As I Have Reflected On My Calling And How I Have Become

Living in a strongly religious community, I was given many opportunities to provide service to fellow church members and also under privileged youth of the community. When I began high school I was given the opportunity to become a counselor during Vacation Bible School and

Last Sunday at church Father Ron said something that hit home for me. He said that a mission begins with an invitation. I grew up in a rural area in the highlands of Nairobi, Kenya. Life was not easy and I always made a point of maximizing the opportunities I got. I grew up knowing that I wanted to be in a profession that really helped people improve their wellbeing. When I got the opportunity to go to university I choose to do Biomedical Science because I was very good at science and I thought that being a scientist was my calling. However, becoming an adult and having varying experiences like volunteering in a children’s home, working in the field doing research, working in a laboratory and currently working as a nurse aide has taught me

“I have learned that something happens when one makes herself available to God: He starts moving in ways no one could imagine” (Davis 43). Such was the case for Katie Davis in her heart-warming novel, Kisses From Katie: A Story of Relentless Love and Redemption, co-written by Beth Clark. Katie’s nonfiction memoir speaks passionately about her move to Uganda: here she strengthened her relationship with Jesus, adopted thirteen little Ugandan girls, started a nonprofit ministry, and so much more. Katie’s unique journey teaches about sacrifice for the Lord our God and about following Him wholeheartedly with reckless abandonment. Consequently, Kisses From Katie by Katie Davis is a hopeful story that teaches readers about God’s love for us, and

Five years ago I never would have seen myself as a college student at Georgia Southern, I knew I would be in college, but why here? I was so young with my entire highschool life in front of me. I knew I wanted to be a nurse, but I had no idea how to get there. College was obviously in my future, but I never would have guessed I would be at Georgia Southern (a party school). I got here three weeks ago and was honestly still not sure I should be at this school. I have always been known as a “good girl”, so what was I doing here? God always has a reason for the things he does though, so I came here ready to see what hHe was going to do with my life. I found a church and have been actively involved since the day I got here. Now I have a bunch

Originally, I planned on using my nonprofit degree in camp ministry, but since my time here at Johnson, I believe God is calling me in a different direction. I still want to remain involved with camp ministry, however, I think God is calling me to ministry

Right out of high school I went into missions with an organization called Youth with a Mission. For two years I went to places such as Australia, Russia, Latvia, Fiji, and South Africa. I had planned to continue in missions until life threw me a curve ball and the place I thought I was supposed to go to rejected me. I came home and went through one of the darkest phases of my life. I felt like I had no direction and was not hearing from God. I started to feel more pulled towards college and- because of a trip we had taken to see my cousin in North Carolina when I was a baby- my mother remembered how highly she had thought of a college called Montreat. I looked into the school and there was such a pull towards it. I was not sure whether I wanted to do psychology or human services and they had a major that was both. After a visit in June I knew this was the place I was supposed to be

Steve Jobs once said, “The only way to do great work is to love what you do (“Steve Jobs Quotes”).” In order to be successful, a group of individuals work for something they are passionate about. During the summer of my eighth grade year, I embarked on a mission trip to South Dakota along with 25 other individuals. The purpose of this trip was to spread the love of Jesus Christ with the people of the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation that may not know who He is. Despite the differences and challenges, the reward at the end of the trip made it all worth it.

My journey began approximately twenty-four years ago when I began volunteering in the summers at the local nursing home and at summer camp as a camp counselor with children and adults with special needs. This was when I realized that I felt good when I helped others and that I cared about their well-being, health and happiness. At that time, I sensed that God was calling me to care for others and meet their needs but I was still unsure as to how I could accomplish the task.

When I was in 9th grade, my family went on a missions trip to Nicaragua. This was not an ordinary one though. Instead of just going for a week or two, we went down for six months as a whole family. My parents, my brother, my 3 sisters and I all went into this experience wanting to serve, but not knowing quite what it would look like. When we got there, we encountered extreme poverty unlike anything we had seen here in the United States. While there, we painted countless schools, did art projects at countless others, worked with the local lending libraries, and simply loved on the kids down there to the best of our abilities. When the trip was over, I left with a feeling that I had somehow failed. I felt as though I had not given my all to

The thought simply occurred to him while driving home from church one morning: Why not pursue youth ministry? The question came with the understanding that he simply enjoyed working with those who were younger than him, helping them grasp topics concerning Christian spirituality. Returning to college the very next morning, Sean met with his academic advisor and decided to weave ministry classes into his schedule in order to double major in Intercultural Studies and Youth Ministry. Eventually this gave way to a full-fledged Christian Ministries major with a focus in youth ministry.

“I was at church camp the week of June 5-10, a few years ago and there was an awesome youth pastor named Reggie Dabbs speaking to us that week. He was great, he made the lessons and bible stories that went with his lessons come alive and he made them personal to fit his story and so many others’ stories. On the last night at the end of his message, he asked if anyone felt called into ministry to stand up. I stood up, not having really any clue why I stood up. I now know that it was God prompting me to stand up because He was giving me a glimpse into what He wants me to do. I am glad I did.”

We all have life events that shape who we are. For me, that event was the two mission trips that I went on with my church. Beginning in the summer of 2013, some of the youth from Christ Church in Warwick, NY, traveled to San Jose, Costa Rica, to start the construction on an Episcopal Church. We then returned in the summer of 2015 to continue our work on the same church, Iglesia Episcopal La Ascensiόn. What I didn’t know, was how much these trips would impact my life.

The past two summers I was fortunate enough to go on two mission trips with my church. Our group teamed together with other churches and we worked with the Carolina Missions Team or known as “CMT”. This past summer was defiantly an eye-opening experience for me being able to work with an underprivileged community. One of the things I learned and realized during this trip is that even though these people have very little of anything, they are still so willing to give other people they don’t know so much love and compassion. Having this opportunity to volunteer has made me more aware of the needs, not just for the people in our own country, but also those in other countries who have much worse circumstances. The experience has led me to want to reach out to those other countries. Hopefully one day being able to travel and give them the help, knowledge, information and hope they need to prosper.

Evangelism is a wide field of ministry that is captivating many, many ministers have been called into the field. It is one of the many fields we as believers are called into. We all have been given assignment before the beginning of time God knew what he would have us to do. Evangelist’s work in many different environments in their local community, nation, and abroad. We are being the hands and feet of Jesus. we should treat it as each and every person’s salvation is important to you.

When you first begin a class you never know what to expect. When I first began Intro to Ministry, I did not know the level of insight that I would have about myself and about the character of God. I have been able to combine the things that have happened in my past and things that are happening now to try to paint God's picture in my life to come. Although you do not need to pinpoint the exact moment in time when you received your call for it to be legible, I am thankful that I do. I think it was a series of people and events unfolding in my life and God opened my eyes to the plans He had for me that lead me to that night. The day that I accepted my calling to be a youth pastor (December 30,2015) I did not go into that evening thinking “I’m going to listen to God and go into Ministry” - but I guess you never do. Since then God has been preparing me emotionally, physically, and mentally through programs that I have gone through, people in my life such as my friends, family, and professors I have gotten to know during the short time that I have been at Indiana Wesleyan. I am nowhere close to being where I want to be but that is the beauty of accepting God's call into any type of ministry, you do not have to have it all figured out, you just have to trust Him.“God is a God of infinite variety, and His call comes to people in many ways.” (Drury, K. Pg.67). I didn’t receive my calling in a damascus road way, instead God knew my heart and character so He gave me my calling in a