Share a core childhood memory and a bit about your younger years and places you’ve lived.
I grew up in the beautiful country of New Zealand surrounded by the ocean, mountains, and lakes. Some of my favorite memories as a child were our family holidays, that we would take each year. Like most ‘Kiwis’ (New Zealanders), our family loved spending time at a lake or the beach.
What are you most passionate about?
I’m passionate about seeing others grow in their relationship with Christ, and love coming alongside and encouraging other women, and the girls in our youth group. I love my family and enjoy spending time together with them, and getting to see God working in the lives of others is such a blessing.
How did I get into Ministry?
When God lays something on your heart, He opens doors and opportunities to be able to follow Him in that pursuit. Ever since I was younger, God has given me a desire to serve Him in ministry, and I prayed that He would use me in whatever ways He wanted. I remember I was about to graduate from Bible College, and I had no idea what I was going to do. In God’s perfect timing I was offered a job working at the college. Later, I had the privilege to teach at a Christian school, serve as a Children’s Minister, and now I get to serve here at Calvary in Student Ministries. I look back now and am amazed at the opportunities God has given me. At almost every stop along the way, God opened doors that I had not even counted on. I love ministry and getting to serve God in each of the different roles I have had—ministry isn’t always easy, but God is always faithful.
Our Adoption Story…
Around 2011, our family began a journey that would forever change our lives. We began the process to adopt a sibling group of three children from Colombia. From the very beginning, Steve and I had prayed that God would be glorified through our whole
adoption process. In October 2013 we were finally able to travel to Colombia. In those two years of paperwork and fundraising, praying and waiting, we saw God do some amazing things. As the day of meeting our three youngest children drew closer, we were so excited. We had prayed for this for so long. It would be four to six weeks in country, at the most, and then we would be back in Minnesota as a family of six.
Things definitely did not go as smoothly as we had hoped. All six of us were living in a hotel while we waited for the adoption to be finalized, an adventure in itself. Two weeks in, we were told by our lawyer that something had happened, and things may take a little longer, but it would be fine. After being there for almost a month we were abruptly told we had to leave, and the children had to stay. Our hearts were broken. How do you explain to a three, five, and seven-year-old that they can’t come home with you? The details of that goodbye is a memory I will never forget.
A few weeks later we headed back to Colombia, with the issues resolved and the adoption already presented in court; we had been told it would be complete within a couple of weeks. Finally, we would be able to bring our children home. We went straight from the airport to get the children and it was one happy reunion. It wasn’t long before we realized things were not going quite as well as we had hoped. Without all the details, let’s just say we knew things were not good when the judge denied our adoption, but we remained hopeful that things would quickly get resolved. At this point, Steve and Josiah headed home, and I remained in Colombia with the children. What we had thought would be just a few more weeks before we would be reunited as a family, turned into months. In September 2014, we finally got the answer people all around the world had been praying for. The judge said yes! Almost a year after first flying to Colombia, we were able to travel home to Minnesota, all six of us.
This is not the full story, and while I could probably fill a book with everything that happened in that year, this is what is most important to share… that in our most difficult days, God met us there. When I thought, “I can’t do this anymore,” He heard my cries. In our greatest times of need He provided over and over again. Out of one of our family’s most trying times, God poured out His blessings on us. The adoption of our three youngest children is a miracle and that is our biggest blessing of all. To God Be All the Glory!
