Here’s a quick reminder that I am still doing a GoRings fundraiser! They have a lot of incredible, handmade jewelry and they are created by a former World Racer. Go to gorings.com and select “Emma Williams” at checkout for a percent of the profits to go towards my Race!
Kathryn is a teacher, assistant camp director and missionary in Salcha, Alaska who also served in Nicaragua twice when she first became a Christian. She served as her sorority’s chaplain and as a lead worshiper at the Baptist Collegiate Ministry at Lander University. I’m proud to say I’ve walked with her from very early on in her faith and I’ve had the privilege of watching God grow her at exponential rates. She is a prime example of childlike faith and she sincerely pursues the heart of God. She absolutely loves to serve people and that selfless heart is exactly what the world needs a little more of. It was so much fun to interview Kathryn, especially since I went to Nicaragua with her the first time she served there. So, please enjoy as we reminisce and look back on everything that God did in Nicaragua!
edited for clarity
EW: Are ya ready?? Alright, here we are with Kathryn Connell, she has been on missions in Nicaragua and in Alaska. Im stoked! So, Kathryn, we’ll start out easy. Where in Nicaragua were you?
KC: We were mostly in Ometepe, an island comprised of two volcanoes in the middle of lake Nicaragua, and we ministered some in Managua, the capital.
EW: What were you doing while you were down there?
KC: Well, the first time we mainly did children’s ministry. We worked in a deaf school and we held a VBS for the community. I helped out a lot with that. We also did some ministry around the villages. The second time I went, we mostly did prayer walks with the pastor of a church down there. We went to some houses of people he knew of and we prayed for them and brought them things that they needed.
EW: What was one big thing God taught you while you were in Nicaragua, I’m sure there’s a lot of different things to pick from, so I don’t want to say “the biggest thing”, but what was a big takeaway that you had from Nicaragua?
KC: Basically I remember being really challenged because I had only been a Christian for a couple months when I decided to go. I’d never prayed in front of anybody and I hadn’t really taught about Jesus because I was still learning a lot. I felt like I had to play catch up because everyone was so strong in their faith and then here’s little baby Christian me. The first time I went, our translators got into an accident and I thought it was amazing to see everyone pray for that situation, it was probably the first time I saw a group of people pray for something like that. But I also remember having to combat feelings of not being good enough because I didn’t know enough, which is totally not true because I was still able to just love people. And I think that’s what really opened my eyes to the fact that I love to love people. I loved to sit with little kids and just hugging on them and loving on them even though I didn’t know any Spanish or sign language. I was still able to spread God’s love even in those “small” things. I realized later, that even though I felt like I wasn’t doing enough, I was. It’s funny because the second time I went people remembered me even though I felt like I was the really quiet one of the group. We had, like, 17 or 18 people on our first team and there were huge personalities, and I was still really shy. But, they still remembered me the second time I went! In terms of the things that they taught me – I thought it was wild that they had nothing and then, when we would visit them in their homes, they would start pulling out chairs and things. They didn’t question what we were doing there. They wanted to sit down and talk with us, and I thought that was wild because if anyone did that in America they’d be like “goodbye!”
EW: There’s definitely a huge culture difference!
KC: Yeah, and they were so kind. I remember they taught me how to cook – I didn’t know how to cook or anything and they just taught me how and sat with me and taught me all these things. I definitely felt welcomed by them.
EW: It’s so funny to hear you say that you felt unprepared because, I remember, being on missions with you the first time that you went, that was not the impression that you gave.
KC: Really?!
EW: Yeah!
KC: I remember they asked us to teach a Bible story at the school the second time I went and I was like “I don’t know any Bible stories! I don’t know enough to teach these little ones!” The first time I went, I don’t think I prayed for anyone at all. I don’t remember stepping out and doing that because I was too scared. I feel like I was really learning how to serve. I soaked up every moment I could help somebody. I remember we went to Maria’s house and I was all for helping in the kitchen and doing the dishes and I felt really happy that I could help them. And then getting to go to the hospital and, I don’t know why, just being there I felt really blessed to do that. I just felt really blessed doing all the “helping people things”.
