Hi, I'm Gloria.  I'm so excited! It sounds like a lot of us come from rural backgrounds.  Me, too. I was raised on a farm in North Dakota and raised my family in North Dakota, but now live in Colorado.  I teach ESL at Colorado State University and have been a teacher all my life. Name it and I have probably taught it (math excluded).  My passion is traveling.  When I got married 40 years ago I wanted to go to Paris for our honeymoon.  My husband said, "If you've got the money honey, I got the time".  I've paid for vacations since.  I am a workaholic but the money goes for travel  - 50 countries and counting.  Looking forward to working with you all.

michael douglass march 2015

I was born and raised in Des Moines, Iowa where I developed an early interest in American Indian history and culture.  I earned an undergraduate degree at the University of Montana (Missoula) and then attended graduate school in Cooperstown, NY where I studied history museum administration.  

In the late 1970’s I worked for the Wisconsin Historical Society at their open-air museum near Milwaukee, Old World Wisconsin.  After another brief stint in Montana I returned to Wisconsin in the early 1980’s, eventually moving to Prairie du Chien, a city of some 8,000 souls on the banks of the Mississippi River in the southwestern corner of the state.  For 30 years I worked as Site Director for Villa Louis – a historic site owned and operated by the Wisconsin Historical Society. My major work there was directing restoration of the Victorian estate that gives its name to the site. 

I retired in 2013 and today work as a seasonal park ranger for the National Park Service at Effigy Mounds National Monument.  

I have always loved history and historic buildings and currently live in a 100 year-old arts and crafts house.  I am an active hobbyist in War of 1812 and early 19^thcentury Fur Trade re-enactment. I also love to camp, hike, garden and antique and boat on the Mississippi.   

I am active in my Lutheran Church and have been involved in numerous local and regional organizations including Rotary.   I have gone on three Rotary-based mission trips to Guatemala and Peru. This will be my first trip to Asia although I have traveled in the UK, Ireland and Europe. 

I have never been married and have a small family -  today consisting of one brother and three adult nephews and nieces. Oh yeah, and one grumpy old cat. 

tim blaufuss march 2015

Hey all my name is Tim Blaufuss. I am currently a 3rd year Pediatric resident in St. Louis and next year I will be starting my Gastroenterology Fellowship in Kansas City. I am originally from Fargo, North Dakota and yes just like the movie! Interesting fact about me is I am a triplet. This will be my first mission trip and I am really excited. It will be great to meet all of you. 

Courtney Nibbe March 2015

Xin chao! I'm excited to meet you all and very much looking forward to helping out on this trip. Currently, I'm living in La Crosse, Wisconsin and working as a family medicine resident. I'm half-way through residency and learning lots. So nice to be going on this adventure with Jenna and Terry. I am originally from Waverly, Minnesota and grew up in a rural farming community. I've been on a couple international missions trips before and love taking in the culture and tasting new foods. I'll now be able to show off my proficiency with chopsticks thanks to a Korean friend. (I cannot catch a fly with them....yet). Very grateful to all those involved with the incredible organization and planning that is involved surrounding this trip.

Lori Trumbo March 2015

Hi! I’m Lori Trumbo, and I live in Salt Lake City, Utah. My husband, Andrew, and I have 3 children and 6 grandchildren. I am an RN and work in the Newborn ICU at the University Hospital here. I enjoy traveling and love trying and cooking foods from around the world.  I have taught neonatal resuscitation in Mongolia and helped in an orphanage in China. I volunteer as an education coordinator with Love Without Boundaries.

Vietnam has long been on my list of places I would like to visit, and I am excited to be able to do it in a meaningful way with COPI! I look forward to meeting you all!