Elizabeth Hood
Elizabeth Hood's adventure began early. She was born in Dallas, Texas, but when she was just two, her family moved to the island of Kauai, Hawaii, after her grandfather, a Lutheran pastor, retired there. Music became part of her life when she began singing and dancing in the children's theater that produced several shows every year--and took the children on travels that included performing in the United Kingdom and other parts of Europe.
Elizabeth's adventure changed a bit when Elizabeth chose Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Washington. She enjoyed taking classes and meeting new friends; she earned bachelor degrees in Communications and Religious Studies. PLU has a tradition of social advocacy, and Elizabeth found more adventure with opportunities to travel that included Jamaica, Australia, England, and Namibia.
During Elizabeth's Junior year, Lutheran Retreat Conferences and Camps, a Lutheran camp in Southern California, recruited her for the summer. While there, she felt a strong call to do ministry with youth and families. However, she had planned a career in communication, possibly for the music industry, so she moved to New York for a year after graduation, and worked in Manhattan as a nanny. It wasn't quite right, so she moved back to Southern California and worked in real estate marketing, but that still didn't meet her dream of adventure. She started working half-time with youth at a local church, and when it became a full-time position, she knew that she was off on the adventure for a lifetime.
In summer 2009, Elizabeth accepted Grace Lutheran's call to renew her adventure. She is building relationships with the families of Grace, and building programs that help the children and youth experience a safe and happy place in which to learn to love like Jesus. One of Elizabeth's favorite books is When God Winks, by SQuire Rushnell, that discusses how events that seem like coincidences are actually God guiding you on your adventure.
