Our Story
Tan
When did I know I wanted to be a missionary, or at least involved in ministry? It was a stormy night. I’m in the mountains of Haiti. Around the same time I found my dirty underwear in a tree, but that’s a different story.
Hi guys, here is who I am: child of God, husband, father, son, missionary, Milwaukee native, and lover of…chocolate. I came to know God at a young age, but I didn't have a lot of growth in my relationship with Christ until I started going to my church home, Redeemer. There I got my first taste of discipleship and of who God really was. A lot of the time Christians focus on salvation (being saved from the penalty of sin) but that’s only part of the gospel. The other part of Christianity is the new life we experience on earth. If eternal life is being with God forever, then there is an aspect of eternal life that is here and now – growing in who we are and who God is and developing that relationship with Him. I am a seeker of truth. I am a seeker of relationships. I work to serve and love people. I work to serve the King.
How does “missionary” become a part of who I am? It’s an outworking of my love for God and people. People don’t know Him. People are living in suffering and hardship without the hope of the Giver of hope. I’m going to go tell people about Him. It’s simple. Yet counting the cost is difficult and finding the balance between urgency of the calling and excellence in the work we will do takes years. I pray we have found that balance after our two years of learning the Bible and two years training to be cross cultural missionaries.
Viv
My dad always said, “You have a heart for ministry. You should think about being a missionary.” But it took six jobs and three moves for me to admit that maybe he was on to something. So maybe the first thing you need to know about me is that I can be a little stubborn.
That third move landed me in a remote village in the Philippines as a homeschool teacher for missionary kids. I fell in love with the Filipino people, but I was shocked at the disparity between the cities and the remote villages. The city had churches, Bibles, believers; people had the option to turn to Jesus for answers if they wanted to. The people in the remote villages wanted those same privileges, opportunities, and choices, but even if they went to the city to get them, it was all in a language they didn’t understand. Suddenly, ministry didn’t seem like such a terrible dad-idea. These people just wanted the opportunity to hear about the story, the truth about God that changed my life forever. How could I say no?
So who am I? I’m a lover of people, words, art, and the outdoors. I’m God’s daughter, Arlo’s mom, and Tan’s wife. I have the privilege of being best friends with my siblings and parents. And I’m excited about what God has in store for the future.
Arlo
Few people are loved more than this blueberry-eyed boy. He’s too young to describe himself to you yet, but we already sense his independent spirit, see his love for water, and adore his silly smile.
We know that God has plans for our whole family overseas. A question we get a lot is, “How can you take your baby so far away from his grandparents and cousins?” We have confidence that God has placed Arlo in our family for a reason and that He is going before us. God loves Arlo even more than we do, and we know that He is already building the love and support Arlo will need as he grows and matures in a different country.
And Arlo’s grandparents know visits are just a plane ride away.