Where do I begin…First, my name is Chandler Ann Collins. I was born in Houston, Texas. My parents are William and Barbara Collins. I have fives sisters. Paige is 25, Hattie is 24, Adelaide is 21, Rebekah is 19, and Sydney is 13. We are a very close family.
All my sisters.
My parents.
When i was five my family moved to Basalt, Colorado. A small town outside Aspen. We lived there for ten years. Within those years my dad became the headmaster of the private Christian school that we all attended (Alpine Christian Academy). The end of my 8th grade year my parents knew that God was calling us to move back to Texas. They had been in much prayer about it and decided that it was time for our family to move. We moved to Texas that summer and have lived in Kerrville, Texas ever since. In moving to Kerrville this meant I would be attending the local public high school which would bring a world of change. Up to this point in my life I had been in the same class with the same 7 kids since kindergarten. So public school was going to be a huge eye opener. Basketball was my way of finding my place at the school. I was on the junior varsity team as a freshman and excelled in basketball till my senior year. My senior year my team and I went to the state tournament at the University of Texas but lost in the final game. It was pretty exciting to be the second best girls basketball team in the state though. My senior year I had a huge decision to make: Do I attend the state college that my two older sisters attend, Or go to a smaller Christian school in Tennessee and play basketball. I came to Tennessee to attend Lee University.
Basketball has always been a huge part of my life and an important tool in reaching out to the youth in our area. I played for three years and decided after much prayer and thought that I would not play my senior year. My family was dealing with many struggles with deaths within the family and i felt it was very important to have time my last year of school so spend more time with them.
I would have to say that my college experience has been a roller coaster ride. Adversities have constantly come up throughout college. I have struggled with many things but have always known that God was right at my side.
I recently graduated with a Bachelors of Arts degree in Sociology with a minor in Religion.
Why the World Race?
So as a recent graduate the one question that is always asked is: “So what are you doing now?” I honestly had no idea. God had started stirring in my heart my desire for missions that I have had for a very long time. Through my own selfishness I ignored what God had wanted me to do for so long that it was almost as if He was hitting me in the face with the World Race when it came up. I was searching for jobs that I wanted to do in order to make my own plans. My own plans that were not God plan for me. He basically broke me down and made it completely obvious to me that the World Race is the path He wants me to take.
I am so excited but scared at that same time. I know God wants me to move away from the stagnant, comfortable life that I have been living in order to become uncomfortable with Him. I am ready to face to struggles that He has for me throughout this trip and see how he will work through those struggles in order for me to completely rely on His grace. I can’t wait to experience this journey with everyone!
