My Story

I’ve been in love with Africa since the 7^th grade. I have never been able to explain why or what started it, but I’ve always been interested in the culture and the people- and I’ve known I wanted to go there. In my sophomore year of college, the opportunity arose for me to go work with orphans living with AIDS in South Africa in the summer of 2007. I knew instantly I was supposed to go, since I also have a heart for working with children. This trip completely changed my life, and I longed to return to the mission field in South Africa. My heart was still beating in South Africa. I didn’t know if my passion for the children there was just biased because it was the first time I had ever left the United States and stepped into the life of poverty. When the opportunity came the next fall to go work with the gypsy children in Romania I felt the call to serve them. While I was there I loved the children we ministered to, but I didn’t have the overwhelming, life-changing passion like I did when I was in South Africa.  This trip allowed me to know that my passion for African orphans was no coincidence.

A couple of years passed before I had the opportunity to return again, to work with the same organization, but instead of ministering in several townships we were stationed in one specific one, where we worked the three weeks we were there. I had begun to recognize that God was preparing my heart for long term mission work, but I didn’t see how I would be able to partner long term with the current organization I was working with. So being the loving Father that He is, He led me to an organization that was a perfect match for my passions: orphans and children with disabilities, within the same township. He brought me to Agape Family Ministries. When I returned from this trip I knew I needed to start preparing my life and heart for a big change.

In the fall of 2010 I began to plan my return to Agape, but God not only called me to return, but He called my youngest sister, cousin, and a friend to go on this journey as well. As I was planning for us to serve for the entire summer of 2011, I felt called to pursue being there on a long term basis. As I sought out ways to make this dream a reality, God closed the doors, one by one. I didn’t understand why He would give me such an overwhelming desire to give up everything and go long term, but I went for six weeks, and returned, trusting that it was all part of His plan and that there was a reason I had to be in Illinois for another year.

During the last three weeks of the trip God worked in a tremendous way. As I was engaging the children with disabilities in the school setting and in the group home setting, I felt content that I was finally doing what I had been created for. I’ve never felt more at peace and in love with my Creator. I knew then that in His timing, He would fulfill my desire to return to Agape in Grabouw, South Africa. He lit the fire inside of me for missions in South Africa and continues to fuel the fire!