Karl became a Christian as a teenager through the ministry of a Presbyterian church youth group. During college, he was a student leader with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship and got his first taste of missions through a short-term trip to Poland. Karl taught English and assisted with evangelism and discipleship as part of an OMF church planting team in Thailand for two years before returning to the U.S. to study for a Master of Divinity (M.Div) at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. He also holds a Master of Theology (Th.M) from Talbot School of Theology (Biola University) and a Ph.D. in World Christianity from the University of Edinburgh (read my thesis!). Karl is an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA).
Sun and her family fled from the killing fields of Cambodia and arrived as refugees in California. Sun heard the Gospel in Sunday school and later prayed to receive Christ. After high school, Sun sensed the Lord calling her into missions and pursued a degree in Biblical Studies from Biola University. Following graduation, Sun went on a short-term mission trip to Cambodia and then taught elementary school for a few years before returning to Asia to teach English in Laos. During her four years in Laos, she also earned an M.A. in TESOL through Azusa Pacific University. After Laos, Sun sensed God leading her to a very large Asian country where served for two years. Sun and her team shared the Gospel with top university students and partnered with churches.
Karl and Sun were married in 2005 and have three children, Joshua, Caitlin, and John. They did church planting ministry in Central Thailand during their first missionary term and then moved to Bangkok where Karl taught part-time at Bangkok Bible Seminary, assisted with editing and translation of Thai Christian books at Kanok Bannasan (OMF Publishers Thailand), and they both were involved with Grace City Bangkok, a church plant in downtown Bangkok. Currently, they live in Chiang Mai where Karl teaches at Chiang Mai Theological Seminary.