Where are you serving this summer, and who is your mentor?
Lynwood Baptist Church in Cape Girardeau with Kevin Goebel

How did you first encounter Jesus Christ, and how has His lordship continued to change your life?
I was born and raised inside a Christian home; my parents and grandparents were born and raised as Christians. I was practically raised in church. Growing up as a small kid, I found myself understanding who God was. I recognized at a very young age that I was a sinner and I needed Jesus. When I was eight years old, I came to the decision to come to Christ and accept Him as my Lord and Savior of my life. Growing up in church still in my junior high and high school days, I was becoming a changed person for the Lord. God has brought me through so much in my life and has made me a changed being. Now today, I’m a college student with a heart for Christ and serving the Lord, taking the chance of every open door given by God to serve Him. God grew in me a heart and passion for worship and teaching the Gospel to others.

What does the church mean to you?
The church to me means a lot, it is a place where believers can all just come together to worship Christ and hear from Him. When I go to church it’s one of those places where I always experience Christ, I know there are times outside of church when I experience Christ as well. When I’m in church, to me that is a time to thank God for what He has done for me in the previous week and just talk to Him, and give Him the praise he deserves.

As a student, how have you shared – and are currently sharing – your faith with others?
High school was when I started to become more bold in sharing my faith with others. I stepped out of my comfort zone more and started inviting friends to church when the door for it was opened. Sometimes if the opportunity came I would start having spiritual conversations with other students or talk about the Bible and answer questions any of my friends might of had. As a college student now, I’ve grown to sharing my testimony a lot with people and telling people what Christ has done for me. Sharing my faith with others to me also means just going out and serving Christ and others in person in my town. I’ve done many events and projects with my church where I got to share Christ with complete strangers.

What do you feel is your vocational call (future career), and how do you anticipate sharing your faith through that call?
I am currently a Vocal Music Education Major to become a choir and music teacher. I also plan on in the future to keep taking opportunities to work inside the church. I know that through working a job as a teacher in school, I will be able to not only do what I love which is teaching music; I will be able to pray for and find open doors to sharing Christ with other teachers and even students. I want to be able to keep working in the church and working in church events and projects proclaiming the Gospel to others.

Why do you want to be a summer missionary?
Missions to me means just going where God calls you to go. You do not have to leave the country or go halfway around the world to be a missionary. Serving Christ in your own hometown is mission work. Everything we do serving Christ in our community and schools or where ever it may be is mission work. I want to be a summer missionary because I know I will grow even more in my faith in Christ and I will be able to apply well everything I’ve already learned from God and my past missions experience. I believe this is a door God is opening for me to go out and serve Him. I have a passion for going and serving Christ and others, I love teaching the Gospel to people. I know that if this is a door meant for my life that God will open it.