What a whirlwind life can be sometimes! One minute you’re
up, one you’re down, and even sideways at times. But oh how faithful our
gracious heavenly Father is throughout each turn of our lives! I just wanted to
take the opportunity to share “my story” with all you guys and allow you to see
how the Lord has led me here, to the World Race.
I was born and raised in a
wonderful Christian home, by parents who love the Lord. They drug me to church
every time the doors were open, exposing me to the truth of the gospel early on
in life. I remember hearing the gospel, even knowing the gospel when I was
young, but it was more of a head knowledge. I remember to this day the first
time the truth of the gospel really sunk in and became a heart knowledge of my
desperate need for my Savior-I was 10 years old. I remember realizing “being
good” was not enough. I needed a personal relationship with the Father. I
needed the sacrificial blood of Christ to cover me and His grace to save me
from myself. My life has been different ever since that day. Being 10, I didn’t
have a salvation experience that delivered me out of addictions or some crazy
history, but I had a salvation experience that delivered me from myself. I had
a change of heart, a change of priorities, a change in attitude, and a change
in the purpose for my life. Throughout the next few years, I began deepening my
relationship with the Lord. I became active in my youth group, where I was
blessed with a wonderful youth minister and wife who were constantly challenging
me and teaching me the ways of the Lord. Through my youth group, I was
introduced to Mission Fuge (the best camp ever!). Each year we would go to
M-Fuge, where I typically participated in a children’s ministry program of some
sort. I remember at the age of 15 the Lord revealed to me a call to children’s
ministry. As to what type, when, or where, I was unsure. So, as I began to
prepare for college, I decided on majoring in Education. Let me emphasize the
“I decided.” I thought education would be a great undergrad degree for a
children’s minister. Little did I know that the Lord would quickly reveal to me
the truth that His ways were not my ways, but they were much better! The Lord revealed to me a call to nursing.
Around that time in my life, He also revealed to me a passion for missions. As
you can imagine I was genuinely confused. I couldn’t see how any of these
passions and callings could possibly come together. Yet again, little did I
know or understand about the ways of the Lord. In 2008 I had the opportunity to
travel to Guatemala with my
church and the BCM in Auburn.
On that trip, I experienced first hand the beauty of 1 Peter 1:8-9, “You love
Him, though you have not seen Him. And though not seeing Him now, you believe
in Him and rejoice with inexpressible and glorious joy, because you are
receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.” My team hiked
into a village where we were unsure the gospel had ever been preached. When we
arrived, we were quickly blessed in finding this village to be a believing
village. They had even built a church! These people who had next to nothing in
a materialistic view, had more joy than I had ever seen. And to worship with
them in singing praises to our Lord was breathtaking. The sound of two very
different languages praising the only One worthy of our praise together in
harmony was absolutely life changing. My passion for the nations was being
stirred. This past summer I was able to travel to China with “Show Hope,” an
organization that provides orphan care and adoption assistance. It was another
incredible experience in which the Lord allowed me to see a glimpse of how He
works all things out in His perfect timing. The facility I volunteered in was a
medical center for special needs orphans. Ironic, eh? How quickly I saw how the
passions and callings the Lord has placed on my heart are for His glory and may
seem so very different and far apart to me, but are all for a purpose and
season. After returning from China,
I found myself with a broken heart. The number of orphans was astronomical, but
the billions of Chinese people yet to be adopted into the family of Christ was
heart wrenching! These people who have yet to hear the good news and believe
are destined for an eternity apart from the Savior! I have been so blessed to
grow up here in “the Bible belt” where I have been continually exposed to the
gospel, but that is not the case everywhere. I have received the beautiful gift
of mercy and grace and redemption that comes through a relationship with my
Lord and Savior, and I should be zealous to share that with a lost and dying
world! I found myself uneasy and dissatisfied with my complacent, routine daily
life. As I began to seek after a change of heart and where the Lord would have
me to be and serve, I remembered hearing about the World Race while in college.
After looking into the race, and much time spent in prayer, I found myself
here-preparing to leave my home in the states to share the beautiful story of
Jesus with the world. I can only imagine what the Lord is preparing to teach me
and challenge me with over the next 11 months. And as I said in my support
letter, my prayer is that by walking in obedience to Him and finding my all in
Him, that I will be most satisfied in Him. I pray He will be most glorified
through me-for I am a sinner yet saved and eager to share the love of my Savior
with a lost and dying world to the glory of His name.
Here are a few pictures from some of my past trips : )
