Mike and Karen throughout their adult lives have been active in their church congregations, participating in local, national and international mission work.

They moved from Wisconsin to Gainesville, Georgia in 2009 and were introduced to Orphanage Emmanuel by members of the mission team at Gainesville First United Methodist Church. Mike and Karen decided to see for themselves what was so special about this place in Honduras and volunteered for two weeks in the summer of 2012. They returned for two weeks in December of 2012 and two months in the summer of 2013. At that time they discerned that God was calling them for a long-term commitment. They moved to Orphanage Emmanuel in December of 2014 to join the staff. 

Mike is a certified high school Building Construction Instructor who is organizing and training older youth to install repair and maintain plumbing and electrical wiring for the houses and buildings. He will be coordinating a vocational program to prepare children to have marketable skills when they leave Orphanage Emmanuel.

Karen has a master degree in Community Counseling and is a Licensed Professional Counselor. She is providing group sessions teaching life skills, coping skills, parenting skills, and relationship building skills to young mothers. Karen is helping to provide youth, staff, and volunteer workshops, and is assisting in the Transition Program to help prepare the older youth for life outside the orphanage.

Mike and Karen enjoy working with the staff and children and are honored to be a part of God’s plan for Orphanage Emmanuel.