How I Became a Missionary

I can't remember a time when I wasn't interested in missions. My dad was an MK (missionary kid) in the Philippines and Malaysia, and my parents have always been very pro-missions.

Before I'd even turned 13, God had given me a heart for missions. Over and over again through my teenage years I felt called to be a missionary, but at that point in my life I was still too young. 

By 18 I was already in a serious relationship with my future husband, Brandy. He was studying in the Honduran Air Force Academy and our plan was to get married once he'd graduated. I had to pray a lot about becoming his wife, because besides the 4 years in the Academy he had a 10 year commitment with the Air Force after graduating. I thought that if I married him I'd have to wait at least 10 years to become a missionary and I didn't want to wait that long. 

Brandy and I got married in August of last year, and I moved to the capital of Honduras, Tegucigalpa, because that's where Brandy was, and still is, stationed. We didn't really have any plans as to what I'd be doing, but Brandy and I had tossed about the idea of me finding a job. 

I am not going to go into all of the different ideas we had about where I might have been able to find a paying job, but let me just say that if I wasn't working as a missionary, funded by supporters, I would have to find a job. The military doesn't pay their officers very well and so most of the officers' spouses have jobs.

In January of this year, 2014, while still looking for a job, I felt called to organize an MK Camp. Before I go on I want to explain a bit about this camp. 

I don't really remember the year, I think it was 2004 or 2005, but a few of the missionaries got together to organize an annual week long camp for the MKs of Honduras. I attended this camp every year that it was held, 8-9 years in all, first as a camper and then as a counselor. I really enjoyed going to camp as a camper, but I loved it even more as a counselor. As I grew older I realized how much I liked being a part of making MK Camp possible, knowing as I did how much it helped these kids with their MK struggles. 

Last year, 2013, the missionaries who were in charge of organizing the camp said that they didn't have time to plan/run it anymore. It was at this point that I started thinking about what it would take to organize a week of camp myself, and I started praying about it.

In January my prayers and plans started to take shape when I talked to one of the missionary couples who had helped run MK Camp in past years. They were willing to come and run the ropes courses if I would organize the camp. This was the first clear answer to all of my prayers and many more would follow. 

The plans for camp slowly came together. One thing after another came into place, and God's glory was shown to me again and again.  

In April I was thinking about what kind of job to get. My plan was to start applying for work right after MK Camp in August. I realized that I didn't want to plan MK Camp for only one year but for as many years as God would let me, and that it would be almost impossible to organize a camp if I had a job. 

Here in Honduras most employees have to work 12 or more hours a day. They're not paid by the hour but by the month, so the employers want to get as much work and as many hours out of them as possible. There aren't many part time jobs available here, so it would be very difficult to spend all the time it took to plan MK Camp and also have job. 

It occurred to me that if I become an official, supported, missionary I would be able to continue the work that God was calling me to do. Besides planning MK Camp, I could work full time helping missionaries families and serving the people of Honduras. I felt that God was telling me that this was the time, the place and even the thing that He had been preparing me for all these years. So after praying about it with Brandy, we decided that yes, God was calling me to missions. 

You may laugh, but when God said yes to me becoming a missionary, after so many years of it being my dearest wish, I cried with happiness.    

In May I was accepted into my parents mission organization, the Foundation for Missions, and in August I directed my very first MK Camp, after many months of planning. We had over 90 MKs and 20 staff members.

I am amazed at God's goodness to me. I love my new "job" and I plan on using as many of my talents as possible to serve my loving Father. 


Thank you for reading all of this. I realize that it was a bit long story, but I thought that you, who are interested in what I am doing, should know how and why I became a missionary.