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Light a Candle
Cherie was born on May 16, 1968, in Raton, NM and moved to Tucson in 1976. She attended Grace Christian School and Catalina High School. In the summer of 1980, she toured with the Continental Singers playing flute and singing. In 1990, she graduated from NAU, then completed her Master’s Degree in Orientation and Mobility at Western Michigan University obtained a job at the Virginia School for the Deaf and Blind in Hampton, VA for 3 yrs. Wanting to serve others with her Mobility skills, Cherie went to Croatia for a year. She worked at the Missouri School for Deaf and Blind in St. Louis from 1995 to May of 2000. Returning to Tucson in 2000, she substituted at ASDB, did some house organizing, started a business of giving tea parties, and began to work with refugees as a volunteer. In January of 2004 until December, she worked with the International Mission Board in Beirut, Lebanon, where she learned to speak Arabic and be immersed in Middle Eastern culture. In January of 2006, with the help on some local churches, she founded Tucson Refugee Ministry. This was a large step of faith for her because she did not consider herself a “born leader”. She persevered, thanks to many volunteers from local churches, hard work, and a great deal of prayer. She served her Lord and the refugee community with devotion and with fervor. She would say to you today: “Get to know a refugee family. Invite them to your home. Share a meal with them. Find out about their culture. The Lord will bless you for it.”
