Rachel was born in Newburyport, Massachusetts, in 1980 and raised in a Christian home where she accepted Christ at a young age. Her heart was first stirred towards missions by her grandfather and other relatives who have spent their lives in Eastern Asia as missionaries. A high school trip led Rachel to Romania for six weeks in 1996.

During her junior year at Gordon College, the doors were opened to return to Romania with WMF on a Servant Team. This time of intense exposure and discipleship in community among the poor opened her heart in a new way to God's call to care for the widow, the orphan and the fatherless. The following summer of 2001, Rachel returned for one month to Romania, where God confirmed her call to continue serving Jesus among the poor after graduation. In May 2002, Rachel graduated from Gordon College and moved to Galati, Romania where she leads Servant Teams and works among children-at-risk.