MY STORY

     For as long as I can remember I have had friendships and experiences that revolve around different cultures and religions. From growing up next to a family from the Middle East, to learning Spanish in school, to going on mission trips, to serving immigrants in my community, my life has been full of culture and mission. I have seen the image of God in those who are different from me and I have seen God work in the hearts of those who do not yet know him. I have witnessed the power of a prayerful and consistent friend as hearts that are hardened become soft again. God has restored, healed, and matured me through interactions with people from all over the world. God has ultimately revealed to me that my heart beats for, breaks for, and longs to see the world united and restored in the knowledge of Christ. Due to this, I have decided to respond in obedience and pursue missions full time.

 

     I have been studying the past four years at Lee University to prepare me for the mission field. It hasn’t always been a linear journey, but God has used every experience to grow and shape me into who I am today. As my time studying at Lee University comes to an end in May, I will be graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Intercultural Studies with a certification to teach English to speakers of other languages. Following graduation I have been given the opportunity to serve alongside a ministry called Mars Hill Initiative in Greece. Starting off, I am committed to serving in Greece for one year, but will continue to follow where God leads me as I am on the field.

 

     Mars Hill Initiative is a ministry located next to a refugee camp that comes alongside Middle Eastern refugees who have been displaced from their homes. Mars Hill teaches English, provides meals, holds church services, and develops community. Ultimately Mars Hill shares the Gospel with people who have never before had the opportunity to hear the Gospel. Many of these refugees come from closed countries where the name of Jesus Christ cannot be spoken. However, Acts 17:26-27 states: “From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us”. As people are being forced from their lands there is a purpose behind this, and this purpose is for them to hear the Gospel in a land that allows the name of Christ to be proclaimed. Hundreds of refugees from the Middle East are accepting Christ through what Mars Hill Initiative is doing in Greece, and I feel very blessed to be a part of what this ministry is doing for the Kingdom of God.

​

     As I am approaching a lifelong pursuit of missions I am looking for financial support that will sustain me as I am spreading the good news of Christ. I am needing one time donors, recurring donors, sponsorships and partnerships as I am pursuing missions full time. I have projected to need about $1,600 a month which adds up to around $20,000 per year. Included in this projected budget are the costs of obtaining a visa, receiving schooling, paying for rent, buying groceries, purchasing plane tickets, luggage costs, one time startup costs, and insurance bills. In order to obediently fulfill the calling God has placed over my life I need to have people and partners supporting me not only financially but also covering me in prayer. Like I stated before, there is power in a prayerful friend. I ask that you would pray for me as I am preparing, but also while I am living in Greece.

 

     God is Jehovah-Jireh. He is the God who provides and gives all that we need. I trust that God is ultimately my provider and he will provide every single thing I need as I am being obedient to him with your help. No matter where I go, God is with me. God is my home. He is my refuge and my safety. I have had dreams and I have encountered God as I have been preparing to go out onto the mission field. I am full of hope and expectation as I begin a lifetime pursuing missions.