I know I said I hate "About me" sections, but I want to write a little more about my specific call to the mission field to provide a little more of a background about myself.
I remember I first felt the calling to the mission field when I was at church camp in middle school. The focus of the camp that year was how everyone is called to missions, though most were called to be local missionaries in places like their neighborhoods and the supermarket. During a sermon about international missions and listening to the calling God has over your life and after a long time of silence in group prayer, the command was given to stand where you were if- and only if- you were certain God was calling you to the mission field, specifically long-term and international missions. I will never forget that day. Actually that seems like a lie when I really think about it. There are moments in the day I cannot recall no matter how hard I try. The seconds before I stood up are a few of those moments I cannot remember. The first thing I remember was feeling the hands of people from my small group and my church on my back and arms and I was just standing there crying. I was mumbling "Here am I. Lord, send me!" through my sobs. I remember pouring over my journal the rest of the week about the things I was going to do and the places I was going to go. Oh how I wish I could find that journal now…
Time passed after camp and after a few years of feeling like I saw no opportunities to “use” my calling to missions, I started to think it was just an emotional feeling during a time of camp instead of spiritual calling.
In 2008, a year after I graduated from high school, I went with my family and a few other church families to serve alongside some former church members at their Youth With A Mission base in Paisley, Scotland. Although I experienced some moving moments and wonderful worship with amazing people and did the manual labor we went to do, I feel like I missed a major opportunity to follow my heart for missions because I was so wrapped up in the gorgeous scenery and seeing the sights. Unfortunately I didn’t realize my missed opportunity until the flight home and it hit me like a ton of bricks. I was discouraged for a few months before I realized it was better I realized my one missed opportunity now than the “hundreds” I could have missed after years passed. I picked myself up through the awesome power and strength of my God through His word, and my family and friends and readjusted my focus to finding the right opportunities and fulfilling my calling.
The next year I moved back home from college and discovered “Part II” of my calling: children. I stopped listening to my selfish desires of wanting so badly to fit in with the rest of the people my age, even though I was miserable attending the parties and sleeping away my weekends recovering and turned my attention to unveiling my full potential within God’s will for my life. At one of our “get involved within the church” events I signed up for three things I was immediately led to: an Africa mission trip focus and planning team, childcare during Sunday services, and teaching in AWANAs on Wednesday nights. A few weeks later I was in charge of recreation time in AWANAs and on the rotation for childcare on Sundays. I couldn’t have been happier to be involved with those children (or so I thought! Hah)!
It wasn’t until almost two years had passed and the Africa focus group had planned the initial church mission trip to Uganda that I landed in Kampala, Uganda in 2011 that I realized my calling to the international mission field was, without a doubt, from God and I had found where I belong! I fell in love with the joy, the people (especially the children), the attitudes, the receptive nature to God’s love, the commitment to getting a church built close to their village and sharing their stories or listening to yours. I can honestly say that I feel like I left a part of my heart and spirit when I returned to the States two weeks later. I knew one thing for sure: I had to return to the people longing for the Gospel and share what I knew while learning more than I could even imagine from them.
I had found where my “comfort zone” and it was anything but what I (and others) viewed as comfortable! Like I said, I had never been one to fit in with other people my age because my priorities and dreams couldn’t be more different than theirs. I had always referred to this as my “revised American dream”; instead of wanting a three-story house with a two-car garage and 2.5 children, a 9-5 job for me and my husband, a set of nice cars, and a nice routine, I wanted chaos! I wanted to rely on faith to get me through the days; I wanted to live with the minimum I needed to get by; I want to be able to call a million children ”mine” from all over the world; I want a “job” that takes me to everywhere in the world living amongst the local people and showing them God’s love and sharing the Gospel; That is my “revised American dream” and that trip to Uganda was just the beginning! The World Race was the next door that God opened and led me to and this is where you will be able to read all about my adventures as they happen (well, almost! There will be a slight delay due to internet access, scheduling, etc. hah)! Thanks for reading and stay tuned for more posts! 🙂
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6
