Raised in Northwest Iowa, Ben enjoys being outdoors while golfing, hunting, hiking, and camping. He learned to follow Jesus by following his parents, who were active members of an EFCA church and through a thriving AWANA program. At eighteen years old, Ben joined the United States Air Force where he served twenty years and retired as a Master Sergeant.
He met his wife, Ayaan. in Virginia, while she was also serving in the Air Force. They were married in 2007 and blessed with two boys named Thomas and Adé. In 2016, the family was excited to adopt their daughter Naomi from Ethiopia. They have lived in multiple locations around the world and Ben has served in more than twenty countries. Throughout his time in the military, Ben fostered a growing relationship with Christ. He learned to rely on God’s good will even amid many moves, combat deployments and natural disasters. At each duty station, he plugged into a church where he served in various roles including leading small groups, helping with men’s ministry events, and was part of audio/video teams. He participated in missionary trips as well as humanitarian aid work in multiple countries.
Following his military career, Ben pursued a profession in the trades, eventually landing on Locksmithing. He endeavors to operate his own small business. Ben is currently serving as a deacon at CrossWinds and is the director of Audio, Video and Lighting.