about

A friend once asked me, “Why do you write?” I ask myself that same question every once in a while, when I’m half crazy with ideas, when I can’t rest until I get something on paper, when I’m chasing a story or nervous before an interview. Why do I do what I do?

Essentially, I am a creative because I believe in a Creator. I believe he made me in his image, and that the very act of creating an essay or story brings him joy. Like him, I can bring order from chaos–an organized article from messy interviews, for example. I write because he made me for this. I always remember the words of Eric Liddell, the Olympic runner: “God made me fast. And when I run, I feel his pleasure.”

I am a writer because I believe in redemption. My Creator is also a Redeemer, one who is continually, patiently engaging with this world to renew broken people. When I write, I often take painful stories and experiences and transform them into coherent, cohesive narratives. I can make something beautiful from ashes and bring healing in my life–a small picture of the great redemption that’s coming.

One of my favorite parts of writing is helping others understand misunderstood places and people. That’s where my life as an expat–a stranger in a foreign land–comes in. I love giving voice to the voiceless, stereotyped, and marginalized around me. Really, the stories I’ve written that mean the most to me are the ones that took me to remote corners of society and allowed me to make them bright.

Thank you for your interest in my explorations and work! If you’d like to get in contact, you can send me a message through Facebook.