The Early Days To Now 

In 1994, our family of five began traveling to raise funds to leave our jobs and life in Ohio to move to Ghana, West Africa. After preparing for one year, we sold all of our earthly possessions, said goodbye to family and everything familiar, and moved across the Atlantic Ocean to the continent of Africa; Ghana, West Africa. 

The Bible College, our first home was on 30 acres of African Bush, where puff adders, pythons, mambas, cobras all made their home with us. John's specific assignment was first to develop a technical school division for the college to assist young ministries in a bi-vocational trade, thereby helping them supplement their meager preacher's salaries. Chris's specific assignment was to begin a primary school especially to demonstrate the difference between a Christ-centered curriculum and Christian teachers versus a government approach. Due to the brutal civil war in Liberian West Africa, a neighboring country to Ghana, West Africa; roughly half of the school's students were Liberian. Years ago as a child of 9 or 10, Chris received what some would call a "God Moment" or a "Call of God" While hearing of and reading missionary stories, she specifically felt a call of God to the West African people. One missions story, "Samuel Morris" stuck with her all of her life. Imagine her surprise when realizing the very same people from Samuel's home lived with her in her new home.   https://youtu.be/lnTE_pKV3gg?si=_Z_7Be5sgv80x1VY   

During the next decade our family made our home in Ghana and worked learning and helping in a variety of ministries.  Some surprising ministries were the farming ministries where we farmed cashews, pineapple, poultry, grasscutters, and oyster mushrooms. The proceeds assisted the pastors and missionaries in many ways. John also worked part-time for the American Embassy managing the U.S. Commissary. The girls began a homemade cheesecake business supplying a local Italian Restaurant in the Capital City. 

In 2005, our family relocated back to the United States, in Indiana so that our children could attend Indiana Wesleyan University. Now, in 2024 our family has grown from the original five to sixteen.  Although we no longer live full-time in Ghana, we stay very involved in missions. In 2010 the ministry of African Resource Connections (ARC) began. This ministry allows us to raise funds and have a platform to continue aiding missions. Johns Kettle Corn https://www.facebook.com/JohnsKettleCorn/ was established in 2007, a part of ARC it provides funds for building projects.  And helping our daughter establish Soap and Sunshine Apothecary, https://www.soapandsunshine.com we import Shea Butter from Ghana and also have assisted the local basket weavers of Bolgatanga Ghana, buying our shopping baskets from them.  Just recently a very crucial piece fell into place for the future Resource Center, when John began working for Choice Books. Now, slightly damaged books from Choice are given to African Resource Connections which will fill the shelves once the funds have been raised to complete the Resource Center.