The Journey Begins...

I think my journey to the Black Forest began last October, when I asked my cooperating teacher in my first student teaching placement if I could head back to campus a few minutes earlier than normal to meet with a recruiter from the Black Forest Academy. Speaking with the recruiter energized me; I could definitely see myself teaching elementary school or serving as a resident assistant at BFA. I wondered – is this where God is calling me?

Or maybe the journey began when I submitted my application to BFA just after Thanksgiving break. I decided to take this next step of obedience, prayerfully seeking God’s guidance and the advice of others.

The journey continued when I applied to TeachBeyond, my mission agency, and met their recruiter at InterVarsity's Urbana missions conference in St. Louis over Christmas break. The personal testimonies of several former BFA staff members at the conference encouraged me to consider BFA more seriously. Moreover, the plenary sessions and small group seminars challenged me to think about issues in global missions – modern-day slavery, racial tensions, poverty – and to wonder how I could be a part of God's solution for any of them. He opened my eyes to the fact that BFA’s ministry to missionary kids actually enables missionaries to stay on the field all around the world. I came to the realization that my service at BFA could actually empower missionaries to meet the diverse needs of many peoples around the world!

Over the next month and a half, as I traveled to London for a multicultural student teaching experience and returned to Grove City College for my last semester of classes, I prayed and sought the advice of many others.  Some days I was convinced that BFA was the place to which God was calling me, while other days I was discouraged with confusion and indecision.

An interview with TeachBeyond was the next part of my journey, which provided a lot of confirmation; God filled me with a true joy in this journey of seeking His will above all else. Only two days later, I was pleasantly surprised to receive a letter of invitation to be an elementary teacher at the Black Forest Academy! God was clearly at work. I continued to wait on His timing and leading, and on March 1, I officially accepted the position to teach elementary school at BFA!

This journey really began when I trusted Jesus as my personal Savior as a child and began walking with Him. As a regular attender of Grace Point, I was deeply involved in children's and youth ministries. In our home we had regular family devotions and prayed for missionaries around the world. Hearing reports from youth missions teams and meeting missionaries at annual festivals got me excited about what God was doing in other parts of the world. Although I may not have fully known it at the time, God has been preparing me for overseas service since I decided to follow Him wholeheartedly at a young age!

I am so excited for the opportunity to serve God in the Black Forest because I am confident that this is where He has led me. In the next five months, I will be raising support and preparing to move to Kandern, Germany. While there are many unknowns ahead, I am relying fully on the Great Provider!

In each of these steps, it’s clear to see that God has been guiding me in this journey. I have no doubt that He will continue to lead, and I will keep pursuing His will for my life. The journey is only beginning… and I invite you to join me in celebrating God's faithfulness as I serve Him in the Black Forest!