at an African Inland Mission booth with the Midwest representative, Warren, and
share firsthand about the mission work I did in Kenya. It was mission’s week
and the college focus has been “Going Global”.
I had the time of my life talking to students who reminded
me so much of the passion and energy I had as a Crownie (Crown student). While talking to people at the booth, I
was asked to come later to chapel that evening and share my journey to missions from my days at
Crown. If you know me at all you would know that it is near
impossible for me to pass up an opportunity to share about my experience in
Kenya and about what God is doing in my life. So, needless to say, I
enthusiastically accepted. I was
asked to briefly share in about 5-10 minutes my journey from attending Crown
College, my first visit to Kenya, two years teaching at Rift Valley Academy and how I have come
to this point. So, with this as my basic outline, I had no clue what the
overall message was going to be when I sat next to another Crown grad who has
spent the past year as a missionary in Cambodia (one of my 11 destinations, by
the way). He had his plan of what
to say ready to go and my nerves kicked in a bit. I talked to him before chapel
started and he asked me if I was going to stay in missions. I said, without
thinking first, “I never thought I’d me a missionary, but now it’s hard to
imagine not being one.” He said, “I like that, you should say that!”
Moments before going in front of the student body I prayed
that God would speak through me and that His message would come across. As I walked up to the stage I was
filled with memories of Mission Week my freshman year of college. Then I began my speech with that memory and it went something like this…
“I remember coming to this Thursday night Mission Week
chapel my freshman year. It was NOT the happiest night of my life. You see,
because I did not feel called to be a missionary and that was the night my
boyfriend (at the time) told me he felt called to full-time missions in Poland.
As I said, I did not feel called to full-time missions and certainly not to
Poland, so we broke up. Now I hope that doesn’t happen to any of you tonight…”
The chapel filled with nervous laughter. “… And just to show that God has a sense
of humor, that guy has been living in his home state and I have been on the
mission field for the past two years.” Laughter flooded the chapel again.
I went on to share the journey and how God has called me to
something I had never expected. Then I challenged them to listen for God’s
direction and be willing to follow Him even in the unexpected, whether it was
right there in St. Boni, MN or overseas. I’d like to also challenge all of you who are reading this:
Listen to God.
Be willing.
