Laura grew up just North of San Antonio outside of the once small town of Helotes. She grew up surrounded by family, just a short distance from her dad's parents and her first cousins. She is the youngest of five siblings who are all married now. Joe, her oldest brother (age 32) is married to Shannon and has two daughters Brittany and Ann Marie. They live in San Antonio also. Stephen (age 28) is married to Karin and they live in Austin; they are both A&M graduates and Karin has just recently graduated from Nursing School. Jimmy (age 26) is married to Rosie and lives in San Antonio with their soon-to-be two year old Eljiah, with one on the way. Theresa (age 25) married Kevin Aguilar last November and they also live in San Antonio. Her parents, Lonnie and Judy, are still living in the same house that she grew up in just outside of Helotes.

Laura graduated High School in 1999 from John Marshall. There she was involved in the Band for a few years where she played the clarinet. She was also involved in Campus Life and very much involved in her church youth group. Her greatest passion has always been God and this almost always shows itself through her love for people. At the age of 12 she began participating in youth group mission trips to Mexico. For 6 consecutive years these trips continued to impact her heart, her life and her view of God and His heart for the earth and more specifically the poor of the earth. At the age of 17, in the process of preparing to launch off for the first time overseas to the Ukraine, she was diagnosed with Thyroid Cancer. Although the diagnoses did not prevent her from going to either Mexico or the Ukraine it did prove to be an enormous growing experience with plenty of difficult times but much eternal gain. Fueled by her second passion, a deep love for children, towards the end of high school she began working her first job at YMCA summer and afterschool camps.

In the fall of 1999, Laura headed off for an uncertain yet bright future at Texas A&M. Having already been selected as a Medical Scholar and ensured a seat in A&M's medical school, she launched out majoring in Biomedical Science. After discovering her dislike of Chemistry compounded by her new discomfort with hospitals, by Sophmore year she had changed majors to Sociology. She feel in love with Sociology, the department and her amazing professors. She quickly excelled in research and became a research assistant to Dr. Rogelio Saenz, Dean of the Department. Her main area of interest and research became Latino demographics and the effect of this changing population. She also began attending Aldersgate Church where she found the most amazing community of truly loving people. She was first introduced to Aldersgate during her Medical School Interview with Dr. Haywood Robinson who warned her about the fiery passion of the college group. She began attending a college Lifegroup (small group Bible study committed to being more than a Bible study) led by Sarah Wurbs (now Hibbs) and Mandi Rogers (now Wood). Eventually she started leading Lifegroups as well and continued to do so throughout her time in College Station.

Her passion for God and His purposes for the world continued to grow under her college pastor, Bill Biggs, who has great vision for seeing that the life of Christ be taken to the Nations. During college she was able to go to North Africa twice; both experiences further shaped her heart for the world and the vision she has for her own life. Throwing herself into a year of Arabic lessons, the studying of Islam and the befriending of Muslim women only added to her growing passion. During this time in College Station Laura met tons of amazing people and it was at Aldersgate where she first met John.

Laura graduated from A&M in May of 2003 with a degree in Sociology. Uncertain of what to do next, she found herself blessed beyond measure when God placed her in her dream job at Still Creek Boy's and Girl's Ranch owned by Danny and Margaret O'Quin. At Still Creek, Laura worked as a relief houseparent for the girls, she taught computers in the school and helped at the Glory Inn, a bed and breakfast located next to the girls home. She had a year full of fun and excitement with plenty of tears to go along. She learned more about life and God and love in one year at Still Creek than probably many years of her life combined.

After a little over a year at Still Creek, Laura moved to Temple with Kelli Roark to pursue an opportunity to attend Antioch's Church Planting Training School or NATS. They moved in with Deb and John Moore. This was in August of 2004, the same month in which Laura and John began their "relationship." However, he was a long ways away in Spain until December. So Laura basically lived the next 4 months of her life on the telephone and she has the bill statements to prove it. John continued living in College Station to go to school when he returned from Spain and by March Laura was moving to Waco to try and cut down on her commute when she began administrating the night school at Antioch.

The last several months have been filled with lots of summer school for John, and Laura putting in lots of hours at both Sylvan Learning Center and Antioch Community Church. They covet the weekends they have together and have enjoyed great times with family. John proposed to Laura on April 9th on the Waco dam at sunset. And now with Laura's brief two week trip to China out of the way, they are more than ready to be happily married on September 24th!