I grew up in Phoenix, but since I wasn’t too keen on the heat that comes with it 10 months a year, I decided to go to school in Flagstaff, a sleepy little mountain town. There at Northern Arizona University, I was able to quench the thirst of my adventurous spirit. I would often spend my free time and class time hiking, camping, snowboarding, or rock climbing, (I didn’t always ditch class, I actually received credit for snowboarding and rock climbing classes, I got a practical education).
As I approached graduation, I was really considering what options I had and what path I wanted my life to take. Missions has long been important to me.
When I was 17, I went to Spain to serve at a Christian camp outside of Barcelona. This camp provides one of the very few ways in which youth hear the Gospel. It is a great camp and God is truly using it and doing wonderful things there. I have since returned for two more adventures at that camp. The last summer I went with another good friend of mine and without any backing from a missions organization. We assumed the roles of the camp maintenance guys. Our days were filled with construction and destruction, pretty much just being really manly. The summer was a trial period for me to see if that was where God wanted me to be as a long-term missionary. But the answer I received was “not now.” So for my final year of college, I pondered whether God wanted me somewhere else as a missionary or if He wanted me to move away after graduation and pursue a career and start a family, the “American dream.” Up until a week before I graduated, it looked like I was heading off to Colorado to work and play in the mountains, although I still felt a little uneasy about the whole job thing (I’ve always been quite comfortable with the whole play thing though!). But a good friend of mine told me all about her exciting plans for this mission trip around the world. At first I felt really jealous, but then I felt that God was nudging me in this direction as well. So I decided to pursue this opportunity and God totally opened the door for me. I have long prayed that God would use me and that my life would count. Now He has given me a unique opportunity to let Him use me and do it in one of the most exciting way I can think of. I am eager to see what this next year has in store for me and how it will most surely change my life.
Let’s see, a little bit more about myself. I love the outdoors. Went to school in Arizona, where most of you would think is all desert. But I was about an hour away from the Grand Canyon, half hour away from a 12500 foot peak to snowboard on. I LOVE to snowboard and rock climb. I pretty much climb at least 3 days a week. I also love rockclimbing’s younger brother of a sport called slacklining. Its where you tie a piece of webbing (essentially a rope) between two trees and balance and walk on it). It’ll challenge you. I love photography, mostly nature photography. I am excited to see to many new and beautiful places of the world. I am also tenacious when it comes to ping pong. I dont mean to boast, but when it comes to this sport, I am kind of a big deal… people know me. I also love athletics. I love to play basketball and baseball for sure, and I really wish I had played more soccer, especially after watching all of the world cup go down. I am a very social person and I can’t wait to get to know all of you!
