If someone would have told me two years ago that I would be preparing to work as a missionary right after college I would have thought, they were crazy! But that’s exactly where I find myself. Growing up in a Christian home, I had the privilege of being able to see what it looks like to follow Jesus lived out every day. I was also able to learn about God’s heart for the nations as my family supported missionaries and my church sent out several short-term missions teams. Although I never saw myself being a missionary, I loved hearing about the amazing things the Lord was doing around the world and I wanted to be a part of it. As I entered into my senior year of high school this desire remained, but only in the back of my mind.
I began researching where I wanted to study after high school and through the providence of God landed at Palm Beach Atlantic University. Having the privilege of doing dual-enrollment in high school I knew I would only be there for two years, and I wanted to take advantage of all this incredible university had to offer. One of these things was short term missions trips. It seemed like this was the perfect way for me to be a part of the global work the Lord is doing and I wanted to challenge myself to get outside of my comfort zone. I ended up going on their summer trip to Perú and I loved my experience so much I applied to lead a trip the following year. I was able to serve in Hungary that year and once again I had an amazing experience seeing how the Lord works in and through us even when we are weak. As my time at PBA ended, I began to focus on finding a job where I could use my degree in Cinema Arts. In my search I stumbled across a position as an Audio/Visual Technician in Spain.
As I looked into it, almost everything seemed perfect. I would be able to create videos in another country and they would be used to share the gospel! However, I also learned that it was a support raised position and I thought, I don’t know about that, it seems like a big commitment. But as I thought and prayed about it, I felt the Lord saying, “Why not?” This was the perfect opportunity to be able to surrender my skills and career to the Lord and use them to share the Gospel.
Now, as I begin support raising, I can see how the Lord has been preparing me for this my whole life. From seeing the faith of my parents and their support of missionaries, to my college experience not only giving me an education, but also the opportunity to serve overseas. A few years ago, I would have said you’re crazy if you told me I’d be a missionary, but the Lord has a beautiful way of taking the crazy and turning it into reality.