I guess you could say that I was in church 9 months before I was born. While growing up I was at church every time the doors were open. In youth group I met an amazing guy and we dated for 7 years and we were able to serve God together through World Changers. When I was 22, he was in a fatal accident at work. It was devastating. I cannot put into words how difficult this loss was. At this point in my life my world was shattered but I could feel God’s presence lifting me up and giving me the strength to deal with this traumatic loss and accept help from others as well as help our family and friends. One friend in particular was there everyday at the hospital checking in on me. I can say that my relationship with Christ grew during this time. During the next summer I served on World Changers summer staff.
I continued my graduate work and the friend I mentioned earlier was an answer to my prayers. My prayer was that if I was suppose to date again, God would provide me someone who had been through something similar or who had actually dealt with this loss along side of me. That is exactly where he had been, right beside me everyday, coming to the hospital to see if I was okay. We married soon after we started dating. We were married for six years, but then he was unfaithful. Our divorce was final in October 2008. I am the first to be divorced in my family and have struggled with feeling like a failure. I have struggled with my divorce being a scarlet letter that I imagine I wear around all the time. Then I came to the realization that I am so much more than my divorce, I am a child of God. My wonderful heavenly Father broke me and brought me back to the strongest relationship I have ever had with Him. I have learned to depend on God and God alone. I have also felt God’s calling to full-time ministry and it looks as if that is going to start with the World Race!!
A little bit more about myself. I grew up in Huntington, West Virginia and still live here!! I have been a hospice social worker for 8 years now and have enjoyed ministering to people in this way very much. I have pretty much attended the same church my whole life and have an amazing church family. My family is wonderful as well. My mom and dad are incredible people that are currently doing their parental duties of worrying about their daughter. I have a brother that is 7 years younger than me (he affectionately calls me his second mom instead of his older sister, what can I say!!)
I feel that God has led me to the World Race for several reasons the first and
foremost is to spread the Word and Grace of our Father. Other reasons are to break me, strip me of everything that I am used to in this world, help me to depend on other believers in Christ, and focus COMPLETELY on my SAVIOR!!
SOME THINGS I LIKE:
Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream
Sharpie Pens
Sunrise and Sunsets
Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups
Snowfall
Fall Foliage
Spending time with Wonderful Friends
Organizing Everything!!
I am looking forward to getting to know everyone better and to experience what God has in store for all of us on the World Race!!
