Passion Revealed

"Then Jesus came to them and said, 'All authority on heaven and earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."' Matthew 28:18-20 This is my heart, my passion. I remember being in Prague, Czech Republic on my second mission trip. It was the end of the trip, and we were all (meaning all teams that had come over to work in CZ, all nationals, and JV staff) at a meeting center talking about our English camps, singing songs, and praying for the country. It was beautiful. As we sang this last song (Czechs, Slovaks, Americans, etc.), I started crying. I looked around at everyone that was there, I felt so much love and purpose and joy. Never had I been so happy. Truly. It was at that moment that I knew this was exactly what I was meant to do, exactly where God wanted me to be. After that trip I started pursuing going on staff with Josiah Venture. I went to Ukraine for three months the next summer, which sealed the deal. I then applied for the two-year staff position and was accepted. It took me almost two years of raising support to do full-time youth ministry in Ukraine, but it was a growing time. Missions in general is my heart. Working with youth is also my passion. I love high school/early college-aged students!! One, they get my humor...a big plus, but two because it's just such a pivotal time in one's life. It's a period of life when a student is making some big decisions: do I go to college, where do I go to college, who am I outside of my family, can I make it on my own, to go or not to go to church, what do I really believe? This is when a student forms his or her true beliefs and decides, "am I going to church because my parents make me or because I have a true desire to?" Their personal relationship with Christ, or lack there of, is tested and affirmed. I LOVE being a part of this stage. I LOVE being someone that can help that her/him to see that Christ is the only Way, and is the only One that knows the Way. It's a beautiful thing.