As most kids raised in the 50's and 60's, my family attended Sunday morning services at a local church.  We were faithful to be there every Sunday, my father in his suit, my mother with her hat and gloves and me with my patten leather shoes and lacey ankle socks!

As time went on I helped teach a SS class for 4 year olds or help in the nursery ( I was 12-13 at the time).  I occassionally sang in the youth choir, and I received the God and Country Award in Girl Scouts.  I was a pretty good kid!  If you were to have asked at that time, if I knew I was going to go to Heaven when I died, I probably would have answered, " I hope so".

As a result of bussing back in 1971, a local church rallied to the cause and opened a school.  My parents registered me there.  This was a turning point in my 14 yr. old life.  I met up with a girl I had previously gone to elementary school with.  She had gotten involved with a Christian youth organization called 'Christian youth ranch' and promptly and unceasingly invited me to attend.  Between the school and hearing the gospel daily and the youth ranch meetings where the gospel was clearly explained, I came to find out that I could know I was going to Heaven when I died.  Sometime in that year, I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Saviour and understood for the first time, what Ephesians 2:8,9 says -" For it is by grace you are saved by faith and that NOT of yourselves, it is the GIFT of God NOT of works, lest any man should boast"  WOW!  I spent the next 4 years of my teen life, growing in the word and learning how to share this good news with others.  When I graduated from high school, I went off to Hollywood, FL to attend Florida Bible College.

During the next few years several circumstances occured in my life that allowed me to, subtlely yet profoundly, stray off the course of walking with God.  I spent the next approximately 15 years 'doing my own thing' as the saying goes!  During that time, I graduated from college as a Registered Nurse, traveled extensively throughout Europe-backpacking and biking, became a vegetarian, lived for a few months at a yoga ashram, as well as rural W. Va. where I lived a true 'back to nature lifestyle' outhouse and all!! The jewel of this time was becoming a mother to my 2 precious sons, Devin and Teague.

All the while during my 'sabbatical' my eyes were not focused on God, however His hand never left me.  He was grooming me and preparing me for the work He had started in my life.  He was allowing me to experience life in a different way that would prove to enable me to follow His call in my life.

After the birth of my second son, I realized I needed to get my life back in order .  As a single mom I returned to Florida and slowly but surely God directed my paths and I found once again the truth that I had never forgotten but had closed up and placed away somewhere in my heart.  I found a good church and began to go faithfully.  The prodigal daughter had returned home and brought her children with her.  Grace, grace, God's grace, grace that is greater than all my sin.... He wastes nothing in our lives and that was truly evident in mine.

In 2000, God reminded me of my love for missions.  A love that actually started when I was 9 and decided I wanted to be a missionary to the Congo!  At that time it was the deepest/darkest place I could imagine to be a missionary and wanted to go there!

I had the opportunity to go along with my church to Benin, West Africa, as part of a medical mission team.  The support came in and I was able to go!  I ministered there for 18 days, and when I left, part of my heart stayed.  I knew that God wanted me to return and the next year I returned as the leader of a large medical/eye team.  I love Africa, and because the Lord allowed me to experience many of the things I did during my 'sabbatical' time, it was not a hard time for me to be in the bush, without electricity, water etc.

Thus, my missions passion grew!  When I moved to Tennessee in 2003, I knew that God was indeed calling me to work in missions, I just did not know exactly how and what or where.  He was still in the process of growing me to this call.  In the summer of 2005 I truly felt the nudge and began to investigate mission organizations.  I found Adventures in Missions and well, I guess you know the rest of the story!!!

God is a faithful God...He desires our obedience.  Just as we desire our children to trust us and obey, He lovingly asks us to do the same.  Trust Him and He will bring about all that we need.  His faithfulness endures forever.

As I reflect back on my life I am able to see how He never left me or gave up on me.  It was His desire to bring me back to Himself, yet His ways are perfect and He knew how it had to happen.  I had to fall on my face, I had to call out to Him, I had to realize my dependence on the creator of the universe, my rock, my refuge. 

I want to share and leave you with a saying that spoke volumes to me, perhaps it will to you as well ~  When satan tries to remind you of your past...remind him of his future.  Amen.  The good news is - We Win!  We have won - we are victorious over sin through Jesus!!!! :)

Desire a relationship with Jesus...not a duty or a religion - but a love relationship, that is what He wants with you.