Being the first time posting, I just want to give everyone a feel for who I am, what I am doing and why. My story begins in Minnesota and until the last few years, has been virtually the only place I had spent any amount of time beyond vacationing or to visit friends or family. Growing up in MN I always figured I would go through school and maybe college and then work the rest of my life in a factory or some other job just like the rest of the world did, at least in my mind. God has always been a part of my family and life but I never thought of myself as a person who would or even could be part of full time ministry. God had other plans.
The first time I sensed God was calling me to serve him more was when one of the Missionaries from my church gave a report of what God did during his trip to India with our pastor and some other men from my college church. I remember he said that he "needed to go". When he said that, i knew I needed to do something more or go somewhere and serve. That was the first time I remember feeling a real calling to go out and serve in full time ministry. Others have spoken into my life through words and actions as well in the last couple of years.
Since that day, I have had a chance to go on a couple of short term trips with a group from another local church. I have heard many other great testimonies of what God is doing overseas and here in the US. Through these and other encounters I have been led to start a new life in a new country. For the next two years I will be serving with Avant ministries in Western Asia on an Agricultural track with a goal of changing lives through christ.
Although I currently plan on being there for only two years, I know it will change my life forever and I hope that I will impact others’ lives along the way. I am super excited to see God work in and grow me as well as the people I encounter as I start this new life.