Who are we?
Bobbie & Adriel
I was born and raised in a small town in west, Texas. At the age of 13, I became a believer in Christ and it changed the trajectory of my life. It led me to moving overseas when I was just out of my Master's program to spend several years investing in and learning from a people group that has greatly shaped who I am. A dear friend once described me as, "the least dramatic person with the most dramatic life." I can't say I disagree. I had surgeries my first 5 semesters of college before finally deciding I should give up my dream of playing softball. I was then diagnosed with cancer and fought my way through that only for it to be followed by the death of my first fiancée in my last semester of undergrad.
I started my career teaching Math and after a year moved to the Dallas area to attend seminary. It was there that I was robbed at knifepoint, lived through 8 months of short-term memory loss due to some complications, and had the privilege of serving as a local missionary.
Once graduating, I moved overseas and spent several years starting a school, an orphanage, and then moving into a city to do educational consulting and training. I was given great opportunities to spend time in the Bible with people I grew to love and to be challenged as we learned together. But it wasn't easy. During my time there a business partner embezzled our funds from the school, a second fiancée died, and I ended up being taken and beaten by a cult.
I came back to the U.S. to help with family and I've learned so much. From raising a teenager to meeting with top officials overseas, the next few years of my life were filled with new. I ended up in Kentucky helping a startup teaching leadership development and gained great knowledge and skills. Just a few years later, I was diagnosed with the same type of cancer again and spent about a year fighting it and, by grace, am in remission.
It wasn't long after that I was on a phone call that led to the great joy of me bringing Adriel into my home... A 3-month-old that invaded my single life in the best chaos possible. I had 3 sweet roommates at the time, and a friend visiting from overseas. My friend ended up staying for 6 months to help out so I could continue working and the roommates graciously stayed (even through the crying) and that ended up being the case for the first two years of Adriel's life. A group of women who supported me and loved my child well. These women were a faithful community and provided consistent people in his life that brought joy and laughter.
One of those women, Jules, offered up the idea of moving to Texas after a weekend trip we had taken there. As a Texan native, I just let the idea hang around for a bit and considered it and prayed. Not long after, we decided to make the move. I am grateful to be back closer to family and among an area I am familiar with.
Adriel is 2 now and thriving in all things. He loves exploring the outdoors, is fearless, is compassionate, is observant, and is an incredible problem solver. I don’t know what all the future holds for us, but I do know that Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever and He has proven His faithfulness to me over and over again. I can trust that what is ahead is for our good and for His glory and I can’t wait.
- Bobbie
Jules
My family moved to Central Kentucky when I was three years old. I lived there until this past summer as a 30 year old. I have an older brother that is an ordained minister and currently working alongside is wife at a local church in New Bern, NC. My parents are both retired and living in New Bern also. I took Sign Language classes as a Middle Schooler with my mother and brother one summer and really enjoyed it. I continued to have Sign Language in the back of my mind for several years but wasn't sure what to do with it. When I was in High School my church had a youth Sunday and I was asked to interpret a song for the special. I grabbed the first Sign book I could find and started practicing! Although now, I am sure I was off on most of my sign choices that day, it truly was the catalyst for my journey into Interpreting. While on stage signing a song my friend was singing, I truly knew that Sign Language was my CALLING. I went home that day and told my mom that I wanted to start looking into Interpreting degrees. She and I looked into the surrounding areas universities that offered it as a major. Turns out that there were only four programs within a 200 mile radius of our home. Eastern Kentucky University, Cincinnati State, University of Cincinnati, and Maryville College. What's funny is I ended up going to all four of them! Long story short...student loans. Am I right?
Anyway, I graduated with my Bachelor's in Interpreting from the University of Cincinnati in 2014 and worked for a school district in Northern Kentucky. I worked for that district for seven years. While I was there I was blessed to be surrounded by amazing interpreters, teachers, and families of our students'. The summer of 2018 I resigned and began freelancing full time. I was able to interpret on cruise ships, for concerts, at hospitals, among many other places. I loved every minute of it!
In 2016 around March, I met the FIRST man I would call boyfriend and eventually, fiancé. We dated for around a year and became engaged in the spring of 2017. That summer I realized I was in a toxic relationship and called the wedding off a week before the wedding. Though recovering from that relationship has been trying and very challenging, I am so blessed to say that Christ has truly rebuilt my life in a more meaningful way that I could have ever imagined for myself.
After I called my wedding off, I grieved for a time, after six months or so, I was able to transition out of grieving and into healing. Over the past three years I have read many books, talked with trusted friends, and gone through counseling to truly heal.
This season currently has me working back at a local school district living with my bestie and her amazing adopted son and navigating life living in The Big D. I have learned so much about building, growing, and learning from Bobbie. I am enjoying our DIY projects, impromptu activities, and everyday laughable moments.
- Jules
