Like the average US Christian citizen, I grew up in the church learning about God, Jesus and the life He calls Christains to live. The churches I attended were main stream, small town churches with normal programs. Somehow though, I don’t remember ever hearing a missionary speak at any of those churches. In high school, I connected with other organizations who were taking kids to Mexico every summer. That was fun, but as a teenager I guess I was more focused on the people I went with than what God was doing…. It was at a Christian University several years later that I was challanged by a friend to go with COI on an individual sports mission trip. By this time God had brought me to the point where I was ready to listen…. I was graduating from University with a degree that I was sure I wouldn’t use and still didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life or more importantly what He wanted to do with me. When I got on that plane headed to the Ukraine all I knew was that I loved playing volleyball, I liked to tavel and that I was very interested in sharing my faith with others.

That trip changed my life. We traveled from city to city, playing volleyball, sharing our faith with our opponents and experiencing a culture which was physically and econmically torn apart. I took in everything around me. I was so shocked by the differences between home and where God had brought me. I had so much. I spent more money on clothes than these people had to feed their families for a month. Communism had left these people with such a hunger for the truth that I felt like God was saying "you can tell them the truth, this is where you belong…" For four weeks I listened to the Americans with me complain about all the inconvieniences, no hot water or no water at all, having to wait everywhere we went, about the food being different, etc… None of it mattered to me, I had found my place in the harvest….

Being a missionary is not easy. It’s hard to leave your family behind, but God has been faithful to take care of them. It is hard to adapt to a culture that is so different from your own, but He has given me favor. It is hard to rely on God for your finances, but He has alway provided more than our needs. It is hard to rely on Him when the kids are sick, but we know He is faithful to heal us….. He has proven to me over and over again that He is faithful and that He will provide for all our needs. And thirteen years later, I still know that this is where I belong…….

Share This

I had the privilege of joining one of COI’s Group trips on one of their outreaches last week, they were Jr. High students from Edinburg Church in Minnesota. What a great group of kids! They were energetic, loud and loving! And their leaders were just as great – you could clearly see how much they cared – not only about the kids, but about the people that they ministered God’s love to.

The outreach was at The Source, a local ministry that serves the hungry and homeless in the Vero Beach, Florida area. While talking with some of the people over lunch, I found that some of them had just come into hard times through loss of a job, and found themselves needing help that they had never needed before. Some of them just want to work and take care of their families. One man I talked with was taking a few of his friends with him up to New Jersey for a few months of work on a job opportunity. They had to leave their families behind.

Back to the Outreach; the kids bought the food and cooked it, then served a tasty meal to about 60 participants that day. They also sang some songs and some spoke a few words about why they wanted to help in this way. One said that they wanted to make peoples’ lives better – even if it was only for a few minutes. They were nervous, but sincere and I could tell that all the people there were really blessed by their loving service.

So the hungry were fed, encouraged and blessed – the kids served God and people, and were blessed - the youth leaders were blessed by seeing lives changed on both sides of the outreach - the staff at The Source was blessed with a day off from cooking and serving – the COI Staff was blessed with a successful Group Outreach – and I was so blessed to be able to be a part of God’s Kingdom in action!

Share This

Just last week I was able to be home in Minnesota for my little brother’s graduation from High school. It was a fun time for me as I have been praying for the opportunity to be home for this special event since Chris and I went on the mission field. God truly does hear and answer our prayers.

My brother Josh was privileged to go to a Christian High school so his graduation ceremony was very glorifying to God, and the theme of the night seemed to be : "Are you going to live your life the way God wants you to, or the way the world says you should.?" I want to share with you a passage from the bible that the faculty speaker shared with us. It is from Jeremiah 9:23-24 " This is what the Lord says: Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom, or the strong man boast of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches. But let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth for in these I delight." The speaker went on to say that at the end of his life, he wanted people to say that he knew and understood the Lord, and that if these students also have that said about them than their time together wasn’t wasted. This really touched my heart and I was struck with how desperately I want to know and understand God, and how desparately I want my family and those God has placed, and will place in my life to know and understand Him. It’s not about being strong, its not about being rich, its not about being wise in the world, it’s about knowing God and understanding what He delights in, and allowing our delights to be His delights.

Share This

Two weeks ago we were together again for our home cell group on the first nation. It was and is such a blessing. We were blessed to have two new teenagers join us for the first time. It was an answer to prayer for me as well as their parents.

One of the teens became our scripture reader. He was excited to read the Word and it was possibly the first time he had read God’s Word. Awesome!!!

Both of the boys participated throughout our time together and both of them said they enjoyed what we did. I have been asking them to join us for a number of weeks and they finally took a risk and came out.

Risk is something that people often try to stay away from. Teens are often risk takers. At times they are negative: drugs, alcohol, sex, wreckless driving, violence etc… At times they are positive: trying out for a sports or drama team, singing, applying for a job, going to church or standing up for what is right. We need to encourage our teens to take positive risks.

At the end of our service, I took a risk. I went around to each of the six people including the teens and layed hands on them and prayed for them. I felt it was a positive risk I needed to take. I believe that God wants to and is doing some new and exciting things amongst us. I am blessed to be able to minister with my first nation friends.

Share This

It is so amazing how sports are a great way to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ!

On April the basket ball team from Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, the Lady Nights: Alexa Weaver, Renee Militello, Lauren Turner, Laura Strode, Grace Gebauer, Lauren Carver, Sara VanderWaal, Bethanie Donovan, Sarah Grenier, Whitney McCloud, Sarah Homan, headed by the leader and coach Krista Newell and the second coach  Rob Mouw came to Chihuahua Mexico.

They played three games against two of the Chihuahua State Selections. The Lady Nights shared the gospel in every game to players and basket ball staff.

The Lord opened the doors for them and were invited to a TV Program called “Let’s Talk About Basket Ball”. They were introduced by a bronze medal mexican olympic athlete. They shared the purpose of their visit to Mexico including their faith. They appeared in one of the best local newspaper as well.

The third and last game was played in Delicias City, Chihuahua, where they won the game in the last seconds. A game that became very tight after the second quarter. My self and the audience really enjoyed that game!

They also worked a couple days with children of an orphanage sharing the Gospel and taking them to the park where they played for hours.

We were so blessed by their visit!

Share This