Chaplain (Maj. Ret.) Chris Cairns grew up in a military family, with 106 years of unbroken Active Duty service among his great-grandfather’s progeny. Chris played soccer with Mike Hitchcock and JD Hester in Columbus while his father was stationed at Fort Moore (Benning), as well as for the Georgia State ODP team. He later played soccer at West Point, his birthplace and the alma mater of his father and grandfather, before an eye surgery from a collision in a match catalyzed his transfer to Sewanee: the University of the South in Tennessee. He graduated from there with a B.A. in Developing World Studies. Chris has been in faith-based, non-profit ministry since 1995, when he and his wife of 28 years, the former Elizabeth Hesselink of Chattanooga, TN were married. He has served on the staffs of Young Life, the Salvation Army, Alpha USA, and has helped to start four churches and a college ministry to the University of Tennessee, as well as working with mercy ministry projects in Latin America, Africa, and Asia, as well as fundraising for theological colleges in Europe, all prior to becoming a US Army Chaplain at age 40 because he wanted to serve Soldiers and their families. Chaplains had been his pastors growing up as an Army brat, and Chris wanted to give back. Medical retirement after 10 years brought Chris back into the business of overseas and domestic mercy ministry and missions. Chris has always enjoyed coaching on the side, serving as an Assistant Coach at the Baylor School and Red Bank High School, as well as Head Coach of both the Boys and Girls Soccer teams at the Chattanooga School for the Arts and Sciences. In addition, he has coached select soccer teams from the U-12 to U-19 levels, in Chattanooga, in Alexandria, VA, where he attended graduate school to get an MDiv, and in Enterprise, AL while stationed at Fort Novosel (Rucker). Chris’ last duty station in the Army, Redstone Arsenal, has Chris and Elizabeth residing in Madison, AL, where Elizabeth teaches at the high school attended by their youngest son, James (15) . Their daughter, Anne Elise (20), a sophomore at Samford University, is studying photojournalism. Their son, Will, (18) is a freshman at Samford. Chris currently serves as a Mission Developer for Missio Mosaic and as a spokesperson for One Child, an organization based in Colorado Springs that serves the needs of impoverished children in the Developing World.