WHO WE ARE
WE ARE TWO KIDS FROM PITTSBURGH WHO WERE TRANSFORMED BY THE POWER OF THE GOSPEL AND NOW LIVE THE ADVENTURE OF SERVING JESUS AMONG THE UNREACHED.
JEREMIAH’S STORY
I grew up in a Christian home with two wonderful parents. We moved from Virginia to New Jersey, and then Pennsylvania as my dad served as a pastor at several churches growing up. At an early age, I chose to surround myself with good people who made bad decisions. We got involved with drugs, alcohol, and any other way we could get high. However, my life was radically changed when I was 15 years old.
As I was smoking with friends, the Holy Spirit audibly spoke to me in my friend’s basement saying, “I’ve made you for more than this.” Knowing God had more for me, and considering the deep emptiness I felt, I knew He was asking me to move to Pittsburgh. Shortly after this experience in 2015, I went on my first mission trip to Lusaka, Zambia. On this trip with SOS Adventure I remember standing in the back of the field and watching as thousands came to know Jesus, hundreds were healed, and hundreds set free from demons. The God that I had always heard about growing up was real- not only was he real but he was active! At that moment I realized this is what He wanted to use me for. He wanted to use me to spread the Gospel of Jesus across the world to people who have never heard it. This was where I found purpose for my life.
Two weeks later I moved to Pittsburgh where I was surrounded by a community who helped build my faith and become the person I am today. After I graduated high school in 2017, I attended the Northeast Ministry School (Pittsburgh,PA) and SOS Leadership Academy (Stockholm, Sweden). Since 2015 I have had the privilege to serve in Africa with SOS Adventure. In a way, you could say I got hooked! There is nothing I love more than to see people give their lives to Jesus and be transformed by the Holy Spirit. In short, the rebellious church kid came to actually know who Jesus is and it changed his life forever.
OLIVIA’S STORY
I was blessed to grow up in a home where I always knew the love of Jesus. This was thanks to my two wonderful parents who raised my younger sister Lily and I. For my younger childhood, we lived in a small town called Williamsport, PA. When I was 10 years old, we moved to Pittsburgh, PA where I spent the rest of my childhood. Both of my parents are pastors while my mom is also a History Professor at Waynesburg University. For most of my teenage years, I was following the world and became caught up in partying and bad relationships. All this time, I remember God was tugging at my heart. Every single time I went to a party to drink or got into a relationship that I knew was not good for me, I could sense who I now recognize as the Holy Spirit putting a “red light” in my spirit. He was cautioning me and protecting me from myself and my own sin. He was so faithful and kind towards me all along even as I resisted Him. He even led me to mission trips, youth camps, and conferences growing up where I continued to hear the gospel preached. I remember that at each of these events I got a taste of what life would be like if I gave my life to Jesus, but I was full of fear and believed that when I got home I would just fall back into my old ways. I felt stuck in my sin.
In 2017, I had reached my lowest point as I continued to ignore my conscience. I was ridden with anxiety and fear, deep in sexual sin, and hopeless. I knew I needed a change. I was invited to the the Passion conference where I truly encountered God for the first time. He met me there and spoke loud and clear to me, urging me to repent and leave my old life of sin behind to follow Him. This was the day I surrendered everything to Him and decided that I would follow Him instead of the world. The months following this I began to watch my life change before my eyes. New opportunities opened up for me to go to Geneva College, meet mentors, become part of a Christian community, and serve. The power and grace of God truly transformed me into a new person.
I continued to grow in the Lord and be molded by Him. I was invited into a community at Geneva where I was discipled and raised up. Over these years I began to lead and make disciples as I learned. I met my closest friends that built me up in faith and watched God take hold of my life. Now, it’s hard to remember who I was without Christ. He reignited passions in me for missions, people, community, and adventure. These are things that I had longed for all along, that He is now fulfilling in me. I am thankful for this Holy Spirit adventure that I am on and for the gospel that is the power of God unto salvation.
OUR STORY
In God’s continual faithfulness, He brought us together in 2020! We met through two of our best friends and dated for two years until we married on June 17, 2022. Now, we are so privileged to live in Africa and call Kilgoris, Kenya our home! It is our greatest treasure to serve Jesus together and follow Him to the ends of the earth!
MATTHEW 28:19-20
“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”