My favorite T-Shirt reads, “It’s hard to be humble when you’re from West Virginia.” I am a mountain mama and the country roads do lead me home. After four years at Emmanuel College in Franklin Springs, Georgia studying youth ministry, I’m back in Bluefield, West Virginia. I’m spending time with my family, working as a third-shift cashier at Wal-mart, and raising support for what will surely be an amazing adventure.
In college, I worked with the Emmanuel Leadership Initiative to start a mentoring program on campus, played the role of Mrs. Peterson in the musical
Bye Bye Birdie!, and was captain of my intramural team, the Hawkettes. At one point I attempted to play bass guitar, but that didn’t really work out. When I wasn’t quad surfing or playing ultimate frisbee, I tried to study hard and seek the Lord’s will for my life. It’s funny that He’s led me here to the World Race, I originally thought I’d graduate and be a youth pastor at a church somewhere. But praise God He knows more than me.
The World Race won’t be my first experience with Adventures in Missions. My first overseas mission trip was a Real Life trip to New Zealand in 2004. This summer I led an Ambassador Team to India. I love discipleship, and I love sharing the truth with young people. I believe that discipleship through a mission setting is an effective tool. Most people are broken at their inability to help out and make a difference a part from the Lord. Their reliance on Him then becomes essential. It’s like planting seeds of truth on fertile, tilled soil. I love ministering cross-culturally and loving and encouraging people.
I pray that each day as I lay my head down to go to sleep, I’ve learned something new about God in my relationship with Him. In the future I just want to grow in my knowledge of Him, and have Him use me to share that with others. When I’m not busy with ministry, perhaps I’ll become an ultimate frisbee champion.
AIM’s creation of this program was a direct answer to prayer for me. About a month before this was posted on the website I found a book in Barnes and Noble about traveling around the world. I was intrigued and bought the book. I quickly made the decision that I would personally love to spend a year traveling around the world. The incident even ended up in my journal, a rare occurrence for sure. I wanted to do this before I was thirty years old. Soon after that I felt selfish for deciding to take a year of my life away from God and whatever He planned for it. He spoke very clearly that He wanted the desires of my heart to be realized, but He had ways of using them for His glory. The next day the World Race Trip was introduced on the website. I have prayed about my decision to apply for the team and I know that God can use me on this trip. I want to let Him use me.
