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Jeff entered full time missions in 2006 as a single heading to Siberia. Jeff was involved in a number of different endeavors including: church planting, youth outreach and discipleship, teaching English and summer camp ministry. Jeff met and married Amy, a missionary serving in Kenya, and they now have 2 children. Jeff has been at MTI since 2015 and is a pre-field trainer, linguist, coach and sometimes debriefer. Jeff enjoys reading, hiking, being near/in water, and technology.

Eric & Jen Ford served for 20 years in Asia and were initially involved in campus ministry. Most recently, the Fords lived in Thailand and helped lead a pre-field training program for East Asian missionaries based on MTI's Compass program. Jen also worked and taught at Grace International School in Chiang Mai for 6 years. In 2022 the Fords transitioned back to the USA and have joined the staff of MTI. Eric and Jen have 3 children in college.

Tarrah Grabler has been at MTI since 2008, and works primarily in the Debriefing (DAR) program with teens. Her pre-MTI life included degrees in Elementary Education and Music, some work as an editor at a Christian publishing house, teaching several years at the MK school in Asunción, Paraguay, and then pursuing a Masters in Intercultural Studies. She loves hanging out with TCKs, any beach, being warm, foodie restaurants, her niece and nephews, the Chicago Cubs, traveling, camping, event-planning, and her husband (not necessarily in that order!).

Dwight Gradin, MTI’s longest-standing team member, has served at MTI for 51 years. Before his service at MTI, he lived in Vietnam for 5 years doing translation work through Wycliffe Bible Translators. He then worked through USAID as an adjunct professor at the University of Hawaii. As a specialist in linguistics and second language acquisition, he was the major catalyst for the International Conference on Language Learning. He was a major developer of the PILAT program at MTI (Principles in Language Acquisition Training) that is now incorporated into the Compass program.

In 2015, after Jaci graduated from college, she began her mission's journey. She was in Costa Rica for five years at an international youth group that served missionary kids/third culture kids. This is where Jaci gained on-field experience of what life for a missionary kid is like and found a passion for caring for them. She then joined the home office staff of Commission to Every Nation and formed a care program for their missionary kids. Jaci is excited to continue to care for missionary kids by serving as a children's trainer in the Compass program. In her free time Jaci loves to be outdoors (especially on a lake), knitting, and reading. She is a self-proclaimed coffee snob. You can also catch her watching her Minnesota Vikings or college basketball. 

Lori Harms joined the MTI team in 2016 after serving in Japan for 11 years. From a one room schoolhouse, to an International Christian school Lori has experience teaching multi-age level classrooms from grade 1 to 8. She studied Elementary Education at Bethel University, in Minnesota, and has an M.A. in Intercultural Studies focusing on the MK experience from Hope International University in California. Lori serves as the Debriefing and Renewal Director of Children's program (CHIPs). During her free time Lori can be found gardening or hiking, while listening to audio books.

Deb Heefner serves MTI as the Director of Compass, Partner Connect, and MTI Mobile. She served with Cru for 28.5 years before coming to MTI. 21 of those years were spent overseas: in Leningrad, USSR; Lithuania; Kandern Germany; and then the UK. Deb loves Jesus and loves people, so watching the two connect in the context of safe community is her favorite part of her job. Deb is single and on a free day Deb can be found somewhere in nature with her camera in tow taking pics of nature and critters! A day spent with a friend laughing wholeheartedly and then talking deeply about the Lord and life is a day well spent.

Tracy grew up as a third culture kid (TCK) - born in Germany and raised in Spain, Japan, and America. After hearing and believing the gospel in college, she married and then served in Ukraine, Russia, Germany, and Colorado. Along the way, she had 5 boys who have grown to love the Lord. She now has TCK grandchildren in Japan, where her son’s family serves; she is also blessed to have a grandson close by in Colorado. Serving children and women for over 30 years has been a blessing to her, as pointing people to God makes her heart sing.

Aly Houser serves as the Compass CHIPs Director, training and equipping 7-12 year olds and their families as they prepare to move overseas. She spent 6 years in Uganda serving in various capacities, including Director of Discipleship at a Nursery and Primary School for Ugandan children. Having not had pre-field training herself, she has seen the value of learning and processing through the make or break issues that missionaries face. Her heart is to give opportunities for parents and kids to connect at a heart level to each other and the Lord during this time of big transition.

Emma grew up in Northern Indiana with her family until the age of 7 at which point they moved to Jamaica to be missionaries. Her family served there for four years. After returning to the states she studied Human Services at Moody Bible Institute and graduated in 2023. Emma is passionate about working with kids and walking alongside them during times of change and transition!

Steve & Jill Imperato spent three years in Zambia as long-term missionaries ministering to orphaned and vulnerable children following multiple short-term mission trips to Central and South America. They have two biological children, Noah and Hollie, and have adopted two daughters, Grace and Izzy. Some of their favorite interests include spending time with family, traveling, and all outside activities. We were blessed to have them join the MTI family in 2022.

