. Then he comes home for five weeks and reconnects with family and friends, fixes things around the house, works on geological research at Purdue, and (as of very recently) plays with his sailboat. We've been living this half-empty/half-full lifestyle for about 10 years now. Sometimes it wears thin, but we mostly count our blessings.

- By God's grace, I've been a stay-at-homeschooling mom for most of those 10 years. Part of my 'curriculum' is to rejoice with my boys in the diversity of God's creation and His people. We love ethnic food, global music and new experiences.

- On this SALT journey I'll be accompanied by Will, my brother-in-faith and pastor. What a pleasure it will be to get to know him -- and all the SALTers -- better!