ME.
Who am I? Honestly, I feel like God is still trying to reveal that to me, but every day He seems to be teaching me a little more about who He created me to be.
I grew up in the church with a Christian family. I think I knew who Jesus was and what He did to save me from my sins before I even started Kindergarten. I prayed the prayer to ask Him into my heart when I was only 5 years old. Looking back now, I know that I did not fully understand what I was saying. It wasn't until I was 11 or 12 before I really understood that being a Christian meant having a relationship with Christ instead of just saying the prayer and being done. Then it took a couple more years before I decided to actively start pursuing that relationship. Since then, I have tried to learn to walk daily with My Savior. I have had my ups and downs, but He has stayed with me throughout it all.
I now attend the University of Georgia and am almost finished with my undergraduate degree. YEAH!!! In fact, I will graduate just a couple of weeks before the beginning of my race. Right now, I am not really sure what I will end up doing with the rest of my life, but I know without a shadow of a doubt that God will put me where I need to be.
MY FAMILY.
I grew up in a family of five with my mom Janet, my dad Oran, my brother Stedman, and my sister Caroline. I had the wonderful privilege of being the middle child. (Only other middle children will really understand that.) Both of my parents families live close by so I was able to spend lots of time with all my aunts and uncles and cousins. My grandparents have been some of the most influential people in my life. My dad's mom, Nina, has always showed me the importance of Southern Hospitality and constantly tells me stories of life growing up in the 1930's. She actually has memories of when the first Sulfa drugs and Penicillin saved lives in her small town. My mother's parents, Bob and Sue, have been great spiritual leaders in my life. Watching them wholeheartedly follow Christ through life even through cancers and other hardship has taught me what it truly means to trust in the Lord. My family is not perfect, but I love them and thank God for specifically placing them in my life.
MY MISSION.
Ever since I was in middle school, I have had such a heart for foreign nations. Ask my friend Carson. She would tell you about how all I would do during lunch was talk about when I would get to leave the United States and go help people in foreign countries, specifically Africa. It breaks my heart to think about all the people in this world hurting and not knowing the love of Christ. All I want to do it GO and do everything I can to help them. This passion I feel is from Christ and His love. Why else would I want to give up a life and family and career in the United States to be a lifelong missionary?
