Hi! My name is Sarah Bohlman and I hail from East Tennessee in the good ol’ Smoky Mountains. I was born in Würzburg, Germany, where my parents were both stationed in the army for three years, and I grew up in Johnson City, Tennessee with my younger brother, Tyler. I graduated from Science Hill High School in 2009 and moved off to Maryville, Tennessee to go to college. I had no idea what kind of ride I was stepping into.
I tried very hard to throw my life away at college by jumping into the party life and all that comes with it. Alcohol triggered my epileptic “absent seizures”, which happened so often it gave me amnesia of my life. I had no memories of my childhood or first year of college, and hated God for it.
I grew in my bitterness and unforgiving spirit and drank and partied harder in attempts to silence the anger. Suddenly one night after getting caught drinking, the Holy Spirit came and whispered to me, “Come home.” I knew something had to change; I just didn’t know what or how. I tried to stop drinking, which didn’t last long because I surrounded myself with worldly people.
I stopped going to parties. I moved away from them in a room by myself. So there I sat. Alone. Lost. Depressed. Friendless. That’s where Jesus is strongest, though, and he started me down a path towards him. Two years later I was in the back of a chapel, crumpled on the ground, feeling crushed and empty, and I told God that I was done trying. “Lord, I give up. I’m doing a horrible job with this life. Whatever you want me to do, I’m following you. I’m done. My life is yours. I’m done. My life is yours. Do with me what you will.” I cried out through my tears. When I stood up, a weight had been lifted from my shoulders. I started laughing and dancing; something had shifted.
Some months later I started attending a church in Knoxville, Tennessee and the Holy Spirit called me to get baptized there. As I was slowly giving more ground for the Holy Spirit to speak into my life, I started getting closer to applying to the World Race. One night, I found myself in the middle of the application, knowing in my deepest parts that I needed to go on this adventure.
At training camp, God turned my world upside down.
In India, I learned the value of alone time with God.
In Nepal, I learned my unique way of worshipping Him and a lot about Evangelism.
In Swaziland, I fell in love with Jesus and he started healing me of my fear of intimacy.
In Mozambique, God taught me the language of love and called me to a lifetime of ministry.
In Latvia, He began rewiring my identity and rooting me in my true worth.
In Estonia, He told me to start getting serious and brought me through some difficult workouts.
In Malaysia, He taught me discipline.
I’ve been radically transformed from the time Jesus touched my life to right now. I’ve been taken down difficult roads of learning about God the Father’s heart, and I can tell you right now that there isn’t any country or sight that even holds a candle to the incredible adventure of falling in love with Jesus. There is no peace like his presence. There is no joy without his Spirit. I’m head over heels in love with Jesus, and I want the world to know about this love!
Whether I know you or not, if you have any questions at all, feel free to email me at [email protected].
