It’s hard to believe that God would choose me to serve Him as He
has already and what He has prepared for me in the future.  My journey
has been an interesting one, but God has been with me each step.  😉
 
                                                   
 
I grew up on a farm near the small town of Osakis, Minnesota.  My
closest friends growing up were my sisters:  Chelsa and Courtney; and my
brother:  Preston.  We had a great time growing up doing chores with
dad, playing in haystacks, naming kittens, and finding interesting ways
to pass the time.  Dad and Mom have been a great example of a Christian
Marriage and brought us up in a small country church called Elim
Lutheran Church.  I loved growing up there, although I don’t think I
would have admitted that in high school.  My family or Sunday School
class would sing for special music, everyone felt like family, and I
learned about Jesus.  
 
 
It wasn’t until High School that I actually made my faith my own
and decided to follow the Lord with everything I had.  It’s funny, I
decided to turn my life over then, but that was the first of MANY times.
 It’s pretty much a daily thing:  to surrender.  I did pretty normal
stuff in high school:  involved in way too many extracurricular
activities, had a part time job at our local Wal-Mart, and spent way too
little time doing way too much homework.  I was involved with two
different youth groups and was learning to find my worth in the Lord.  I
fell in love with missions and showing the love of God to others during
high school, and even more during college.  
I went to Northwestern Bible College in Saint Paul, MN and studied
Ministry with an emphasis on Inter-Cultural Studies.  I struggled
through college, not academically, but spiritually, physically, and
emotionally, but I learned a lot about trust, love, and hope.  God is so
faithful!  It still amazes me how He revealed Himself to me even then!
 Many Praises to our King!  He deserves all the honor, glory, and
praise!  I began to serve the Lord in different capacities while at
Northwestern, for example: I was able to serve on 4 mission trips to
Trinidad (one of which was with my dad), I interned as the Youth Worship
Ministry Coordinator at a church, and went on a semester long
Inter-Cultural Studies internship trip in South America.  All of these
experiences helped to form and refine the call and vision God has given
me (which, honestly, continues to be formed and refined).  
I graduated from Northwestern in December 2004 and continued to
work at Wal-Mart full time for the next 2+ years.  I had this idea that I
would pay off my student debt quickly by moving up the company ladder
so I could go into full time ministry.  It seems as though, that’s not
what I was supposed to do.  Isn’t it funny how we can plan all we want,
but God sometimes has another idea, “The heart of man plans his way, but
the Lord establishes His steps.”  (Proverbs 16:9)  
I didn’t plan on working in short term missions, but I have been
for the past 4 summers and full time for the past 2+ years.  I didn’t
plan on being able to see the world, but I was a flight attendant for 6
months and got to go places I wouldn’t have dreamed of going as well as
am involved in missions that allow me to serve around the world.  I
didn’t plan on the life that I am living, but am blessed to be here.
 The Lord is so faithful and knows better than I ever could what I want
or need or how He can best use me!
 
Many praises that my plans are not His plans and He knows so much better what I need and He is Sovereign!