What was your background growing up?

I was born and raised in Karlsruhe, Germany, in a loving home with Christian parents. I was an only child and never dreamed I’d marry into a family of 29 people!

Tell us how you and Nelson met.

I had half-a-year before starting my big career as an occupational therapist in Switzerland. I’d been trained for three years in my home town and had had internships in both Germany and Switzerland. I decided to volunteer with Youth With A Mission in Kona, Hawaii, on the Big Island. Little did I know how God was about to change the direction of my life!

Among the many people I met in YWAM was one in particular who was very nice to me and spent lots of intentional time with me. Nelson and I were both on staff there, helping top manage 70 young YWAM campus workers between the ages of 18-25. Nelson and I shared many tasks and got to know each other well in the process. I liked his close relationship with the Lord and his wisdom and his adventurous lifestyle. A friendship between us quickly developed, and in time it turned romantic.

When did you marry?

We got married in Kona, at the ocean’s edge, on August 26, 2017. We’ll be celebrating our 5^th anniversary this year.

When did you learn about Nelson’s cancer?

We had just mentioned to each other that this was the happiest time of our lives. We had longed to have a baby throughout our marriage, and finally our little Will was born. Though the birth was traumatic, it had a happy ending, and we were thrilled with our new son.

For several weeks leading up to the birth, Nelson had had a persistent cough with some swelling in his neck. He had seen a doctor, and the doctor thought it was thyroiditis. The medicine they gave him wasn’t helping, and one day his coughing got so bad he went to the Emergency Room.

They admitted him and began testing to see why he was coughing. They found fluid in his lungs and kept him for several days, planning to drain it. I visited him and felt relieved that they’d found the answer to his cough and could fix it. I went home feeling good about it.

Then, on that afternoon, my friend Kari was with me, and we were having fun with the baby. I didn’t notice I’d missed a text and three phone calls from Nelson. The text said, “Tell Kari to stay with you.” I remember standing at the kitchen counter and calling Nelson back. That’s when he told me the doctor thought he had cancer. It was a terrible shock. Thankfully Kari was with me when I got this awful news.

What happened next?

Kari stayed with me, babysitting Will so I could visit Nelson, where children weren’t allowed. She was a tremendous support to me. In the hospital, Nelson’s cousin Luke from Minnesota was urging him to pack up his family and leave Hawaii for better medical care on the Mainland. While Nelson was still sitting in a hospital bed in Hawaii, he went online and found an apartment for us near the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. As soon as Nelson was discharged, we packed four suitcases with our clothes and left YWAM and our apartment and everything in it—with two days notice.

How have things gone since you’ve been in Minnesota?

Rochester is a wonderful place that has welcomed us with open arms. Luke is here with all his encouraging support, the weather has been great so far, our apartment is comfortable, Mayo Clinic’s care has been outstanding, and all this time together as a family of three has been wonderful. We used to talk about what it would be like to live on the Mainland, and now we’re getting a chance to find out.

What do you envision in your future?

Right now it seems like we’ve left the earth and are living on another planet. But what I’d really like is for Nelson to see little Will grow up and for us to be together as a family—with several siblings for Will.

I wouldn’t mind putting down roots here if it would help Nelson. I look back at how fast we left the island and all that’s happened in the month since, and I see God moving in all of it. We believe he wants us here, so we want to accomplish whatever work he might have for us to do here. Day-to-day, we are following him.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.” (Proverbs 3:5-6)