Well, just like my name insinuates, I am a JOY to be around! I am easy-going, laid back, and love to laugh. I am a native Floridian, and feel most at home on the beach and in the sun. I fill most days with reading, watching TV & movies and occasionally some work. I am quite the pop-culture junkie and am practically unbeatable in movie trivia. My favorite TV shows include LOST, 24, Nip/Tuck, Gilmore Girls, and Friends. Favorite movies….well that’s a long list, but here’s a few of the top Shawshank Redemption, Almost Famous, Moulin Rouge, Garden State, and Momento.
I had the privilege of being raised in a Christian home and attending Christian schools my entire life. While I was saved at an early age, I finally figured out what it meant to live a Christian life my junior year of high school. I was very active in my youth group and began interning after graduating high school. It was then I felt God’s call on my life to full-time ministry. I knew I would always be in some of ministry my entire life. I went to college (3 different colleges in 4 years!) and graduated with a B.A. in Advertising from the University of South Florida in Tampa in 2005. Throughout that time spent in class and working in ministry, I found my love for graphic design. I even had the amazing privilege to intern my junior year at Rick Warren’s Saddleback Church in Southern California with their graphic design team. It was there that God rekindled my passion for overseas missions. I traveled to India last year for my first overseas mission trip to help with rebuilding of homes that were destroyed by 2004’s devastating tsunami.
The World Race is exciting to me because it ignites two sparks of interest within me. First, is doing God’s work globally. Just the possibility of working in a ministry without geographical borders is both exhilarating and daunting. Second, is traveling. I love learning new things and seeing new places. I am constantly in a state of change and growth, and I believe that experiences other cultures outside of America is part of that. This Race combines both of those elements. A chance to work as a team to accomplish this mission would be the ultimate life experience.
