How I was called into the mission field

We were asked to write a blog about how we were called into
the mission field, so here is my story… I began Senior year of High school and
I was dissatisfied. Not knowing where I wanted to go to college, what I wanted
to do, hating who I was and how I looked. I had good grades, awesome parents
and family, I was extremely successful in every team and competition I did in
FFA, but I was lacking something major… I was a girl who loved the Lord, but my
faith was comatose. I was feeding off “spiritual milk” (As Paul describes), and
I was ready for solid meat. I read my Bible more as a routine, and I was
actively involved as a Student Staff member for our church, but that was the
extent of my faith. The words that left my pastor’s lips went into my ears and
I stored them away nicely inside my heart. Never did I put to action what I
heard or read, I desired what the world and others wanted for me, not the Lord. Yet in the very bottom of my heart I knew
I was a precious daughter of the most high king, and deep down I did want to
lead a life of faith… but I didn’t.

            We
had an intern come to our youth group from Chicago. Her name was Annie, and
Annie helped transform my life. I began to get close to Annie as the fall
months passed away. Annie was the first person I had met that truly spoke truth
and only truth. It seemed like every word out of her mouth was biblical. She
broke through the “shell” on my heart, and the real me tender towards my Lord.
She took my faith to a whole new level. A level that was challenging, often
times not comfortable yet the most real, beautiful and most incredible thing
ever. Each day I felt the love of the Lord lavishing upon me, and I truly loved
him back. Soon enough my heart took a 180. I pursued the Lord on a daily
occasion. Eventually a huge overwhelming desire to be a missionary in Africa
overtook my thoughts. For weeks I woke up in the middle of the night thinking
about it, I thought about it all day at school, and everywhere I went. Every
time I told people about it I would cry. I began praying and praying about what
it could mean. The more I prayed, the more excited I became. I had no fear what
so ever. Soon enough I knew the Lord was going to someday use me as a
missionary, specifically in Africa. There is a Jeremy Camp song that I listened
to coming home from a student staff leadership retreat that nailed my exact
feelings… “And all these dreams I’ve made, I take them all and lay them down in
light of reasons I have found now. And I can rest in knowing you will open
every door instead of forcing my own way now, I’d rather wait on you, You’ll be
the one to call me out. I have found that it’s the only way.  I know that I have plans but you will
take me every step. You have covered all my debt.”

            Everyone
I met was so excited about this new goal and desire, however each and every one
told me I needed to not rush into the calling and let the Lord’s schedule be
the one I followed. So now three years later the doors have finally opened up!
And how Swaziland came about was in the early spring of 2009 I felt the Lord
calling me to take some time off school and serve as a missionary. I was in need of time away from all distractions and a time where I could serve the Lord, and seek only him each day. (I have a hard time doing that now and often seek other priorities like school, entertainment etc.) I feel like I am at a time in my life where I really have to “grow up” and so the most important thing I need and want is a strong spiritual foundation that I can always fall down on. As I started praying about this very thing getting a strong spiritual foundation God made it known to me in Numerous ways that it was time to serve him away from everyone else (including the incredible man God has blessed with me- who will actually be going on the Kenya trip at the same time). I prayed
about it for weeks and it seemed the Lord really was finally calling me to
Africa! More and more doors opened up and it was amazing to see how, when it
really is the Lord’s timing, everything fits perfectly and all things work out!
My future goal is to live in Africa as a permanent missionary someday, but
again I’ll have to wait and see if that’s also the Lord’s goal for my life!