Laura's early years, born into a devout German Catholic family in the 1950s, the eighth of eleven children, were filled with outdoor fun and hard work on their vast farm in Texas, USA. By age six, Laura had learned how to drive the family's old pickup truck, and every morning at 4:00, she would head to the far end of the ranch to wake the cows and send them to the milking parlor. But life became unbearable when financial stress and illness led Laura's father to become abusive, and by age fourteen, she was determined to end her life. As she sat down to write her suicide note, God intervened, redirecting her life and setting her on the path that would ultimately lead her to discover the love she longed to find.