Debra Kornfield

Debra Kornfield grew up in a small village in Guatemala and faced profound “city shock” when she moved with her husband David and four small children to the megalopolis of São Paulo, Brazil in 1990. This was her home for fourteen years until she moved to Pittsburgh in 2004 to support their daughter Karis through intestinal transplant.

Debra is a nurse with a graduate degree in family counseling. She published three books in Brazil, one of them a groundbreaking book on care for survivors of childhood sexual abuse. She loves hiking, playing with her three grandchildren, cultivating Karis’s “Friendship Garden,” teaching Scripture and counseling in three languages, writing, and traveling with Dave to the ten Latin American countries where they now work. She enjoys writing for and reading the stories people send for her blog, ButGod.blog, and is delighted that biweekly chats keep her in touch with her seven siblings.

Debra met her husband Dave as a freshman at Wheaton College, where she earned a B.A. in English Literature. Dave helped put her through Rush University, where she received her B.S. in Nursing the same month he was awarded his Ph.D. from the University of Chicago. In 1988, two weeks before their fourth child was born, David and Debra joined One Challenge International. They live in Pittsburgh, but travel frequently to Latin America (or did, before COVID) for their mission work with OCI.

Karis, All I See Is Grace is now available in Spanish as Karis, Todo lo que veo es gracia, and is coming soon in Portuguese, as Karis, Só vejo a graça.

Debra's debut historical fiction novel, Horse Thief 1898, dropped on Amazon June 28, 2022. It contains a discussion guide for book clubs.

Coming soon: Treasure Hunt 1904, Book Two of the Cally and Charlie series.