I grew up in Grand Rapids, Michigan in an incredibly loving Christian home with my two parents Norm and Gail Mejeur, my two brothers Curtis and Daryl and my sister Lindsy. I was raised in Christian schools and in the Christian Reformed Church.
My first international mission trip was when I was 17 years old. I went to Nicaragua with my church youth group. That trip changed my life in more ways than I ever thought possible and from then on I knew that missions was something God had in plan for my life.
A few years went by and I had been attending different churches in Michigan. I was never involved with any of the church communities and started to fall away from attending church all together. I had a mindset of ‘I don’t need to go to church. I have a personal relationship with God and that’s that, I don’t need anything else’.
During this time in my life I became a cosmetologist and a cosmetology instructor. I had been working as a cosmetology educator at an Aveda Institute in Michigan for a while and decided I needed a change of scenery. I found an opening for a cosmetology instructor at the Aveda Institute Chapel Hill, applied, and shortly after was offered the job.
I moved to North Carolina in November 2011 and continued to live my life the way I felt. Almost one year later while visiting in Michigan, I became very sick and ended up in the hospital for a few days. After returning to NC, I became sicker and spent a week in a North Carolina hospital. Because I was so sick, my parents took family leave from their jobs and made an emergency trip to NC.
I was discharged on a Friday, and the day after, on Saturday evening, my parents encouraged me to attend a church service at my brother and sister-in-law’s church, The Summit. I was really attending just to make my mother happy. At the service, however, I had this feeling of curiosity and I was trying to figure out if this church was the place for me, so I decided to feed that curiosity and I kept going back. By about the third weekend I attended, our pastor touched on missions in his sermon.
I remember him saying to us:
“I know that international missions is not for everyone. We still need people here in our communities to share Christ’s love. But for some of you, that is what God is calling you to do and you haven’t responded to it; so it’s time for you to step up.”
– J.D. Greear
At this point I knew that I was in the right place. I realized that this was my new home and I was supposed to be involved in this church community and be involved in missions somehow.
I started to get involved at The Summit with our young professionals ministry, and soon after joined a small group. I new I wanted to be more involved in missions somehow, but had no idea how. I struggled with it for a long time; I’m not a pastor so how can I minister to anyone? I’m not a doctor or a nurse so I can’t very well go on a medical mission trip. God, how am I supposed to do this?
One Sunday, our campus pastor made an announcement about a short-term mission trip to Central Asia. The dates of the trip overlapped with a family vacation that was scheduled to celebrate my grandparent’s 60th anniversary so I knew I wouldn’t be able to attend. I decided to email him anyway and see if there was any way I could help out. He sent an email back and said I could help him recruit people for the trip; they were in need of about 30 people, he needed some people with special skills such as financial advisors, a photographer and he needed someone to cut hair. Ok, I new this was coming straight from God because I had never even met my campus pastor in person before; he had no idea that I am a licensed cosmetologist! After that everything fell right into place and before I knew it, I was on a plane headed to Central Asia. My time overseas was used to serve and encourage church planters by cutting their hair. This was actually a huge answer to prayer for me. I had finally been able to see that my skill can be a ministry to others!
Shortly after arriving back from our trip, I had been discussing long-term missions with a friend of mine who I had served with overseas. She introduced me to The World Race. I pondered on the thought of going overseas for a year and did not immediately think it would be for me. How was I supposed to leave everything I have? My friends, my family, my comfortable lifestyle, an amazing church I attend every Sunday, two wonderful small groups (yes, I have two small groups now), a great career? How would I even start? Can I give up my comfortable life style? Can I learn to fully rely on God, totally trusting Him to take care of me? Can I give up all my “things”? I am even fussy about the scent of my laundry soap!
My friends and family kept encouraging me to take baby steps; finish my application, pay my application fee, schedule an interview, and watch where God leads. Now here I am! God has his amazing agenda set out for each one of us and for me right now, that agenda is leaving this coming July and experiencing him all around the globe. I know he will be with my team and all of the other teams every step of the way. It’s not going to be easy, but it will be worth it.
“I know the plans I have for you”, declares The Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11
“Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” Psalm 46:10
