Personnel in Macedonia

Betty Easter

Betty (L) with Roma friends

City and country of service: Skopje, Macedonia
Hometown: Bedford, Virginia
Schools: Virginia Western Community College (AS in Business Administration), Roanoke College (BS in Business Administration)
Type of service: Career
Ministry assignment: Team Strategy Leader for South Europe
Joined Roma Ministries: 1996
Also served in: International Mission Board’s European Regional Office in Wiesbaden Germany (1996-1999)
Before joining Roma Ministries was a bank auditor for 15 years
Hobbies: reading, music, guitar

Roseann “Gef” Smock

Gef (center) with literacy program trainees

City and country of service: Skopje, Macedonia
Hometown: Brandon, Florida
Schools: Penn State ( BA in English, Speech, Drama) University of Virginia (Master’s in Psychology, Counseling)
Type of service: Master’s Program
Ministry assignment: Education and Literacy Coordinator
Joined Roma Ministries in: 2002
Previously served in: Chiang Mai, Thailand
Before joining Roma Ministries was a State Department wife while husband worked in American embassies.
Children: Brett and Juliana (married with 3 children)
Hobbies: music, concerts, drama, reading, opera, leading Bible study, watching basketball and football (Penn State and Tampa Bay)

Karen Blackburn

Karen doing blood pressure check

City and country of service: Skopje, Macedonia
Hometown: Charlotte, North Carolina
Schools: University of North Carolina (BS in Nursing), University of Kentucky (MS in Nursing), Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary (Masters of Divinity)
Type of service: Career
Ministry assignment: Medical Projects Coordinator
Joined Roma Ministries in: 2002
Also served in: Irkutsk, Russia
Before joining Roma Ministries was a nurse midwife
Hobbies: reading, sewing, crocheting

Emily Harrison

Emily (center) with Roma girls

City and country of service: Skopje, Macedonia
Hometown: Lubbock, Texas
Schools: Texas Tech (BA in Photography)
Type of service: Journeyman
Ministry assignment: Volunteer Coordinator
Joined Roma Ministries in: 2008
Before Roma Ministries worked at TMobile
Hobbies: photography, singng/songwriting

Eric and Jill Boyd

LtoR: Eric with Sawyer, friend, Jill

Children: Sawyer Andrew
City and country of service: Skopje, Macedonia
Joined Roma Ministries in: July 2008
Type of service: International Service Core (ISC)

Eric:

Hometown: Villa Rica, Georgia
Schools: Villa Rica High School, Mercer University (BA in History), Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary (Master’s of Divinity)
Ministry assignment: Church Planter
Before joining Roma Ministries was an army officer then seminary student
Hobbies: white water rafting, reading, traveling

Jill:

Hometown: Athens, Georgia
Schools: Toccoa Falls College (BA in Education – Early Childhood with Minor in Teaching English to speakers of other languages)
Ministry assignment: Church Planter
Before joining Roma Ministries taught kindergarten and then stayed home with son
Hobbies: blogging, crafts, traveling

BT and Jessica Burke

LtR: BT, Jessica, Lorelai, Brian

Children: Brian, Lorelai
City and country of service: Skopje, Macedonia
Joined Roma Ministries in: 2008
Type of service: Apprentice

BT:

Hometown: Stafford, Virgina
Schools: Southeastern Seminary (Masters of Divinity with Evangelism)
Ministry assignment: Church Planter
Before joining Roma Ministries worked at a federal prison
Hobbies: playing sports, playing music, watching sports

Jessica:

Hometown: Wake Forest, North Carolina
Schools: Salisbury University (BA in English with Secondary Education)
Ministry assignment: Church Planter
Before joining Roma Ministries served family at home
Hobby: sports, reading, painting, sewing

Abigail Hammond

Type of service: Journeyman