Anna grew up as a TCK in Malawi until the age of 7 and then moved back to the U.S. with her family, where they continued to be involved in missions work through the Brethren in Christ. She is currently pursuing a double major in Developmental Psychology and Global Studies at Houghton University in rural New York. Anna is excited to have the opportunity to join MTI for the summer of 2025 in an internship role, getting a taste of her dream career of supporting TCKs and their families. She enjoys loose leaf teas, reading all genres, hiking, and museums.

Grace grew up as a TCK in Greece for 17 years, as a missionary kid, whose parents served with refugees. After she graduated from high school, she went to Australia and did a gap year at Sydney Missionary Bible College. She is a junior at Moody Bible Institute majoring in Human Services, combining bible, theology, and counseling. She is super excited to be interning with MTI over the summer, as she has a heart for TCKs and wants to see them thrive, whether on the field or off.  She loves coffee, trying new food, hiking, thrifting, and reading.

Rachel grew up as a missionary kid (TCK) in Togo, West Africa in her younger years and then moved to northeast China with her family when she was 10. She studied a combination of Bible, theology, counseling and human development at Moody Bible Institute where she met her husband, Brennan. Rachel has been training and debriefing kids and teens at MTI since 2020. Her interests include: matcha, hammocking, singing, cooking and geeking about neuroscience.

Vern and Janell Salter have been in vocational ministry for over 30 years, with 25 of those being with the Navigators. They did military ministry with the Navigators for 23 years.

Since 2016, Vern has been on the Pastoral Care Team of the Navigators, offering trauma therapy, individual biblical informed therapy, and marriage therapy. He coordinated a nationwide network of counselors that served Navigator staff all over the world. Vern has a passion for restoration and healthy rhythms in vocational ministry. With an MA in Clinical Counseling from Colorado Christian University, He blends pastoral and professional care in his perspective on providing care to cross cultural workers. Trained in EMDR, Gottman Marriage Therapy, and Soul Care, He brings a broad scope to member care work.

Currently, Vern is the Director of Care and Special Projects at MTI, where is looking to address the holistic care needs of cross cultural workers across the life arc of their career. He is also directing the creation of the John Powell Institute @MTI. A policy institute for member care and collaboration among care giving agencies.

Emily started at MTI in 2015 and is the primary trainer for the toddler class in the Compass program. She is a preacher’s kid from North Carolina with a bachelor’s degree in history and a master’s in teaching. She has over two decades of experience working with all ages of children, including interning in Montessori preschool, directing Elementary summer camp, and teaching Junior High and High School history and Bible. As a ministry kid herself, she is incredibly grateful for the chance to invest in other ministry kids at MTI. When not teaching, she enjoys cheering for her favorite sports teams, watching movies, hiking, exploring new foods, and being Auntie Em to her niece and nephews.

Sandy Smith, with a heart for MK’s and Cross-cultural families, has served in the Philippines and Japan. “Aunt” Sandy has been serving with MTI since 1996 as Director of the Children’s Intercultural Programs (CHIPs), DAR CHIPs and now as Director of Catalytic Gatherings. She holds an M.Ed. in Education and has served as a developer of curriculum, facilitator, and trainer-mentor for Multi-grade Teacher Training, Children’s Cross-Cultural Training (SPLICE, PILAT and Compass), Debriefing Training (DAR), Whole Family Cross-cultural Training, Kids in Family CODAR and Foundations in Debriefing. “Aunt” Sandy’s passion is for children and parents to thrive as healthy, whole cross-cultural families who serve as messengers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Sandy loves family, music, art, research and reading.

Sally was on staff with the Navigators for 12 years, including eight years serving in Shizuoka, Japan. Before moving to Japan, she went through the Compass program in fall 2014, so she is excited to join the Compass adult trainer team and be a part of others’ cross-cultural journeys with Jesus. She joined MTI in June 2023.

Andrea (Gradin) Tepley, daughter to Dwight and Barbara Gradin, grew up outside of Detroit, Michigan. She spent her early childhood living on the MTI campus. Her first summer job was working in the nursery of MTI in 1986 at the age of 13. Andrea holds a degree in teaching from Asbury College and spent ten years teaching at an elementary school. While teaching, she spent her summers either working at MTI or serving with an English camp ministry in Russia. She has been working full-time with MTI since 2006 in the PILAT and Compass programs. She and her husband, Ryan, live in Colorado Springs and have three kids: Lauryn, Rachel, and Sam.

David Wilson serves in MTI’s Care department as an associate of care. He has been at MTI since 2007 working in both the Debriefing And Renewal (DAR) and pre-field program (Compass). In recent years, working with the compass program, David has focused on marriages and families. Both David and his wife Janna grew up as missionary kids, David in France, and Janna in Taiwan. This has given them a heart for seeing healthy families in missions. He has 8 kids of his own and loves the full life that that brings. As a family they have a small hobby farm with goats and chickens. Now working in the Care department, David is helping care for MTI staff as well as helping develop ways to care for missionaries. David’s heart is to walk with people wherever they are at in life and help point them to Father God.