Hey everyone! Thanks for stopping by. Here is my attempt to sum up my entire life and experiences in a blog. Ok. 1. 2. 3. Here I go!!!!!!!
My name is Christel (pronounced like Crystal) and I am 24 years old, soon to be 25. I grew up in Naperville, Illinois with my parents, my brother (Joey) and my dog, Bandit. My brother is 21 years old and is out in Colorado studying photography. (Man, do I wish I could have his photography skills for the World Race). Here are some pictures .
Me and my Beautiful mom!
My great dad and brother, Joey.
After I graduated high school, I went to college at Millikin University in central Illinois. I studied vocal music education in anticipation of being a high school choir director. I loved college and loved learning about music. I loved student teaching at a high school in Chicago teaching high school students. But when I was finishing up graduation, I really wanted to do one year of something different before starting a teaching career. I did a year of volunteering with the Christian Appalachian Project in rural Kentucky.
I lived in a town of 800 people in the Appalachian mountains in a volunteer house with eleven other volunteers. Here are my lovely housemates.
My primary ministry was to go into fourth grade classrooms in elementary schools and teach life skill classes (saving money, shopping, anti bullying, etc.). I traveled to four different schools a week. My favorite ministry was helping out an after school recreation facility for teenage boys called, The Lord’s Gym. There I lead devotions in between basketball games and weight room routines every week and built relationships with these teenagers. I loved being there. I know those boys were the reasons I was called there. Here are a few of my favorite guys named Matt and Marc.
After my year in Kentucky, I really felt like God was calling me to do another year of volunteering. I decided on a year of ministry with the organization, Youth Encounter. Its mission is to partner with Christian Communities to strengthen their youth ministry. I was on a team with other young adults creating a traveling ministry band. We traveled every one to seven days to different schools, churches, prisons, and nursing homes in the United States, Ukraine, Romania, and Germany to share the love of Jesus through our music, games and conversations. Here are my wonderful teammates, Ben, Susan, Jan and me. This was during the “Son Quest Rainforest” vacation bible school week. All summer long, we were in the states doing different Vacation Bible Schools.
Below is a picture of us doing street ministry in Kiel, Germany. This was our last week of ministry overseas.
These past two years have been incredible and I can’t even believe what God has called me to do. These past two years were never part of my plan, but I know they were exactly what I was supposed to do. This is how I feel with the World Race, too. I can’t even imagine how God will lead me this year.
I don’t feel called to be a traditional music teacher anymore. I feel called to be a missionary. I feel called to live in another country permanently. I don’t know what the ministry will be or where I will live or when, but I know that is the path God is showing me. My passions lie in music, teaching, sharing my faith, and talking with people. I know these are gifts from God and He will use these passions to glorify Him in some way. I can’t wait to see how God uses the World Race to lead me on His wonderful path for me.
