My story took a beautiful turn—from trauma and confusion toward healing—when my daughter and I began our lives in Colorado in January 2022. We immersed ourselves in this stunning state, embraced by equally beautiful people, and set out to build something new.

Our journey as mother and daughter, however, began long before that—in Nanchang, China, where her father and I adopted her at sixteen months old. We raised her in Fountain Valley, California, until she was nineteen, then moved to Oregon, where we lived until my daughter and I made our way to Colorado.

Our time in Colorado has brought profound healing to both of us. Through community, resilience, and the power of God’s grace, we are beginning to restore what was once broken.

My journey out of an unhealthy church is shared in my book Dying to Belong—a story for anyone who has ever questioned where they truly fit or felt the weight of expectations that never quite matched what Jesus intended. In my upcoming release, Defined by Love, I explore how life in Christ can be joyful and confident—because Jesus has the final say in who we are, not our culture, our insecurities, or anyone else.