Who I Am
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* I was born in America, but grew up in Africa in a missionary family.
* I responded in faith to the message of Jesus' death for my sins and resurrection offering me eternal life.
* I received a BRE with an emphasis in Counseling from Davis College. * I served for 5 years as a youth leader with West Endicott Baptist Church. * I have already spent 2 years serving in Niamey, Niger at Sahel Academy. (I was classified as a short term missionary, and have transitioned to career status requiring that I raise additional financial support.) |
Childhood:
I was born November 23rd, 1980 in Amsterdam, New York. I have an older brother and three younger sisters (two of which were born in Mali.) Both my parents and grandparents were called by God to serve Him as missionaries in West Africa. I arrived in Africa shortly before I turned 5 and spent the rest of my formative years there with my family in Timbuktu, Mali. We returned to America when I was in 3rd grade and again for 8th grade to report to my parent’s supporting churches and friends.
Life Commitment:
As a young child, I was sensitive to my need for a right relationship with God. I understood that I was truly a sinner in need of a Savior [All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. . . For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life THROUGH Christ Jesus our Lord. ~ Romans 3:23; 6:23] I responded in faith to this message of Jesus, who came to die in my place and to be resurrected for my salvation. I put my trust in Him and he became the Lord of my life. When I was eleven years old, I wanted to obey my Lord’s command and enter the waters of Baptism. This was a public sign of my relationship with God and my surrender to His will. A few years later I dedicated my life to God to serve Him with all that I am, all that I have, and all that I will be (my future). I have kept that commitment both when it seemed easy and when it was difficult and now I am truly applying it to all areas of my life through submitting to His desire and design for me to serve Him on the mission fields in Africa again.
Education:
My mother taught me my first few years of school at home. While we were in America reporting to supporters, I attended school. For my 4th grade year, a missionary in town (Timbuktu) offered to teach the missionary kids in the area. Then, beginning in 5th grade, I attended a boarding school located in Côte d’Ivoire (the Ivory Coast) called the International Christian Academy (or ICA) until I graduated in 1999. I went on to attend Davis College (formerly known as Practical Bible College) near Binghamton, NY. I graduated from there in May 2003 with a Bachelors in Religious Education (BRE) with an emphasis in counseling.
Experience:
I had the distinct privilege to participate in numerous evangelistic outreach programs throughout my high school years. These ranged from one-on-one evangelism and discipleship programs to village evangelistic campaigns and challenged me to truly understand and personalize my faith in order to have an answer when it was questioned. While attending Bible College, I served in West Endicott Baptist Church as a youth leader and assisted their worship team. I then served at Sahel Academy for two years both in their dorm and in the athletic programs, nurturing (dorm assistant), discipling (both individual and small group), model/teaching (athletic programs and service outreach projects) – leading by example. It was there that I finally understood God’s plan for my life. He specifically designed me to thrive in this location and ministry, through the events He had placed earlier in my life.
Mission Strategy:
Vision: I envision impacting the lives of third culture kids so they in turn will become world leaders shining God’s truth far beyond my reach.
Plan: In short, I want to use the experience and gifts God has given me as a tool for God to use in forming this specialized group of youth into the future leaders of our world who will take a stand and make choices that honor God alone! I plan to impact the lives of TCKs thru leadership, discipleship, and time investment making it possible for many missionary families to carry on the ministries God has called them to while their own families thrive as well. My desire is to remain flexible to meet the needs to the school. At this point, I plan to meet their need as a dorm assistant – helping a missionary family care for the housing needs of students who live too far away to commute to school. In times when that is not a need (perhaps filled by another) I will assist the youth pastor as a youth leader as well as help the school as an administrative assistant.
Pre-Field Ministry Goals:
- Raise a team of prayer and financial supporters who will help me get back to Sahel Academy by the first week of August 2009.
- Minister by encouraging and challenging churches, businesses, and individuals to have a burden to reach their area and around the world with the gospel of Christ personally.
- Recruit team members who have the experience, gifts & passion for a MK/TCK ministries.
Field Ministry Goals:
- 1st Year ~ Obtain a conversational ability in the language of Hausa while refining my French language in the areas of reading and writing. I plan to designate a good part of two morning a week to that while carrying on my other ministry obligations (such as dorm assistant).
- 2nd Year ~ I will practice language maintenance and increase the time I spend in the athletics program. I will now begin to work more closely with the student body organizing a more meaningful intramural athletics program that complements the youth group and physical education programs.
- Each Year I will participate in an evaluation to sharpen my effectiveness in ministry and language.
- 2nd Summer ~ At this point I plan to return to America to report to those who financially and prayerfully support this ministry every 2nd summer. This prevents leaving Sahel with a position to fill in my absence.
