Neal was raised on a small farm in North Dakota and came to Seattle in 1988 to study at Lutheran Bible Institute. He first attended New Hope International Church to fulfill a requirement for a cross-cultural communication class, but he knew from the first Sunday that the Lord was calling him to be a part of building this church.
Maryjo was born and raised in Bellevue, Washington. She first met Pastor Lao at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, where he was the Chief Resident in the Neurosurgery Department at the time. While bringing a Thai-speaking friend to hear the Gospel, she was impressed by the genuine love for Jesus at the small Fellowship and their zeal and desire for doing the Lord's work! Maryjo is retired from Harborview after 31 years.
Their desire is to see maturity in the body of Christ in every area and to see people become disciples and released into their God-given gifts and callings.
They are involved in Intercessory prayer, Evangelism, and mentoring within the Church. They enjoy traveling and spending time with their family who also attend New Hope.
