My Story
I was born in 1999 to a wonderful family: a loving mom, a hardworking father, and three amazing siblings who are still my closest friends! I was raised in a small mountain town in Northern California and spent most of my free time outside! Summers were filled with day trips to Lake Tahoe and road trips to beautiful destinations, while winters were spent having snowball fights in the backyard and hitting the slopes (we would sometimes get over 50 feet of snow).
My parents regularly took us to church, and we would pray as a family every evening before bed. In 2010, I was at a summer camp singing the line “it’s all about you Jesus” from the song “The Heart of Worship,” and it was in that moment that I decided to make those words the reality of my life! I fully surrendered my life to the Lord, and from that point on, my love for Christ only deepened as I learned to abide in Him daily.
In 2013, I began serving regularly at church, and in 2016, I graduated from high school and started taking classes at the local community college. However, in 2018, eight years after the Lord initially won my heart, I felt God place a specific calling upon my life.
I had considered careers in sports, music, real estate and construction, but I started feeling drawn to full time ministry. After waiting upon the Lord and seeking guidance from family and friends, I decided to drop my plans and attend Bible College to explore this calling further. During my two years there, including a semester in Israel, God ignited a passion in me to make an eternal impact in this world. My new goal became to live entirely for His glory and the advancement of His kingdom.
Several ministry opportunities opened up as I was wrapping up my final semester, but after praying through each one, I didn’t have peace about pursuing any. While I loved California, I yearned to explore the world and see how God moved in different cultures. I began making plans to move to Costa Rica, excited to learn a new language and immerse myself in a completely different culture. But then COVID-19 hit, and that opportunity vanished.
Instead, I stayed in California and led the worship department at my Bible College for a year. I then returned to my hometown, feeling called to start a young adults ministry, which I led for nearly two years. Eventually, I stepped back to rest, work on some personal things, and seek God’s guidance for my next steps. This time allowed me to reset my heart and refocus on abiding in God rather than finding my identity in my work for Him.
I spent this season of waiting building houses with my dad, but I couldn’t deny the growing desire to explore the world and return to ministry. In the summer of 2023, the Lord opened an opportunity for me to return to Israel and serve as the dean of men at a small bible college. I got to help teach through the gospels, lead tours, and disciple the students. Unfortunately, our semester was cut short when the war in Israel started, but we all returned home safely.
I found myself in another season of waiting, but after a few months of prayer and research, I felt led to join a missionary organization. I signed up for a six-month mission school with YWAM (Youth with a Mission). Ten days later, I was on a plane to my next adventure. This Discipleship Training School (DTS) included 1) a lecture phase covering life-changing topics taught by instructors from around the world, and 2) an outreach phase where my team of seven was sent to remote villages in Fiji to preach the gospel and build relationships with the local people.
During the course of this six month training school, I felt the Lord make it abundantly clear to continue in missions! And I’m excited to share my vision for what God has in store for me next!