Hey everyone! My name is Alison Hill and I am from Canton, GA. Im 23 and in my 5th year at North Georgia College and State University in Dahlonega, GA. Im studying to be a high school math teacher (yeah, gross, I know). I have 1 sister, Catherine, who is 2 years older than me. We grew up extremely blessed with awesome parents that love the Lord. My dad and I share the same passion for missions. Both my parents are so great, so loving, and so supportive of everything I do. I was born and raised in the same county, lived there my entire life! I was also born and raised attending the same church my entire life. Thus I have 3 long time best friends from growing up and another 3 long time best friends that I grew up in church with since preschool.
Family at the beach (Catherine, dad, mom, me)
3 best friends from church best friends from growing up
Growing up in the same church, I accepted Christ when I was 9 (though I had no idea, and probably never will know what that fully entails). I got very involved in the youth group going on every retreat, mission trip, and anything else possible. I went on my first international mission trip to Honduras after my freshman year of high school, loved it, and went back every summer of high school. It was kinda love at first sight thing; me and missions were just meant to be! However, for a long time my intensions were not lined up with the Lord’s heart. For a long part of my walk with Christ it was all about performance and “look at me.” Even though I knew that there is no way to earn your way to Heaven, my actions didn’t follow. My heart knowledge wasn’t corresponding with my head knowledge…I had to be miss perfect so everyone would look at me and see God. Boy did I have it wrong!
Sometime during my first couple years of college God broke me down and showed me what a relationship with Him is all about, what it truly means to be a Christian. All the sudden it wasn’t about me being perfect and therefore people wanting to know Him (like that was ever going to work), it became: I am a selfish sinner in need of God’s grace. I will never be able to save myself, nor will I ever be able to save anyone else. I am simply in the loving grace and mercy of my Lord, Jesus Christ. It’s not about me and what I can do for His Kingdom, it’s about Christ alone.
I would hate to leave for this trip having people tell me how awesome I am for going to help people or going to share Christ with people around the world. Because the truth is, God can do that without me. He doesn’t need me in order to bring His children home and He doesn’t need me to be glorified. I am beyond privileged, however, to know that the Lord desperately wants to use me. When He uses me, it is then that I feel closer to God than at any other time in my life. (This is probably my biggest prayer request: that the Lord would use me like crazy over the course of the year!)
Since middle school I have been obsessed with wanting to go to Africa, so last summer I was looking at AIM trips to Africa. God, however, had a different plan! He somehow sent me to India to work in a preschool and with women at high risk of sex exploitation! India was never anywhere close to my radar and honestly didn’t even know sex slavery existed. That being said, I can’t even begin to explain how the Lord has taught me and changed me over the past year! It all began at training camp, where I began to learn how to discern the Lords voice. Long story short (feel free to ask about this) the Lord literally and physically healed me of some really intense acid reflux. This was the beginning of God revealing Himself like crazy over the following 2 months. Let’s just say God’s pretty much amazing! And I CANT WAIT to see what He is going to do during this year and how He is going to reveal Himself!
Random Facts:
I love sports. I love to play them and watch them. Football is my favorite!
I did gymnastics for 8 years, softball, tried basketball (not my best), and swimming-I play any and every intramural at school
One of my favorite things in the world is random worship.
I am the worst singer, but God thinks it’s beautiful
Drink of choice is definitely sweet tea
I have the shortest attention span when it comes to reading
Favorite season is definitely fall; the north GA mountains are so pretty in the fall!
I can be really quiet at times and sometimes you just have to tell me to shut up
Favorite foods: steak, popcorn, and chocolate (not a picky eater at all!)
I’m known to pull all nighters and I am the worst at waking up in the mornings
Cant wait to take this adventure with the Lord, learn more about Him, be used by Him, and be blown away by the Holy Spirit!!
Your Sister in Christ,
Alison