EW: What was your favorite part about Nicaragua as a place and then your favorite part about being on missions in Nicaragua?
KC: I loved the people. A lot. They opened my eyes to a lot of things. It was really full, I’m trying to think. I think I like how simple and undistracted things were. Like, they actually wanted to get to know you. And you can’t even speak their language! They wanted to sit with you, they wanted to give you things. I thought that was really crazy, like, we wanted to give them things but then they wanted to give us things! The second time I went, the pastor’s wife remembered me and she gave me this tiny little palm tree that I love! I’ve never felt so loved before I was given a tiny little palm tree!
For my favorite thing while on missions, I loved being there and knowing I was there for God. That was constantly on my mind, but when I was home, that wasn’t always the case. And, being a new Christian, that was really something I took back home with me. Definitely that. And this sounds so weird, but it was cool to experience God outside of my normal area of life. Like, outside of my church, outside of my bedroom, outside of my school, outside of where I had normally been. I was going somewhere else and seeing what God was doing in another part of the world, it really opened my eyes a lot. I remember being there and being like, this is so weird, God is here too! He’s not just at home, He’s here, too! And He’s working in these people, too!
EW: Okay, I’m gonna go a little bit off script here, we’re going rogue! I want to hear about a pretty special experience you had while in Nicaragua and what you thought about it, what significance it had for you. You decided to get baptized in Nicaragua.
KC: With my best friend!
EW: Yes, your beautiful, intelligent, God-fearing best friend! You’re pretty lucky to have been baptized with her!
KC: Oh my gosh I love you!
EW: Whoever she is! I don’t know!
KC: Hahaha okay what I thought about it?
EW: Yeah, what it meant to you, what significance it had for you to do it in Nicaragua, if any at all. Just looking back on it.
KC: Yeah, this thought popped in my head and I was like, it would be really cool to get baptized in Nicaragua on my first missions trip. I remember asking Pastor Wes about it and I’m pretty sure he was all for it! We invited the community to come and I thought that was really cool because here I was, meeting all these people, wanting to show them God’s love, and I was able to have them be a part of my outward showing of faith and of dying to myself. I just thought it was special. I remember you and I praying before in our little hotel room and I thought it was really cool! We prayed and we were both really excited.
EW: Yeah, it was really special. Alright, we’re on the last one, are you ready?
KC: Is it the three words one?
EW: Yes – you’ve been reading ahead!
KC: I was actually thinking about it before you called me and trying to figure out what to say!
EW: Yeah, so I love getting to see what people say. What three words would you use to describe or define missions?
KC: I definitely think growing is one. Missions is about growing because I know God works more in you than through you, I get told that a lot here in Alaska. And it’s very true. Faith. Definitely, trust, faith – those two are always hand in hand to me. You have to trust God a lot to work out different kinks because it’s going out of your normal routine, and it’s things you aren’t expecting, but you are expectant for God to work. So, you have to trust that He is going to work and that there’s a reason He is calling you to do these things. Then, just having to trust Him that if something goes wrong, everything is going to work out, and you have to rely on Scripture, which goes back to the growing part too. Then I think love. So love, growth, and faith/trust.
EW: So four then?
KC: Well, no! I really think that faith and trust are the same… Maybe they are different.
EW: They are definitely very close. Like, if you have faith in something you are trusting that it will follow through.
KC: Yeah, so, love because that is what we are called to do. We are called to love and that looks so different every day and I think that is really beautiful. I was able to love a little kid by just sitting there and trying to help them with their little bee project, or able to love by bringing things to these people. It’s like tangible love and learning to love others in different ways.
EW: Alright, cool! Those are some great answers, I approve. I want to say thank you for letting me interview you and chat with you about your time in Nicaragua – it makes me so excited to go back to Nicaragua!
KC: I love you! I’m really honored that you wanted to interview me. It was fun to relive those moments, it’s been a while.
grace + peace
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