.ABOUT.

parents,sisters,brother

the basics

I grew up in a family of six. I have two sisters, one brother and a brother-in-law and they are some of my favorite people in the world. I have loving parents whom I owe my love for adventure, missions, mountains, coffee, Princess Bride, and Jesus to. I am very blessed to have a family that supports me and what I have been called to do 100%. Now just to get them all to come with me!:)

fun facts 

I am a huge fan of: documentaries, traveling, coffee, procrastinating, camping, coffee mugs, learning new things, traveling by train, my family's cooking, reading non-fiction, mangoes, folk music, crime shows, God's grace, mountains, Thai food, living out the Bible(unfortunately desiring it doesn't make it happen), loving people...ALL people, looking out for the "least of these",and seeing the gospel become real and a way of LIFE.

I am NOT a fan of: meatloaf (who ever thought those 2 things went together?!), rude/inconsiderate people, bad drivers, beets, bad tippers, instant coffee, fake people, my constant failures, country music, "Christians" treating "sinners" with hatred and intolerance. 

I have lived in: North Carolina, Kansas, Texas, Oregon, Wisconsin, Illinois, and Nigeria.

I've been through an F5 tornado, had my passport stolen by a runaway, and am terrified of squirrels...

the spark that lit the fire

the Monterrey, MX slum that opened
my eyes to another world

I experienced foreign missions for the first time at 11 years old. It made a drastic and lasting impact on me, especially after returning to Mexico at least once a year for 5 more years after that, sometimes staying weeks or months after the youth group returned home (perks of being home-schooled:) and getting to experience the nitty gritty of missions.

 I can't explain how, but I knew early on that I would have a pretty unconventional life (this has proven true in many ways) and that I didn't desire the things that most Americans desire. Sure, part of it was the thirst for adventure and something different, but it was also more that that. I felt deep inside that I was somehow made for something that others would find non-desirable.

preparation 

This desire/pursuit lead me to finish high school early, move to Wisconsin to attend Bible school at 17(where I learned more about God, the Bible, and myself than I could have hoped for), and a lot of moving around, experiences, traveling, and ministries, doubting God's plan and direction, maturing and learning a TON. 

My plan at 17 was that I would be serving permanently on a field (somewhere) within a few years. If you had told me then that it would take this long to know where I was supposed to be serving permanently, I would have had a breakdown. Oh, the ways of God...so, SO much better and wiser than our selfishly made plans. I've had the privilege to be involved with prison ministry, special needs children, social work, teaching Sunday School and "street kids"..all having a profound impact on me and teaching me more than any book could. I'm so thankful for these experiences and the relationships that have led up to doing ministry in another country.

My class at New Tribes Bible Institute

Nigeria? Really?

This is almost always the reaction I get when telling people that's where I'm going. 

Usually followed by a head-cock and a "Why?".

In 2009, so sure of my heart's desire to be in a third world country, and so unsure of what I was supposed to be doing, I reconnected with the Starlings(who I had met when they were missionaries in Mexico when I was 11 or so) who had just started an NGO in Nigeria, West Africa, called, A Place of Hope. Unlike many others, I had never desired to go to Africa and had always assumed I would end up in a Latin American country. God had other plans. I was there from March to July in 2009 and from June to October in 2010. After returning to the U.S. in 2010 and wrestling through all of this and then recently,this, I felt sure that God was leading me back to Nigeria and APOHA indefinitely.

moving forward
With much peace and joy, I am humbly moving toward this by partnering financially and prayerfully with those who God puts it on their hearts. My goal is to be there by the end of 2012/beginning of 2013. Feel free to contact me with any questions!