Me in a nutshell? Joyful. Thanks to a God of unconditional love and patience.
I have lived on a small farm in western PA all 23 years of my life. I’ve been a Christian almost as long. I’ve been blessed to have a strong Christian family as well. However, in middle school and part of high school I often went to church kicking-and-screaming (mostly on the inside!) It wasn’t until I was about 16 that I realized knowing about God and pursuing a relationship with him were 2 different things. That’s when I started to grow. Wow, have I been stretched since then!
Then I caught the bug. The travel bug. After high school I think of my life as chapters, divided by where I was living. In the summer of 2006 I worked at the (North Rim of) the Grand Canyon. I was with A Christian Ministry in the National Parks. I worked a regular job and was part of a ministry team that held worship services in the park on Sunday. It was a FANTASTIC summer. I made friends w/ international employees from all over the world, and we still keep in touch today. And I hiked thru the canyon – a small bonus.
In 2007 I spent a year studying abroad. In the spring of 2007 I went to Madrid, Spain and in the fall of 2007 I went to Buenos Aires, Argentina. I could write a book on each semester. I traveled all thru Spain and most of Western Europe. Then in Argentina God helped me empty me of myself and find pure joy in him – all thru the tiny little church around the corner from my apartment.
Last, this past summer I went to Grand Teton Nat’l Park in WY to work with A Christian Ministry in the National Parks again. God taught me so much through the people on the ministry team. I have a much better understanding of the body of Christ and how all the functions work together as a whole. I can’t wait to live in community again with my team on the race!
I just graduated from Grove City College. Right now I am a high school Spanish teacher. I have the wonderful challenge of teaching Spanish I to grades 9-12. And believe me, some days it’s not such a wonderful challenge! There is never a dull day, that’s for sure, and that’s what I love about it.
Thru each chapter of my life God shaped and prepared me for this trip. He’s made that quite obvious to me. I can’t WAIT to meet everyone!
Just a few more things:
*I love the outdoors, hiking, and travelling.
*I love getting to know other cultures – really getting to know them.
*I like penguins, a lot.
*I’m fluent in Spanish and cannot wait to go to Central America.
*I have a beagle named Bubbles. She’s the sweetest beagle in the whole wide world!
*Brian Regan and The Office make me laugh a lot.
*I can’t wait to go to Africa.
*Oh yea, I’m really excited about Southeast Asia too.
*I talk in my sleep…I hope that’s not a problem.
Whew! And that’s me!
