Laurel grew up around the US and overseas as her father was in the military, but she was born and has roots in Philadelphia, PA. Her husband, Jason, is from Scottsdale, AZ and they met in Philadelphia while they were both pursuing higher education. Laurel and Jason moved to Crozet in 2005 for Jason's job as a chemistry professor at UVA. They joined Trinity Presbyterian Church where she worked on staff as the Mercy Coordinator for several years. In 2012, the family moved to Chengdu, China where Jason took a position at Sichuan University. Laurel homeschooled their two children, Violet and Justus, for the 8 years they lived in Chengdu. She set up and directed a chapter of Girls Everywhere Meeting the Savior (GEMS) for expat girls in elementary and middle school that ran for 6 years. In the summer of 2020, the Chrumas moved back to Crozet and got involved at Hope. Laurel and Jason have been involved in youth ministry and teaching Sunday school for most of their adult lives and want to encourage the young people of our congregation as they grow in the Lord and in community with one another.
