Greetings! My name is Teri and I am glad you have chosen to read my bio! My seemingly simple life began in a small town in Northwestern New Mexico. I was a small town girl who was ready to leave when graduation came until God interrupted my life in 9th grade. A trip to Acquire the Fire with my friends youth group was the first moment that I realized I needed God in my life. After that event I became a student leader in my youth group and attended my first mission trip the summer of 2003 (right before college). This was the first time I had voluntarily served others and I loved it. Then I was off to college.
I knew when my parents left me in my dorm room that I needed to find a church. After about 6 months of looking I found my church home at First United Methodist Church in Albuquerque, NM. I immediately started working with the youth group there and that has brought me to where I am today. I volunteered with the youth for 3 years and then was a paid youth assistant for the last 6 months of college before moving. During those 3 ½ years I grew a lot myself and I helped a lot of teens grown in their relationship with Jesus Christ. What an amazing thing! I love working with youth and quickly started thinking about doing youth ministry as a career after graduation. Which brings me to today.
Immediately after college (literally 2 weeks after) I moved to North Carolina and took on a part time youth ministry job. I have grown SO much in the last year since I have been here. I didn’t know what God’s reason was for moving me 1800 miles from my family, but I am starting to see it a little clearer now. The church I am in has challenged me in ways I would never have been challenged if I had not stepped out of the box I had for myself in New Mexico. I have grown a tremendous amount in my Faith by the people God has placed in my life and I have learned a lot of life lessons here. One of which will help me greatly on The World Race. I have learned that ministry is not the same everywhere you go. While the message may be the same the people are not and the ways you have to do things changes from church to church and location to location. Enough about that. How did I come to being accepted to The World Race.
God put some people in my life who have huge hearts for international mission work. I have always had a desire to do ministry in Africa. God started working on me when I was asked to 
travel to Guatemala this summer on a building team. I hesitated a lot at first but finally succumbed to His call and am going to Guatemala this summer! I was worried before signing up that I would never want to stop doing that type of mission work. People started asking if that was really a problem, and I came to the concussion that if it was what God wanted me to do then He would provide….well He did. About 2 weeks after signing up for Guatemala I started looking for long-term mission work. Guess what I found? Your right, The World Race.
I really feel as if this is the first step God is taking me on in a journey that is going to change my life forever. Right before I had my interview for The World Race I had this feeling that the conversation I was about to have was going to end my life in the United States and start my life in International Missions. I have never traveled outside of the United States so I don’t know where God wants me to concentrate my ministry so I am going to listen faithfully on The World Race for God’s voice and direction. God is amazing and I can’t wait to see where He is taking me!
