SPOTLIGHT ON... Naomi Strauser A Professional and Personal Overview of BBI's Office Manager Naomi Strauser is the Office Manager for Bridge Builders International. She commutes 50 minutes from her home in Salem, Oregon to work at the BBI office. She and her husband, Matt, have four children - Hannah (23), Kara (21), Paul (16) and Alethea (13). Naomi was born in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin. She was second to the youngest in a family of seven. Some of Naomi's first memories include sliding from the top window of her home on saucers over the deep snow, playing horse with her father, building pyramids with her sisters and brother and traveling across the country each summer to visit family in California. She also remembers a time when her older sister Chris was learning to drive. Twelve-year-old Naomi was in the passenger seat as they went in and out of the driveway. Naomi had an idea. "I told her to see how fast she could drive into the garage. We ended up all the way through the back wall of the garage." When asked about her faith and testimony, Naomi replied. "We were raised Lutheran. Our grandma and grandpa took us to church most of the time but we did not have a genuine love for the Lord." Then in 1971, when Naomi was a sophomore in high school, she and her mom were baptized together. During this same time, Naomi met Matt who became the love of her life. He was a Christian and helped her to grow in the Lord. After high school Naomi went to "Miss Hickey's Business College" where she studied to become a legal secretary. Upon graduation from Business College, she was hired by one of the best law firms in St. Louis, Missouri. Matt was attending the University of Missouri, Rolla, but he had a desire to study out West. In December of 1975 he moved to Missoula, Montana only to realize how much he missed Naomi. One month later he proposed to her and three months later they tied the knot and settled in Missoula. This year they will celebrate their 28th anniversary. "Our first house in Montana was very small. The faucets in the kitchen sink were outside spigots, one for hot and one for cold. We shared the place with furry little creatures who roamed the inside walls at night. During the winter we had to put a space heater under the floorboards so the pipes wouldn't freeze. Matt was going to school at the University of Montana, majoring in Geology and I was working as a secretary for an orthopedic surgeon," recalls Naomi. Early in their marriage, Matt and Naomi met Lee and Jo Eddleman in their church in Montana. Lee was a professor at the University in Missoula. The Eddlemans challenged Matt and Naomi to be stronger Christians and deepen their walk with the Lord. "They would encourage us to go to revivals and other church-led conferences and we did. It was during these first critical years that we established our foundation as a Christian couple and it was then that the Lord called us into Christian service," said Naomi. In 1984 Matt accepted a position at Santiam Christian School in Adair, Oregon to teach French, Music and Computers where he taught for 15 years. Matt is now the Director of Choral Activities at Western Baptist College in Salem. He is also the Worship Pastor at West Hills Community Church, where Naomi serves with him on the worship team. Naomi has worked at BBI since 1999. However, her first trip to Latvia was in 1998. Naomi fondly recalls the challenges she faced when she and Matt led the Santiam Christian High School choir to a foreign country for the Latvian Song Festival. Thinking back on the trip, Naomi says, "It had a huge impact on how I think of missions." BBI President, Chuck Kelley, noticed Naomi's capabilities in leading the Santiam Choir Trip, but Naomi had no thought of working for BBI. She recalls, "That Spring, I was tired of cleaning houses, so I went looking for references to include with my resume. I called Chuck. He called me back a few days later and offered me a job." Naomi manages the BBI office, supervises the support staff, oversees BBI's finances, interfaces with the Board of Directors and does the majority of the extensive travel and accommodation arrangements for staff and ministry participants. When asked where she'll be ten years from now, Naomi smiles and replies, "I'll be where God wants me to be." Last revised March, 2004 TOP