Karl grew up in suburban New Hampshire with his parents and younger brother.  Through the ministry of a Presbyterian church youth group, he became a Christian and received a solid foundation in the faith.  During college, Karl was actively involved as a student leader with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship and got his first taste of missions through a short-term trip to Poland.  Following graduation, Karl briefly worked for a publishing company before heading to Thailand for two and a half years to teach English and aid with evangelism and discipleship as part of an OMF church planting team.   Returning to the States, Karl studied for his Masters of Divinity at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary.  He is an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA).

Sun and her family fled from the killing fields of Cambodia and arrived as refugees in California.  Sun heard the Gospel in Sunday school and later prayed to receive Christ.  After high school, Sun sensed the Lord calling her into missions and pursued a degree in Biblical Studies from Biola University.  Following graduation, Sun went on a short-term mission trip to Cambodia and then taught elementary school for a few years before returning to Asia to teach English in Laos.  During her four years in Laos, she also earned an M.A. in TESOL through Azusa Pacific University.  In 2002, Sun sensed God leading her to a very large Asian country where served for two years.  Sun and her team shared the Gospel with top university students and partnered with churches.

Karl and Sun met in Colorado at OMF’s Candidate Course for new missionaries and were married in 2005. They have two children, Joshua (born 2006) and Caitlin (born 2009).  They have been in Thailand for church planting ministry since December 2006.

We arrived in Thailand in December 2006 and studied at OMF’s Thai language school through June 2007.  At the beginning of July 2007, we moved to the small town of Phra Phutta Baht, located along the highway about two hours north of Bangkok.  Phra Phutta Baht means “Buddha’s footprint” and the Temple of the Buddha’s Footprint is the focal point of the town.  In the city of Phra Baht, we work alongside a local Thai pastor and his church (the only church in Phra Baht!) to do new church planting in some of the rural towns surrounding Phra Baht, nearly none of which have any church at all.