Hey guys my name is Kate Hogan and I’m 17 years old and a senior in high school. I go by a lot of names including Kathy which is what my friends and family call me because this one time after a very depressing loss in a volleyball game my coach called me down from the bleachers to talk to the team and I completely wiped out and face planted down the bleachers and my friend yelled out, “dammit Kathy” (sorry I don’t know if this is appropriate but it’s what happened) and the name stuck. But my actual name is Kaitlynn and it’s spelled with two n’s because of my grandma’s middle name, Lynn. You guys can call me whatever you prefer, I don’t really care. I do post secondary which is full time college classes instead of going to high school. I am working towards my Associate of the Arts degree and will hopefully graduate from Cuyahoga Community College in the summer before the World Race. I also work at a bakery/popcorn shop called Campbell’s Sweets Factory four or five times a week. I am from Cleveland, Ohio and I have lived here all my life. My parents are Pj and Chrissy Hogan and I love them very much and they have supported me so much with every trip I have been on. My youngest sister’s name is Jessica and she is 14 years old and my oldest sister’s name is Emma, she is 19 and lives in Australia and attends Hillsong college. We also just recently adopted my sister, Casie, on May 5, 2016 and she is 15 years old. The foster and adoption process took a very long time but it impacted everyone in my family so much and helped us grow together and I’mm very thankful.
I’ve been to Kenya, Africa every summer for the past 3 years with my church. I am the only one in my family who has gone. The moment I found out what a missionary was when I was a little girl, I knew I was going to be one. The people in Kenya have completely wrecked my heart and have changed me forever. I never knew I could love someone or a group of people so much in my life. I loved doing life with them every single day and making those relationships stronger by ministering, serving, and preaching to them and working with them. I absolutely loved learning about their culture and language. I also have a sponsor child there and her name is Emmaculate, she is 4 years old and I get to visit the orphanage she goes to school at and give her gifts when I go to Kenya. The first two times I went, it was only two weeks. The third time I went for a month and spent the time there in the African bush and saw the blind receive sight, the deaf hear again, and malaria infected people healed. I saw actual miracles of God right in front of my eyes and my faith has just continued to grow since then.
I love to play volleyball, I played all four years in high school and a couple years on a travel team. I’m still not sure where I may be called. I am open to whatever God calls me to do and I’m excited to do it whatever it is! My Myers/Briggs is ESPF which is energetic, sociable, practical, friendly, spontaneous ect. My spiritual gifts are discernment, mercy and leadership. A weakness I have is that I’m not organized at all and I forget things very easily (I’m basically Dory from Finding Nemo).
My parents, sisters, my aunt and other family members, youth leaders at church, pastors at my church and missionaries in Kenya have all impacted my spiritual journey and have helped me grow stronger in my faith and I am so unbelievably thankful for all of them.
All I want on the world race is to completely abandon and learn and experience God in every way I can. I want to serve His people and create long lasting relationships with my teammates and the people in all of the countries we visit. I want to learn how to become fearless and spirit led in every situation. I want the stories I share to change the lives of my friends and family back home. I know I will have to work through being homesick and probably lots of other things I don’t even know about yet, but I am willing to endure and learn. I know the Lord is going to surround me with awesome teammates, leaders, and people to serve.
Please pray for financial support! My first two times to Kenya were anonymously paid in full by two completely different people so I know the Lord will provide for me and for all of those committed to His plans!
