15 Years In The Making

This is an announcement… I’m going pro! 

Pro Missionary Baby! 

Haha you’re probably not surprised to hear it based on what my life has looked like these past few years, but yeah… I’m officially a full time missionary! 

I was 12 years old when I felt like I was supposed to give my life to God as a missionary of the Good News of Jesus. That was 15 years ago. Since then my life has been a series of volunteer ministries, Bible college, church internships, Master’s Degree in Theology (never finished it but came close), small missions trips, big missions trips, and now…

Squad Mentor 

Bam. There it is. The announcement! 

Let me explain… 

I have been volunteering with the World Race since 2018. This has looked like fundraising for 11 months (2018-2019), 7 months (2019-2020), and 6 months (2020-2021) of living on the field and partnering with 20 different ministries alongside over 100 different team-mates. 

When I signed up for my first World Race I didn’t think I would go on multiple trips, let alone work for Adventures In Missions (AIM). But as I have gotten to know the vision, mission, and heartbeat of AIM, it became clear that it was a ministry I could see myself partnering with longterm. 

For the longest time, working with / at AIM was always about social media and video. However, as I have grown over the past few years, I realized that video is not where my actual passion lies. It’s an incredible creative outlet, but not what I want to do forever. But discipleship, teaching, and encouraging others in their faith journey as they serve the Lord – now that gets me PUMPED!

At the beginning of 2021 I learned that AIM was looking to hire new Squad Mentors – kind of like the stateside pastor / quarterback of a World Race Squad. A Squad Mentor is a full time position at the AIM base in Gainesville, GA where they equip, teach, and run point on all things squad related. Mentors have the incredible opportunity of impacting missionaries throughout their 11 month mission trip (one of the biggest things they will ever do in their life), making sure overseas missions happens in a Christ / culture- honoring way, traveling to visit squads on the field 4 to 5 times a year, and helping them adjust when they return home. 

There are so many aspects about this opportunity that were right up my alley. My only hesitation is that I would be stepping back into official, full-time ministry. Something that honestly has scared me since my first experience in full-time ministry didn’t go the way I expected. To read about that experience and the redemption God worked through it click here.

Thankfully, God has restored so much in my life since 2016. He has grown me, humbled me, taught me, and has given me on-field experience that has equipped me for the next step whatever that may be. 

So in March, I applied to be a Squad Mentor. In April, I got the job! 

It feels surreal. 

I am both nervous and excited. Once I finish this season of Squad Leading (end of June) I will be flying home, packing my things, moving to Georgia (hello humidity), and starting this new chapter on July 6th!

As a mentor I will be moving from fundraising to support raising. This means I will be raising annual support instead of trip by trip support. Because AIM is a non-profit I will need to raise about $25,000 a year. Yikes! 

It is a step of faith for sure. But if I’ve learned anything it’s that God shows up when we step out. 

I trust Him, and I’m so excited to be a part of what He is doing here, and all around the world! 

As I reflect back and also dream about what is to come I can’t help but smile. 15 years is a long time. A long time trusting God step by step. A long time being frustrated that He isn’t showing me the whole picture. A long time going against the grain of society for the sake of the Kingdom. A long time wrestling with insecurities. And yet it is a long time I don’t think I would trade for anything. 

In the last 3 years with the World Race I have experienced God like never before, traveled to 18 countries, and have seen people experience freedom in Jesus all around the globe. Amazing! Life with Jesus is wild. I can’t imagine doing anything else.

And it looks like we’re just getting started.