A little history!!

I guess that I'll start this blog by giving a little history of my time since graduating from SENHCA in 1992. I can't believe that it's almost been 13 years since I fell asleep on the platform during the graduation service. Gosh, I hope that I've matured a little since then! :-)

After SENHCA, I went to Baptist Bible College in Clarks Summit, PA for a year. I played on the JV soccer team and enjoyed life. Then I returned home and started to work at Waterford Crystal and returned to work at Red's Shoe Barn. As time progressed, I quit those two jobs to manage Soccer MaineA in Kittery. During this time, I got an apartment in Berwick. There were only three slots and Jenny Parent and Chris took the other two. I hung out there a lot with Andy Gagne and Arik Akerberg. In April of 1995 I moved to Louisville, KY, where my parents had moved, to return to college. I immediately went to Colorado for a ski vacation and hooked up with Andrew Lloyd. When I returned, I moved to Washington, DC to live with my Grandma and to work at my Aunt Kelli's gymnastics studio, where I helped run the gymnastics camps and taught little kids gymnastics classes.
That fall I moved to Chattanooga, TN to attend Tennessee Temple University. My whole goal was to make a lot of money so I started in the business program. I joined the Varsity Soccer team while I was there. After a semester, I had a heart change and decided to change my major to History/education. In the April, 1997, I went with TTU's college soccer team to Recife, Brazil for a missions trip. We spent 10 days in Recife and Natal and played four games. We played the semi-pro teams of Sport Recife and Santa Cruz.
During the summers, I worked at Camp Joy, a Christian kids camp. The camp was free for all kids to attend. We had horses, canoes, a waterslide, pool, a gym, a beach volleyball court, and a speedboat for tubing. Many kids accepted Christ there. I started as a counselor and left as the Assistant Camp Director. In May, 1999, I finally graduated from TTU with a BS in History and a concentration in Political Science and Secondary Education.
I was excited to start teaching and moved to Lakeland, FL to teach at Temple Christian School and coach soccer. It was crazy as I taught all of the history classes from grades 7-12. I coached the soccer team and helped with the basketball and baseball teams. After a year, I moved to Clearwater, FL. I then taught at a Keswick Christian School in St. Petersburg, FL and coached soccer. This was a large school and I taught the same amount of periods, but had fewer classes to prepare to teach. I coached the soccer team too. My first two years the team was rebuilding, but the final year I was there the team succeeded and did very well in the public school league that we were a member. For two summers, I studied at the US Holocaust Museum in Washington, DC. In April, 2003, I was selected to be a Fellow of the Justice Teaching Institute with the Florida Supreme Court. (That was kind of cool, I got to meet and work with the Justices that heard the case Gore v. Bush in 2000.)
At this time, I began to travel. In July of 2001, I went to Scotland and London for 10 days. Then in April, 2002, I traveled to Brugge, Belgium, Amsterdam, Berlin, Munich, Paris, and Normandy, France for 10 days. In April, 2003, I visited San Francisco and Honolulu and the big island. I also worked for Uncharted Waters Sports Ministry during the summer conducting sports camps across the US.
I decided to accept the call to become a missionary with Uncharted Waters in 2003. I joined the ministry in October 2003 as the Director of International and Urban Development. Since joining UW, I have led trips to Haiti and Thailand. I also have set up trips in Sao Luis, Brazil, Antigua, Guatemala, Les Cayes, Haiti, and Udorn Thani, Thailand. I have been able to go to these countries and have enjoyed the time. I have also visited Seoul, South Korea on one of these trips.
I currently live in Colorado Springs and love it. Before I left Florida, I was able to purchase my 1988 Jeep Wrangler, which was a childhood dream. I am active in my church and with my job. I travel all across the US and overseas, which is a great benefit.
I am still playing soccer, skiing, snowboarding, four-wheeling and enjoying life! Hope you enjoyed this update! Have a great day!

Rick