A few weeks ago, sitting in the office of my probation officer, we began a conversation much like we do each visit, about current global events/disasters/atrocities, which inevitably leads to the big question, “What really is God’s perspective on it all?”

I believe poverty has no place in the Kingdom of God. Scripture tells us that the Church's mandate to preach the gospel also includes meeting the needs of the poor.

In recent years God has been stirring my heart with the desire to develop low-cost, space-efficient housing to meet the needs of people in impoverished communities around the globe. This has led me to develop a revolutionary house design, which I have now built as a prototype in the AgTech department of YWAM Tyler.

“Daughter, can’t you see that I’m right here?”...

One day a teacher in my Discipleship Training School (DTS) was talking about The Great Commission. You know, those verses at the end of Matthew, those words we Christians hear so often? “Go and make disciples of all nations.” Those words had always seemed so overwhelming to me.

Taking a Gap Year or even a Gap Semester isn't a new concept, but for some it's daunting and feels downright allusive. I just talked with a sophmore college student recently who said, "I've always wanted to do something like this, but I didn't think I really could." 

Giving thoughtful attention to your life goals and present situation can open unique opportunities you may not have realized. 

When I first started traveling as a YWAM missionary, I was in my early 20's and had no children. I remember more than one well-meaning person telling me it was good I was "getting it out of my system" while I was young because once I had kids, I would no longer be able to travel in missions but would instead need to settle down. I guess God had other plans though because I now have five children under the age of twelve and I am involved in traveling on outreaches as much or more than I ever have been. I am amazed at what God has enabled me to do with five children in tow! Here are some examples:

In all the talk today of measuring success by numbers, based on how many “hits,” “clicks,” or “likes” we get on our social media, I am often taken back to the memory of my very first Youth With a Mission trip in 1984. We were traveling through the Atlantic Coast of Canada, performing an evangelistic drama known as Toymaker and Son. It was a 52 minute long drama performed in full costume to a soundtrack recorded by a professional orchestra. It was all mime and dance, a real workout for us young people to perform in the hot summer sun, and we performed it anywhere we could. One performance stands out above the rest to me because we performed it on an empty grass lawn, to no audience at all.

A little over a year ago I was co-leading an outreach to Greece for a School of Evangelism trip. This was my fourth time to Greece in the five years I had been with YWAM Tyler. For those who don’t know, Greece is 98% Greek Orthodox which basically means they know who God is but don’t know about having a relationship with Him. In current times, Greece has been in an economical crisis which has most of the population unemployed and without hope for the future of the country. What a perfect time to spend a summer going around the country, telling people about the hope that is found in Jesus and what it’s like to have a real relationship with Him.

As a YWAM missionary, I have been to multiple countries and states and love the adventure of traveling on a mission to share Jesus with those in need! I especially have a passion to serve the poorest of the poor, and I love to worship God in what others would consider unreached places and sin cities.