We were asked to write a blog about how we were called to this missions trip. Here is my story…..
The church I grew up in was very small but despite this fact they were big supporters of missions. One of the church members, Willard Redinger, traveled to Haiti every year for mission work. In 1985 my parents joined him for 10 days. I was only 7 years old at the time but when my parents came back I remember our lives changing. The experience my parents had in Haiti really was life changing for not only them but our family. My grandparents bought land in Haiti to donate to the orphanage so that they could farm crops and become more self sufficient. I grew up writing letters to some of the orphans my age and sending a percentage of my babysitting money to the orphanage. At the time I said when I was old enough I would travel internationally for missions.
(Mom and Dad with Hector Charles and his wife,
Dad with the children at the orphanage and
Willard with the rice and beans they distributed.)
Christ put a desire in my heart for other cultures at that young age. However, it wasn’t until my Junior year of High School that I really started learning about other cultures. That year I became best friends with the foreign exchange students at my school. Andres was from Germany and Millie was from Mexico. The exchange students always had a hard time fitting in at school because they were from such different cultures, but that is why I loved them so much. From their friendships until now I have been drawn to cultures different then my own. And the amazing thing is that we have kept in touch and are still friends today.
Then in 2003 I was working for Silver Dollar City, a theme park in Branson, MO, when we started hiring international students to work in the summer. I was so excited about the world coming to me since I had yet to actually leave the US. My summers with the international students hold some of my greatest memories. God showed me how to accept people where they are in life and love them no matter what their race, color and background. The in 2005 I had to opportunity to travel to Eastern Europe to interview the international students in their home countries. The second I stepped off the plane into Russia I knew that God would use my love of internationals and traveling for his work someday. 
(Moscow, Russia – Prague,
Czech Republic – Kyiv, Ukraine)
Fast forward to 2007. I moved from Missouri to Georgia for a job working with international students full time. The past two years have been wonderful. God brought me to Georgia to prepare me for the World Race. My colleagues at work introduced me to Dave Ramsey, who is a financial radio talk show host who teaches you how to get out of debt. Through his advice and the Crown ministries bible study at my church I was able to get out of debt. I have so much freedom knowing that I’m not a slave to debt. My church here, North Metro, has a great missions program. Through the young adult ministry, Echo, I’ve been challenged to listen to God’s calling and go where He leads. I know that if God had not brought me to Georgia, I would probably still be in debt just content to live one day at a time. But when I was 7 years old, God had placed a desire in my heart for missions and 24 years later I’m finally following His calling for my life. Even though it’s taken me so long to follow, I know that it has all been in His timing!
“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you a hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11
