Lia Trainor was born in Long Beach, but when she was two years old her family moved to Davenport, Iowa so her father could pastor a local church. Growing up in a ministry home was an incredible blessing as the example of Lia’s parents taught her to trust in God, serve others, and adopt God’s vision for the world.
At the age of 13, God began His process of calling Lia to missions in Italy. The pursuit of this call brought Lia to Bryan College in Dayton Tennessee where she began to understand more deeply the wonders of the grace that she had claimed for most of her life. The highest call in her life was not to minister, but to abide in Christ and rest in His grace.
This new outlook defined much of Lia’s mission’s work in Italy as she offered her small gifts and talents to God, and he used them for His glory. On the field in Italy, Lia worked as support staff for a missions organization and helped run a study abroad program for American students. She used her passion for hospitality and life in community to turn young people towards missions.
While Lia and her husband are in the US for an extended period, she is delighted to be on staff at SGCC. It is an honor for her to be part of this local body and care for it by working in the office and by supporting the parents and nursery workers as the Nursery and Early Childhood Coordinator.
Lia is married to Garrett, the California boy she met in Italy, and mom to Danny. Together they like to travel and enjoy creating a home together wherever they are. You can often find Lia in her kitchen trying to replicate foods from their Italian life or using Zoom to connect with loved ones far away.
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 2 Corinthians 12:9
