I call the Washington, D.C. area my home. I was born and raised in Fairfax County, Virginia, and I have resided in Montgomery County, Maryland since I graduated from college. Growing up here, there were endless opportunities to explore world class arts and culture, and I have fond memories of taking trips to the Smithsonian museums. As a second-generation American born to a Ghanaian mother (who was informally adopted by an American woman from North Carolina) and French father, I also grew up with an affinity for travel and cultural immersion. Travel and embracing the arts and culture also served as an outlet from being raised in a very broken family. 

Seeking to escape this chaotic environment, I enrolled at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, right outside of Chicago and far away from home. Even though I was excited to expand my horizons in a new environment, deep down I was lost, empty, and hurting as I grappled with the aftermath of my childhood. While I struggled to find a sense of identity and purpose in my studies during my first year of college, one of my classmates started to befriend me. Seemingly out of nowhere, she asked me to go on a study abroad trip with her to a small fishing village in South Africa for the summer. 

My homestay mom turned out to be Christian, and we bonded instantly. I felt welcomed by her generosity, hospitality, and vulnerability and was inspired by how she was a pillar in her community despite her own trauma. One day at her home church, I began to weep. I couldn’t understand the language of the sermon, but my heart understood the message of the local church: the redemption and purpose that I was so desperately seeking could only be found in Jesus Christ. That summer, I accepted Jesus in my heart and became a follower of Christ. Since returning to the States after my salvation in South Africa, God has taken me on a journey for the past decade of sanctifying my character, healing past trauma and relationships, maturing my faith, and revealing my life purpose. I now hope to share the transformative power of Jesus Christ through my own redemption story as an encouragement and invitation that I can offer to others in Japan who need to see His light in a dark place.