It’s all about relationships for Farris Welsh. So much so that when the United States government needed someone to mend a broken relationship between the U.S. and the King of Thailand in the early 2000s, the Department of Defense called on Farris to be part of the DOD’s relationship-mending team.

Farris’ career as a contract negotiator with the United States government came unexpectedly. Little did she know when she earned a degree in education from Cedarville that her skills would be used to educate foreign leaders and U.S. officials. In this role, she found herself traveling to Europe, the Middle East, and all over Asia. On some of these international trips, Farris took her daughter, Rachel, who eventually followed in her mother’s footsteps. 

Rachel was working on her master’s degree when she decided to work at Wellington University in New Zealand. She worked there for a year, traveling to places like India and Bangkok when she had the chance. 

But it was the day she was scheduled to fly home that another tragedy struck: a 9.4 magnitude earthquake hit New Zealand, just hours before Rachel’s flight was to leave for San Francisco.

Rachel passed away on February 22, 2011. 

Through all the tragedies and hardships Farris has faced in life, she still points back to the Lord. For in Him is the strength to press on.