Current Ministry: Raising support full-time to move to South Sudan to do women's discipleship.
My journey begins with a short term trip to Romania in 2010. A dear friend asked if I would accompany her on a 10 day trip to bring a little girl back to the states for medical surgeries. While I was there, I experienced what a 3rd world hospital looks like, I walked the hallways of an orphanage where she lived, and ultimately left with a heart that knew I needed to live out the great commission. It was this trip that God opened my eyes to the fact that He has equipped me with abilities that can make an impact on the lives of children (and now women) around the world.
I thought you did kids?
From the time I was young I've been in some capacity to love children. My mom had a daycare, I've babysat lots of kids, my college education is in teaching, I've taught preschool Sunday school, served on staff for the Children's Ministry of Shadow Mountain, and served 18 months in a rural village along the coast of Kenya teaching. Yes lots of experience with kids. When God lead me to the country of South Sudan on a one-week vision trip, my eyes were opened to the needs of the children. But through prayer and Godly wisdom, He has laid on my heart to focus on the women, for a discipled woman has the potential to impact many children!
Why SIM?
At the summer of 2011, after a 6 month period of trying to do my own plans and failing, God led me to my knees and put world missions back on my mind. That night, I began looking at different missions organizations and when I saw SIM’s website I just knew they were who I was going to partner with. I sent in my preliminary application that night and prayed asking God to open the door wide or close it shut. Since then, God has continued to answer that prayer with open doors.
Why South Sudan?
I loved the people and ministry in Kenya. The best way to describe it was "doing what I felt God had created me to do." So why South Sudan? Well when I was finishing up my time in Kenya and looking into long-term opportunities, doors quickly shut. Kenya wasn't an option, I don't feel called to "city living" right now. Tanzania (because they speak swahili) was another avenue I looked was quickly closed because SIM has all families (and God has me single). I was given the option to look into South Sudan and quickly said no, "Arabic is too hard." Fast forward a few months, now back in the US, praying and I hear a quiet whisper, "You said no to South Sudan, you didn't let me." So I start pursuing, doors begin to open, my prayer was answered (kinda ironically), I won't be focusing on Arabic but on the Mabaan language to have a ministry focus on Women's Discipleship of the host community within a refugee camp of 150,000 people.
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