Who I am and what I do
Hi there! My name is Bill Covelens. I’m 25 years old and I live just outside Northeast Philadelphia in Huntingdon Valley, Pennsylvania. I grew up in Fontana, California until the age of twelve when my family moved to Pennsylvania where we have resided since. I love my family very much. My father is a pastor and has been one my entire life, and my mother is a registered nurse who has always been faithfully by his side supporting him in his ministry. I have two siblings; one younger sister and one younger brother, who are two of my best friends in life.
I’ve been out of school for some time now having obtained my license to practice as a registered nurse in Fall 2014 after receiving my nursing diploma from Abington Memorial Hospital’s Dixon School of Nursing. I then completed my Bachelors of Science in Nursing at Penn State University in Spring 2015. I have currently been practicing professionally as a RN for about a year and a half now at Abington Jefferson Health (formally known as Abington Memorial Hospital) where I work the graveyard shifts.
I’m also a missionary who works with the Jesus Loves Me Christian Foundation as the Missions Coordinator of our JLM U.S. Chapter. JLM Christian Foundation is a 501c3 nonprofit organization based in Panama that I have been apart of for the past few years now. Our foundation exists to share the love and truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ by meeting the needs of disadvantaged women and children through Vacation Bible Schools and other outreach oriented ministries in Panama and around the world. Since working with JLM I have had several opportunities to go to Haiti and minister to the people there, and currently as the Missions Coordinator I help to raise funds and awareness for our annual mission trips as well as continuing to go out on these mission trips wherever the Lord may lead us.
Things I love in life
One of the things I love most in life is being outdoors in God’s beautiful creation. I love camping, hiking, swimming, climbing, and free running. I enjoy pretty much anything fun you can do outside.
I also love music. I love listening to music and making music. I enjoy playing guitar as well as singing songs that I know and love.
I love to play video games too, especially Nintendo games like Super Mario Bros., Zelda, and Pokémon. You can never go wrong with a good Nintendo game.
Animals are another great love of mine. I have always had a great interest in animals as a kid, and today I still love learning about all the different creatures God has made and interacting with them in any way I can when given the opportunity.
Another one of my passions is just reading the Bible. I love studying the ancient scriptures that are the Word of God, understanding how I can apply it to my life today, and sharing it with others as the Holy Spirit leads me.
Why the World Race
A few years ago when I didn’t know where I was going or what I wanted to do in my life God reminded me of the Great Commission to share the story of Jesus Christ with the peoples of every nation. When this happened God also gave me a vision to spend my life literally going to every nation on this planet to share the love and truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ wherever it is needed. I truly believe there is a place in every country today where people are in need of the gospel and the love of God’s people to meet them where they are that they may know their creator who loves them. God has placed a burden on my heart to follow this vision of literally taking His gospel to the ends of the earth in my lifetime, and by His great grace I plan on following Him in this calling until the day I die. It may sound crazy and impossible, but all things are possible with my God.
With that said, the World Race is another opportunity from God for me to fulfill this calling in my life and one that I know He has called me to follow Him in now to further prepare me for a life of missions and to show me what it takes to live a life completely surrendered to Him. My hope is that in following God on this journey for 11 months going to 11 different countries that I will grow more intimate with Him, become more in tune with the Holy Spirit, and become more steadfast in living a life of daily surrender to His will for His name’s sake as I’m put in places during the World Race where I must be completely dependent on Him. I want to truly know what it means to glorify my God and Savior Jesus Christ with all that I am and all that I have while I live this abundant life He has given me.
Looking ahead to this mission trip my other hope is that God will work mightily in and through the lives of those I will be ministering with and those I will be ministering to during this journey to further the work of His Kingdom on this Earth.
Prayer and Thanks
Please join me in daily prayer for the Lord to accomplish all of His will in my life, the lives of my teammates, and the lives of all the people we will meet in each country we visit as we serve in His name.
Please also pray that God would meet the spiritual, physical, and financial needs of my teammates and me as we prepare for and embark on this journey with the Lord.
Thank you for all your prayers, love, and support. There is an amazing adventure that lies ahead during which I believe God will do mighty acts far greater than anyone of us could ever ask or think, and I can’t wait to share it with you.
Sincerely in Christ,
Bill Covelens
“For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.”
– Philippians 1:21
