I was born into a Christian family. One day, when I was ten years old, my relatives gathered all the kids in their living room. We sat down and waited. Then my cousin got up, stood behind a chair, and began preaching a sermon… AS A YOUNG TEENAGER!!!! I was blown away! It had never crossed my mind that a young person could be a preacher. From that moment forward, that is what I wanted to be.
Months later, our new church had its annual missions conference where thirty-five missionaries presented their works. The fellowship hall was filled with missionary displays representing the need in all corners of the earth. I was attending the Christian school and in every class a missionary told of their field and their burden to reach it for the Lord. Again, I was blown away. From that moment forward, I wanted to be a missionary.
That desire remained all through junior high and high school. I began college, majored in missions, and was burdened for many places. I graduated with a strong burden for India but had no peace about going anywhere.
I got married and the Lord very clearly moved me to a church in Kentucky. No paid position. Not even a promise of a position. Just a clear, “Go and serve.” So, we went. After five years, the Lord opened the door for me to take a paid position at the church, and I continued the roles I had already been filling. During this time, God gave me a lot of perspective and matured me.
During another missions conference, two years later,the Lord again stirred me. I told another staff member, “Pastor better stop preaching on missions or I’m going to the mission field!” Four months later, I knew very clearly that God wanted us in missions. When I approached my pastor, he said, “That’s wonderful! Where?” I looked at him and said, “I don’t know.” He replied, “That’s ok. If you don’t have a Where then pick a Who.” He began to list some quality missionaries, but I said, “Honestly God has already put someone on my heart.” (It was a cousin I was sitting next to on the floor when I first saw a young person preach.) Missions was on his heart as well but he had not yet confirmed it with the Lord. My pastor sent me to talk to him, and He told me he had been asking the Lord for a partner. Through prayer, God soon confirmed that we were to take the Gospel to Iceland as a team.
Spring/Summer 2025