Child Advocates. Entrepreneurs. Fitness Junkies. Adoptive Parents.
Hi, I’m Lori.
I grew up in a small town in Tennessee just north of Nashville. Sports and church were my life, and everything revolved around one of the two, it seemed. During my senior year at MTSU while pursuing an Athletic Training degree, a life-changing weekend in Texas called One Day set me on a path toward international missions and orphan care. After serving for 5 years at the International Sports Federation, I packed my bags and moved to Kenya to live for an indefinite period of time. Who would’ve thunk that I would meet my husband in the bush of Kenya while there?! But that I did….and a new chapter of my story began at a place called the Segera Mission.
I began working for World Orphans in 2010 and helped to launch their short-term missions program and served on staff for about 3 years. Leading mission teams and traveling are two of my biggest passions! Thankfully, I had the opportunity to do that for several years. Now, I’m leaning into my new calling: mommy-hood.
Hey, I’m Jeremy
I’m a 35 year old dude that has lived all over (the suburbs of Detroit, the bush in Kenya, Los Angeles, San Jose, New York City, Denver, the Democratic Republic of Congo and currently Nashville ) following my passions and doing what I love. I’ve been a full-time missionary, started my own businesses and held senior management positions in marketing, corporate finance and in non-profit. Everything changed for me in 2011 when our son (Justice) was born and I began paying attention to the injustices children were facing across the globe. Today, I work at World Orphans where I oversee global projects in 12 countries working alongside local churches caring for orphaned and vulnerable children to preserve and strengthen families, keep kids out of orphanages and integrated in their existing communities. I also served on the Sumner County Foster Care Review Board.
Our Story
Our first week together was literally spent caring for an orphaned girl named Sengenoi that stole our hearts and needed special medical care. While bedside with her at a hospital in Nairobi just days after meeting, we were able to quickly get to know each other and felt that God was up to something special.
We both moved to Denver where we dated, got engaged, and married within a year of meeting in Kenya. About a year later, our son was born 10 weeks premature. The NICU experience was a bittersweet one, indeed, but it was through those moments that we realized that adoption was something that we wanted to pursue. We didn’t waste any time, either. Just five months after Justice was born, we submitted our application to begin our adoption. After being stuck (literally) in the Democratic Republic of Congo for 18 months, we were finally able to bring home our two girls home in March of 2016! Learn how we funded our adoption.
Our Passions
Advocating for Families – We were all created to be in a family. We believe the first and best option is family preservation. However, when death, injustice, or unfortunate circumstances occur, it is our responsibility to rise up and help bridge the gap for children and families.
Entrepreneurship – Together, we’ve started 5 businesses. We love bringing cool ideas to life and helping others do the same.
Reading – Our brains don’t shut off. We get inspired by other people’s wisdom and experiences. We enjoy books about parenting, leadership development, business and the Bible.
Exercise and Nutrition – We both played sports all our lives and thrive off competition. In college, Jeremy played basketball at Michigan Tech and since then has picked up endurance sports and clean eating (Paleo).
Travel – Inspires us and releases our creativity.
