Hi there! Here’s a little information on me. I grew up in Illinois even though I now live in south central Pennsylvania in a town called Carlisle. I’m the oldest of two incredible sisters and even though we are all five years apart, we are extremely tight. I like to scrapbook (yes, I’ll be taking a ton of pictures!), listen to all kinds of music and hang out and just talk with my friends. I’m quiet at first, but once I get to become comfortable in the situation, I tend to talk a lot! J I like to ask questions, learn new things or figure out how things work…which probably speaks for what I’ve done and where I’ve come from.
I grew up in church…literally! My dad is a pastor and many of my childhood memories come from hanging out in the church with both of my sisters or from living in the parsonage, next door to the church. I accepted Christ at a young age and even then I remember watching the presentations from the missionaries and feeling God call me to do that someday. However, as I grew up I didn’t really want to go into ministry and tried to do anything to escape it. I went to college and pursued a degree in Communications. During my time there my interests not only changed, but my faith and beliefs became my own and not my parents. My junior year in college, I went on a mission trip to New York City to help feed the homeless. My eyes were opened and the passion of what I really loved flowed back in, however I felt that I needed to pursue what I went to college for. I was fortunate to go back and get an internship for a major TV show in the city, but I left with heart changed into thinking, “What will my mark be on history?” I didn’t just want to do a job any more. My desire then became to create a television show that could be viewed by any ages and was family/faith based.
I took my first job for ABC and NBC news in Fort Myers, Florida thinking that it would give me some experience and make some contacts to further this dream. However, it didn’t work out that way. I know that I was placed there for a certain reason, but I kept questioning God as to why. After a year, I was burned out, crushed and felt defeated. I felt I was going in the right direction that this was the only thing I knew how to do in life and suddenly it blew up on me. I felt God saying I would not work in media and get paid for it, that it would now continue to use those gifts, but just as a volunteer position. So, I prayed for God’s guidance, that he would clearly lead me to my next job and felt him say that I was to be in missions. Missions???? It was immediately post 9/11 and the thought of going overseas at the time did not seem to be wise. However, I placed calls to some mission offices and started inquiring about different positions. Most of them had the same response that they were not currently placing anyone for the next couple of months due to the pending war. I started second guessing God’s calling. Why were these doors closed if I was supposed to be in missions? I received a flyer, by mail, in March describing a program called Camfel Productions. I would travel around the country putting on multi-media presentations to junior and senior high school students mainly in schools, but also in churches. I was very interested in the job, but I struggled in figuring out how this would work. In the end, nothing that I ever perceived to be a hindrance ever was. I accepted the job and enjoyed the travels, the friendships, but mostly the interaction that I had daily with the kids (and adults) and sharing with them and sometimes getting to share my beliefs with them. It never occurred till after words that my mission field was right here in the states.
The job with Camfel also led me to where I am now. During two weeks in the beginning of the year, we visited a small town called Hanover. I became good friends with the director and his wife of the Youth for Christ there. I was offered a job there, but knew I had to raise my own support. I also knew that my contact base for raising support was low. I really felt God calling me here, but knew that if I did come, I couldn’t take the job full-time. So, I took the job part-time, came to the area in June and applied for jobs at television stations in the area for that was all I felt that I knew and was good at. Nothing opened up with any of them, but I ran across an ad about a new ROSS store opening in Carlisle. I ended up being hired as part of the management. Though my lack of management experience was a challenge at first, I have learned many aspects of myself and others that has crossed over into other areas in my life. I found a wonderful church and an incredible group of friends in the area. I am a part of the media team at church; so I am still able to do media type things. We are also blessed to have a young Adults pastor who enhanced the program for the 20 &30 year olds, single and married people in the church, which I am a part of and on the leadership team for and looking forward to hear how they grow in the coming year.
Looking back over my life I can see the areas of frustration, confusion and points of questioning. However, I can also see how God has been faithful and has never left my side. I’ve also realized in how much greater his plan was rather than mine and look forward walking out his plan as I enter the World Race. I am amazed by all that I’ve accomplished in the past few years through God‘s guidance and it‘s easier to share about my beliefs in God through my own personal testimony. I’ve often walked through doors not knowing what exactly was on the other side, but trusting that if this was where God wanted me, than I would be okay. I’m in that same spot now, and I just have to remember one of my favorite passages in the Bible. Hebrews 13, verse 5-6, “…
because God has said, Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid.” (NIV)
