Serving With :

International Christian School, Budapest, Hungary

(under Mesa Global/United World Mission)

Background:

Heidi was born in Asheville, NC, and grew up attending Covenant Reformed Presbyterian Church. She graduated from Covenant College in 2003. Her interest in special education started in high school when babysitting for a young boy who had Downs Syndrome. She had opportunities to work with special needs children while in college and her interest continued to grow. Heidi has been in Budapest, Hungary since 2004.

Ministry:

Heidi spent many years as a special education teacher at a Christian school that also accepts non-Christian students and students of other nationalities. Heidi’s main reason for going to the school in Budapest was to be an educational shadow to children with learning disabilities. She worked with many students using the NILD (National Institute for Learning Development) program based in Norfolk, VA. The goal is to help students develop the weaker areas of their brains so that they can function in a standard classroom. She attends Calvary Church in Budapest where she worships and ministers with a multicultural, multilingual congregation. Heidi also leads Bible studies for young girls.

Heidi has recently joined the SHARE Education Services as part of their Testing and Assessment team. SHARE primarily serves English-speaking families in Europe, Central Asia, and the Middle East by offering the following areas of support to families:

• Help parents identify needs, assess options, and choose education strategies for their children as they live cross-culturally

• Evaluate and recommend appropriate education resources

• Provide parents with information to help them evaluate their children’s learning and measure their progress

• Support secondary students in career guidance for selection of post-secondary work and/or education.

The support and services are offered through consultations provided online, at area mission conferences, or at SHARE led family conferences.

Prayer Requests:

• For transition into her new role with SHARE
• Provision for housing needs as inflation continues
• Daily wisdom in teaching and guiding students, both in academic and spiritual needs.