She has traveled all over the world, living most of the year in Qatar and spending summers in the United States where she and her husband run a girls ranch. Maryan is the oldest of nine children, and the mother of seven. She has taken up art and the cello as part of her journey with him, now playing in the Doha Community Orchestra and teaching art to children and adults with disabilities. As a young missionary, Maryan served a welfare mission in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, and then was called to Thailand and the Philippines to work in refugee camps under the auspices of the United Nations.
There she learned how to connect with people of all backgrounds, and how to offer love and comfort in the wake of tragedy. She writes a blog called Opening the Sky that seeks to foster cultural understanding. Recently she started a foundation called Art4Every1 , and believes in the power of creativity and art in uniting those of different backgrounds, beliefs, and experiences.
A while ago I decided I have pockets of home everywhereβsometimes, I would say, the pocket is bulging! Oh, yes. There are places and people I miss around this worldβespecially my family. I currently live a dual life: a very full summer life in the United States, and the rest of the year an international life filled with travel to many diverse places.
One summer I counted I had slept in 20 beds! However, from the start I have felt at home in Qatar, my home in the Middle East.
My husband and I direct a ranch in the Tetons for teenage girls and I teach art to teenage boys. The ranches and the principles we teach are very important to me. This year we are entering our fifth year of living in the Middle East. It has made me understand the importance of how transitory our interactions are with others.
