Kevin and Emma met many years ago at Camp Victory; a summer Bible camp in southeastern Minnesota. Both were born and raised in Minnesota, and God brought them into one another's lives at a fairly young age.

As nephew to the Camp Director, Jim Barnhart, (www.campvictory.com) Kevin grew up as what was affectionately called a staff brat, and was literally at camp every summer from the time he was in the womb!

Emma lived in nearby Rochester, MN and began going to Camp Victory every summer from the time she was six years old. Emma remembers Kevin from the time she was about twelve years old, but as can be expected with teenage boys, Kevin didn¡¦t really notice her until she was closer to fifteen years old.

In the summer of 1992, Kevin and Emma began dating: she was 17, and he 20. Two and a half years later they were married at Calvary Evangelical Free Church, (www.calvaryefc.org) Emma's home church.

Kevin and Emma Barnhart married in 1995 and headed off to Seminary. After the first year of Seminary, they both started to feel God prodding at their hearts; wanting more. You see, the “plan” was to settle into a comfy professorship somewhere in the USA and be active in a local church body. Not a bad plan; alas, not what God had in mind!

In the fall of 1996, Kevin and Emma met for lunch at a favorite restaurant in Roseville, MN. Kevin gingerly introduced the idea of overseas ministry. Emma laughed right out loud! Not because she thought his suggestion was absurd, on the contrary! She had the same idea tugging at her heart as well. In December that year, they attended Urbana ’96 where they were introduced to SEND; and fell in love with the idea of ministry in Ukraine.

Kevin earned his Masters in Theology at Bethel Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota. From 1997-2001, Kevin and Emma trudged through debt reduction, welcomed two sons into the family, and enjoyed the process of support discovery before arriving on the field in February 2001.

The Lord has done great things in the life of this family, we are confident that He has great plans for them as they continue to follow His lead!