Hi!
So, to tell you a little bit about me… I am Monica Pennington. I am 34 years old and I am from the sweet, southern town of Columbus, MS. I love to travel and I love to serve, so when I told my family that I felt God was calling me to missions and that I was considering the World Race, they were not surprised. As a matter of fact, my sister's response was, "Yeah, I know." Guess she got the memo before I did. 😉
I am always up for finding a way to make a task fun, and I love an adventure! My heart, though, is people. I have always been drawn to work with children, part of that is probably due to the fact that it's easy for me to tap in to my inner child and be silly. Along with working in Y youth programs in my community, I also serve in the children's ministry at my church. In December 2011, I started to feel a heavy conviction about God wanting to use my gifting with children to further His Kingdom in a different way. I started dreaming about "the nations." I would feel in my spirit to "Be still and listen," but then I would also hear to "GO!" Be still, go, be still, go. Knowing that God is not a God of confusion (1 Corinthians 14:33), I knew that I wasn't understanding something. Then the Lord brought it to me through a friend, Psalm 46:10 "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!" And I got it! He was telling me to be still and listen to Him, to listen to who He is calling me to be, and He is calling me to the nations!
To start to understand me, there is one word you need to know, and that is "family." I love my family. God has blessed me with amazing Grandparents, Parents, Step-parents, Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, step-sibs, and the best younger sister and brother a girl can have! Lots of people to love and lots of people who love me. Now, don't get me wrong, we have our issues, but one thing I have always said my family has done well is love me and accept others with open arms. I know that God has placed me in this specific family for a purpose, and one way He uses my family is in how they have taught me to love. One of my favorite quotes is that friends are just chosen family, and I believe that's true. The Lord has given me so many wonderful gifts in the friends, chosen family, He has given me. He has blessed me so that I will bless others. I know that this is going to be a key truth for me to take into the World Race missions.
One of the verses God spoke into my spirit when I started to feel called to missions was Mathew 12:50 "For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother."
Because the Lord knows how much I love my family and my chosen family, He knew He was going to have to speak to that part of my heart to prepare me to leave. I am looking forward to partnering with my homestay brothers and sisters that are going to join me in prayer and send me out into the nations, and to walking alongside my squad family that I am going to travel this World Race journey with. My heart longs to share the good news and love of Christ with the nations in hopes to bring more brothers and sisters in to His amazing, all-welcoming, glorious Kingdom.
All glory to the Lord Most High, Jesus, the Christ, my Beloved, the Lover of my soul.
Peace ~ Love ~ Blessings
Monica
***** Join me as we connect the Body of Christ around the world! *****
