Here is how I was called to
the mission field…
My very first mission
trip was to a Black Foot Indian Reservation in Montana, the summer after my
freshman year of High School. I
spent a week painting houses and doing VBS with kids. It was one of the best experiences
of my life up to that point. I grew to new depths in my relationship with God
and saw Him working in my life. The day I came home I asked to sign-up for next
summer. I could hardly wait to
serve God on the reservation again and see Him use me. During High School my
relationship with God grew continually deeper and deeper. I did mission work every summer and led
the church youth group when our youth pastor was killed in a car accident. During my senior year, I felt God
calling me to Kenya, Africa. I was already committed to our church mission trip
and knew that it would not happen that year. When I went to Crown College the
next fall, I heard about a mission trip, for education majors, to visit a
missionary school in Kenya. I knew at that moment this is where God was calling
me. The professor was only going to take 10 people and he had anticipated it
being mostly seniors and a few juniors. I went through the interviewing process
and he said to me that even though I was only a freshman it was clear that I
was to be a part of this trip and they could not go without me. Due to the war
in Iraq starting, this trip was postponed until spring of the next year. I
spent 10 days in Kenya and fell in love with Rift Valley Academy, the
missionary school. I wanted to get
back to RVA as soon as possible. Crown College allows
three education majors a year to do their student
teaching outside of MN. I worked hard to have good grades and went through the
interview process to be selected as one of the three. So, my senior year of
college I spent 2 and a half months student teaching at RVA. The principal of
the school saw what a great fit I was for the school and asked me to return
after I finished my degree. I prayed over this decision and a year later I was
packing my bags and on my way back to Kenya. I spent the past two years teaching 6th grade at
RVA and loved it so much. Not only did I have an impact on my students, but
also on the community.
another missionary from my home church asked me if I always knew I wanted to be
a missionary. Without giving it a second thought I blurted out “No”. She asked
me why and I realized, that growing up I always thought that you could not
choose to be a missionary. I
thought God picked his “most holy” followers and said to them, “You, you will
be my missionary!” I knew I was not perfect and therefore never considered
being a missionary. Somehow God got me out there anyway and now I know that it
is not about being a “super Christian”, but about following God wherever He
leads. So I am excited to follow God in this next adventure, knowing He will
stretch and mold me in new ways.
