Who We Are

Tarra Carlson

President

Tarra lives life loud and isn’t afraid to take on whatever God is calling her to do. With a heart and passion for missions, Tarra has served orphans and families in Honduras, Haiti, and DR Congo, and also serves through missions in the U.S. She is the mother of two beautiful children from the Democratic Republic of Congo. She has spent time traveling to, serving, and living in DRC. She has a BA in Business Administration and a Masters degree in Theology. She has spent her career in business management and marketing. Tarra’s Christian leadership helps keep us accountable and her experience in business and marketing drives our strategic outreach efforts.

Austin Carlson

Vice President & Agricultural Advisor

Austin is a follower of Jesus Christ. He is a proud husband to Tarra and a proud father to his two beautiful children. Austin is a professionally licensed engineer and works full time for an agricultural engineering firm. His love of his children’s home country, agricultural background, and extensive experience in missions both domestically and abroad allow him to be a great resource for the Live Beyond Words team.

Amy Schaefer

Board Member & Administrative Director

Amy is full of love and compassion for orphaned children and is always looking for ways to make a meaningful impact. She is married to a currently serving Marine and mother to four beautiful children. Although she earned a Bachelor of Science in Education, she left the classroom to stay at home with her children and has an increasing desire to care not only for her own children, but for those around the world as well. At Live Beyond Words, Amy makes sure everything runs smoothly. She fills in the gaps and her creativity helps us inspire others and reach those in need.

Carla Carlstead

Board Member & Partnership Leader - Kimwenza

Carla has always had a deep affection for babies and children. Having completed her education as an RN, she worked as a hospital OB nurse and had three daughters of her own. After completing her Bachelor of Science in Nursing, she worked in health promotion and occupational health and safety.  She is now looking to put her faith into action and make a positive impact in the lives of children around the world. At Live Beyond Words, Carla is involved in fundraising, promotions, and facilitating ongoing partnership relations with our donors. She also travels to Congo to join in our projects, assess new ones, and provides accountability so we can make sure every dollar gets put to its intended use.

Ryan and Nicole Blaszczyk

Board Members & Partnership Leaders - College Samuel Levi

Nicole is a passionate follower of Jesus Christ and loves to encourage others in their walk with Christ. She is a proud mother of four children, three bio girls and a son from the DR Congo. Nicole has a BA in Elementary Education and has taught in many arenas, both public and private. She has also run her own preschool, home schools her children, and founded a youth ministry in her local church. Nicole has spent time in schools and with teachers in the DR Congo. She is passionate about teaching and overflows with compassion and love for all people and children.

Ryan loves God and is excited to be used to change lives for Him. He is proudly married to Nicole and loves his four children dearly; their joy, play, and excitement keep him energized. Ryan is a senior engineer in Information Technology at a large retail corporation based in Minnesota. He is also very involved in his church youth group and technology in his local church. Ryan’s passion for helping those in need is a catalyst for being a part of the Live Beyond Words team. He is a guru in all things technical and a great problem solver; both of which are great assets to the Live Beyond Words team.