By “I will never be the same again, I can never return I’ve closed the door. I will walk the path and I will run the race and I will never be the same again.”
I don’t know about you, but there are moments in my life where I know that change has happened and it has been a shift that impacts everything after it. For me, one of those nights came on a hot humid night while I was in New Orleans, July 2000. It was that night that I prayed that God would break my heart for what broke His. In that moment that is exactly what happened. My heart broke for the hurting, the lost, the broken. Now I should clarify, I am not a feeler type person. I am a logic brained person, so when God broke my heart for those people, it meant that in those moments I felt for them…had these strange emotions that did not make sense.
It was then that I told myself I was going to be a missionary. In my mind I had decided that I did not need to go to college and that I could just go and help the people. Looking back I wonder, how many other youth come back from a short term missions trip and say that they are going to do missions work? I actually think a larger number come home with that desire but it faded away as they get back to real life and the daily grind.
For me, that shifted everything, I ended up going to ministry school for 2 years and then went on the get a BA in social work. Logically because I wanted to do ministry work and I knew I was going to need an way in with people. Fast forward many years… I have gone on several missions trips and have learned a lesson in being in ministry. I have spent time working for the local church and doing ministry for fun while working a regular job. I now also have a PhD in Psychology (I know right?) Since then, there have been many shifts and moments where things have been irrevocably changed. However, one thing has never changed. The core of everything come from the first change when I prayed that God would break my heart for what breaks His.
This summer I have been given the opportunity to return to the Democratic Republic of Congo. The trip last year was amazing and I was able to see how God prepared me to come alongside these people that He loves so dearly. One of the things I will be doing is helping train some of their people in trauma work. Funny how the girl who wasn’t going to go to college did just that and has a PhD that opens doors for me to show God’s love and healing to those who are hurting right? I am so excited for what God is going to do on this next trip, and I need your help. First thing I need are people committed to PRAY and the second thing I need are people that can GIVE. This trip is from July 9-23 so I have just over a month to raise $4000. To read more or to give click here
