April grew up riding a bike and exploring orange groves in the sunshine of Southern California. The eldest of 4 girls, she was born into a Christian home and has a deep love for her family. A precocious child, her parents encouraged her love for reading, writing and academics, and when she ran for class president in 5th grade, told her that one day she could be the first woman president of the United States. This sounded like a good idea until she discovered her love for acting and longed to play Laura on Little House. Who knew acting and being President were so closely related? In the end, she pursued a BS in theology at Multnomah Bible College in order to prepare for the mission field.
In high school April went on a short term mission trip to the Dominican Republic and on several service trips to Mexico. After college she wasn't quite sure where she wanted to serve in the world, and being a bona fide free spirit, decided to teach school for several years and figure her life out. Knowing she wanted to serve God by serving people, she attended graduate school and earned an MA in counseling from Western Seminary Seattle in 2001. While in graduate school she began to understand God's heart for the widow, orphan, and alien and volunteered with an NGO serving survivors of human trafficking in Washington. After her friend and roommate Heather Coaster returned from a servant team to Bolivia with Word Made Flesh, April decided to head to Kolkata on a servant team herself and came back a changed woman. Upon her return she began a job as a social worker serving foster children, and then a year later directed a program in Portland, OR which served survivors of human trafficking. Still, unable to get away from the desire in her heart to serve overseas, April was commissioned in 2007 to a field staff position in Galati, Romania with Word Made Flesh.
April still loves to read and write and takes her 9 nieces and nephews exploring whenever she can. She has found her deep happiness in serving Jesus as a counselor and social worker among the poor.
