Hello, my name is Scott. I was born in Long Island, New York fifty years ago.  I am the youngest of four children.  My brother closest to my age is nearly ten years older than me.  I had fantastic parents who instilled in me a strong work ethic, and a friendly nature.  My father worked as commercial boiler room engineer and my mother did various jobs over the years, including optical sales and medical billing. My early childhood was normal: going to school, playing in the streets with neighborhood kids, and going to the zoo.

My parents divorced when I was 7 years old.  I lived for about a year with my mother until she became  sick, then I went to live with my father.  My father and I spent the next three years living in an aunt’s home.

“From the end of the earth I will cry to You, when my heart is overwhelmed; Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.” Psalm 61:2 (NKJV)

I’m Matthew.

Thirty-seven years ago, I was born in Fostoria, a town in northwest Ohio.  For part of my childhood, my dad was my buddy.  My dad grew up in Fostoria, played high school football (under a famous and much-loved coach), and came back to coach football at Fostoria High.  Football has a long, glorious history in Fostoria.   Bleachers were always packed with passionate fans, and communities rallied around their team.  

When I was six years old, my dad was part of the coaching staff (under his coach) which led the varsity team to a 13-1 record to win the Division II state title. My dad was like a parent to many of these young men and he could do no wrong; he was and is still a hometown hero.

My HOPE and FAITH in Jesus during COVID-19

“He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.  I will say of the LORD, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.’  Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the perilous pestilence.” (Psalm 91:1-3 NKJV)

I started my mission with Kosovo Force (KFOR) at the end of November 2019. In February 2020, the coronavirus crisis hit. I did not pay much attention to it initially, however, as time progressed, it was almost impossible to ignore the reality of the pandemic. Kosovo was one of the few fortunate places that did not have any coronavirus cases for the longest time. However, the situation quickly changed and on March 13, 2020 the first 2 cases were confirmed in Kosovo with the number of people getting infected growing steadily. Updates focused on the number of newly infected people and the number of deaths. Our mission’s focus quickly turned to fight the coronavirus crisis and to help the institutions in Kosovo with personal protective equipment such as masks and gloves. Social distancing soon became the norm for KFOR so that we would not spread the virus. When people were asked “How are you?”, most said “good” as the standard answer, however the fear was becoming more and more palpable and I could sense it was spreading.