Stephen & Kristi

Our Story

”When we were just 13 years old, we knew our lives wouldn’t be our own.”

We met when we were 11 years old at our home church in Novi, Michigan. We shared a love for music, and served together on our church’s worship team. Stephen had a hard time keeping his eyes off of the cute singer that stood in front of his drum set. Little did he know, that girl was going to become his wife 10 years later. We were both on fire for the Lord at such a young age, and that brought us into a deep friendship with one another. A couple of years after we met, we both felt God calling us to minister overseas. When we were just 13 years old, we knew our lives wouldn’t be our own. At such a young age, we had no idea what the Lord had in store for us, but we prepared our hearts for what turned out to be a grand adventure.

We began dating when we were 16 years old, and together we postured our lives towards full-time ministry. Neither of us were quite sure what that was going to look like, but we were excited about all of the possibilities and ways that God could use us. When we were 18 years old, we set out for Evangel University where Stephen earned his undergraduate degree in both finance and intercultural studies, and Kristi in psychology and intercultural studies. While we attended University, Stephen had the opportunity to do an internship in Northern Africa over the summer. He felt in his spirit that this was not the last time he would be in this location. A few months after returning from his internship in 2018, he proposed and we began to prepare for a life together.

We got married in the Summer of 2020 after we graduated from Evangel and knew the Lord was calling us back to serve in the same church Stephen did his internship with in Northern Africa. So, we took a leap of faith and moved overseas for the very first time in 2021. God helped us grow in ways that we never thought possible when we continually put our faith in Him. When you have to rely on the Lord in literally everything you do, He teaches you so much. We didn’t know how to do everyday tasks like how to grocery shop, or how to get from place to place. We didn’t even know how to speak the language. We had to be dependent in everything we did, and because of that, we could hear the voice of the Lord so much clearer than we ever had.

While we were in Northern Africa, we had the opportunity to travel to Greece for our anniversary, and we got so much more out of our vacation than just rest. Immediately when we touched down in Athens, we felt a sense of purpose to be in Europe, and not just for a short trip. We were confused by this feeling at first because we had just arrived in Northern Africa a short 6 months before, and we couldn’t even imagine moving somewhere else. However, we couldn’t shake the feeling that the Holy Spirit placed on our hearts.

When we returned home, God put a passage from the Bible on our hearts that changed our whole course of ministry.

Numbers 20 (ESV)

⁶ Then Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly to the entrance of the tent of meeting and fell on their faces. And the glory of the Lord appeared to them, ⁷ and the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ⁸ “Take the staff, and assemble the congregation, you and Aaron your brother, and tell the rock before their eyes to yield its water. So you shall bring water out of the rock for them and give drink to the congregation and their cattle.” ⁹ And Moses took the staff from before the Lord, as he commanded him.¹⁰ Then Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock, and he said to them, “Hear now, you rebels: shall we bring water for you out of this rock?” ¹¹ And Moses lifted up his hand and struck the rock with his staff twice, and water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their livestock. ¹² And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not believe in me, to uphold me as holy in the eyes of the people of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land that I have given them.”

Moses had two options: to be obedient and do something new that the Lord asked him to do, or to be disobedient and do the same comfortable thing that he knew worked the first time. Instead of speaking to the rock to draw out water, Moses strikes the rock because that is what he had done previously to draw out water for his people (Exodus 17). The most interesting part of this passage is that even in Moses’ disobedience, God did not withhold the water from his people. Through this story, God gave us a revelation for our own life. If we stayed and continued to serve in Northern Africa, His Will would still be done; but God was asking us to be obedient and follow Him into something new even if it wasn’t the comfortable thing to do. So, after a year and a half of living and serving in Northern Africa, we decided to move back home and pursue what the Lord was asking of us.

After praying about the exact location we would serve, the Lord opened up doors for us to serve in Rome, Italy where we will continue to pursue ministry overseas. This meant that we would return to Michigan and begin fundraising yet again. While we have been home, we have been able to welcome our daughter, Saige, in July of 2023. We have also had opportunites to meet with so many family and friends that have meant so much to us over the years. Over the past year, Stephen has been working at our home church in the accounting office and learning about church administration from some of the best pastors and leaders.

When we arrive in Rome, we will be serving at an International church where we will gain more experience as church pastors, learn about European culture, and train to become church planters. Our passion is to bring access to Gospel of Jesus Christ to all peoples. We believe in sharing the Gospel indiscriminately to all that will listen. Our joy in life comes from the hope we have in Christ, and desire to share that joy with all peoples.