Born and raised on a farm in Minnesota, I accepted Jesus as my Savior in 9th grade. I attribute my Christian faith to being raised in a loving Christian family. Growing up with three brothers, church played a significant role in our lives. The hard but rewarding work of planting crops and raising animals was integral to our upbringing. Our parents instilled in us the values of loving God, prayer, and being a good Christian example to others.

I was drafted into the Army and served in Berlin, West Germany, and Vietnam. Afterward, I settled in the Chicago area, working for airlines for five years and in computer programming for banking for 20 years. I also taught programming classes at Roosevelt University for 15 years.

I earned a double major Bachelor’s degree in Business and Programming, a Master of Science degree in Computer Science, and a Master of Arts degree in Education. I taught college-level programming classes for 10 years and high school industrial arts classes for 13 years. By the grace of God, I am here today. I was severely wounded in Vietnam, and after many people prayed for me, seven months of rehab, and many operations, I am still here. I thank God every morning.