I remember when I was in my senior year in High School thinking, "What next? What does God want me to do with my life?" After having many conversatons with God, friends, and family I had a glimpse of where my life might lead me. The idea of mission work started to latch onto a part of my mind.
From High School, I joined AmeriCorps NCCC because I like helping people and I had no idea what kind of degree I wanted. It was there that I realized I enjoyed taking care of people. I was at an Easter Seals Camp, which is a camp for people who have disablities, and when I was helping people communicate, get dressed, and any other basic function, I felt like I was doing what I was supposed to do. From there I decided to be a nurse.
While I was in College for nursing, mission work was still in the back of my mind. I knew I could use nursing overseas to show God's love to people. During those 4 years I had the chance to go to Kenya and India as school trips. It was during those trips that my passion for overseas missions went from an ember to a full force flame. I realized that I have a huge God given passion for women overseas. It really hit me when I was in India. To see how they throw new born baby girls out because the parent didn't have a baby boy. How the women are physically, mentally, and emotionally abused. And the worst of it is that the women beleive it and take it as a part of life. They don't beleive they are worth anything because that is what their culture has taught them, and then they pass down those beliefs to their daughters and granddaughters. When I flew back home from Kenya and India I couldn't get those women out of my head. I knew one day I would be doing something along the lines of showing God's unconditional love to women. To show women how God sees them, and not how the world sees them. My heart was to share the freedom I had, with women who were oppressed.
After graduating from Nursing School I went to a Bible College to get a better understanding of the Bible. It was during that time that God was able to free me from some beliefs I had, and I was able to really see God as a Father rather than a God that could smite down someone if they sinned. I started to really understand the concept of unconditional love. During my second year of school, I married my wonderful husband Dustin who also has a heart for missions.
He has been to Germany and loved it there. I have been to India and loved it. As we discussed where God might be leading us, The World Race came up. When the idea of going to 11 different countries in 11 months together came up, we were soo excited because we knew God was going to use this opportunity to guide us even more to where we are supposed to go full time. We also know that God will show us what kind of ministry He will want us to be a part of when it is time for us to go full time. I can't express the joy and excitement that comes, knowing God is leading us to what we have been made to do. And the best part is that during this process we are in His will, helping people, loving people, showing God's kind of love. Not only is He going to show us what He will want us to do in the future but we have the chance to do it now. 🙂 God is so good! He is not only using Dustin and I and our team to show his love around the world when we go, but our friends and family who are lifting us up in prayers and are supporting us in this journay, are also a part of all of this. They are also showing God's love around the world. 🙂
