time for my testimony !!

dear friends !!

I first accepted Jesus into my heart as a six-year-old girl. A pastor by the name of Reverend Bishop shared the Gospel message at a locally run vacation bible school. He explained that God created us to be in perfect relationship with him but we sinned and broke that relationship, but then God sent His son, Jesus, to earth and He lived a perfect life. Humanity persecuted him and eventually hung Him on a cross, crucifying Him. Jesus knew all along this was going to happen and He did it all as an act of grace, paying the price for our sin. Three days later, Jesus rose from the grave, defeating death. When we believe this message of hope, we can have eternal life with Jesus. I grasped this in light terms at a young age, simply living a life of rules. I lived this way for a long time, but in my freshman year of high school I was hit with a wave of medical issues that really tested my faith. These aliments caused me to fully place my trust in Jesus and not just simply follow the rules. I fell in love with Jesus and as a result I became heavily involved at Faith Covenant. I was a small group leader for younger girls, a volunteer at VBS, a leader for middle school youth retreats, and a four-year puppeteer for our children's ministry. I took advantage of any mission trip opportunity and this brought me in close community with other students. This was my faith all through High School and leading into my college career. My faith has been tested even more since being away at school. I have dealt with loneliness, insecurity, and many other spirit-crushing issues. But this past semester, God has been so close and my faith is now flourishing. Jesus has revealed how much worth I have in Him. I put too high a value on my actions and not enough on my heart. Jesus loves me no matter what I do, I can never be worthy of His love based on my actions alone. This truth has changed my view of holiness and given me a new desire for community. My faith is on fire right now, as I am looking to talk and share these truths with anyone who will listen. My relationship with Jesus is constantly growing, but I am so happy for my current season of life.

Finding God’s will for my life is something that I am currently wrestling with, in all honesty. I am confident in the fact that no matter what occupation I may have after college, my main goal in all of it is to share the name of Jesus and love those around me to the best of my ability. I have felt called to missions, especially urban ministry, for as long as I can remember. My heart breaks for social injustice, especially in regards to education. I believe that God has broken my heart for these things for a specific reason. I am majoring in children's ministry because I would like to be present for kids in the inner city, helping those who are stuck in some of the worst school systems in America and giving them a hope through Jesus Christ. I want to fight for equality and make sure that every child feels loved. No matter what the Lord calls me to do, I am know that his will is for me to share the Gospel with those around me and to live a life that reflects Christ. I want to be a missionary, whether it be overseas or in America. I am learning to trust that God has a plan for me, no matter how uncertain I may feel. My calling is to go and make disciples of all nations, and I plan to make the most of every opportunity I am presented.

Prior to the summer of 2019, I was attending Nyack College in New York for the Fall 2018 and Spring 2019 semesters. As I mentioned before, God taught me a lot of spiritual lessons and truths during my time at Nyack College but I felt like he may be calling me elsewhere. After much prayer and guidance, I decided not to return to Nyack College. I am happy to announce that will be I leaving on January 9th, 2020 to join with a mission’s program known as Youth With A Mission (YWAM). I will spend three months in Perth, Australia, learning all about global missions and how to be an effective disciple maker. Then, for another three months, I will go into the world and share the gospel using the tools and knowledge I received. I have felt a clear call from the Lord to pursue missions and though the idea of taking a year off from college to do ministry in another part of the world seems scary, I know it is something I need to do. My hope is that during this time of overseas ministry, the Lord will grant me some clarity as to what my ministry should be long-term. I am excited to come home from my YWAM trip and take what the Lord teaches me on the mission field and use it to further my study of ministry, but who knows where I'll be next.

-jos :)