I was born in Arizona and raised in Utah and West Virginia. My dad was a pastor and my mom was a schoolteacher. From a very young age I was taught the Scriptures and about Jesus. I attended Awana, Sunday School, and summer camp. When I was 6 or 7, I made the decision to trust Christ as my Savior. I understood I was a sinner and that He died on the cross in my place. I accepted His free gift of salvation. When I was in high school (about 15 years old) I dedicated my life to Him and knew I wanted to serve Him. I chose children’s ministry (without seeking guidance or advice from anyone) because that was how I came to know the Lord. I would find out later it was not my cup of tea.
After graduating high school (2006) I attended Frontier School of the Bible with a major in youth ministry. During school I continued to do children’s ministry, and after graduating FSB (2011) I moved to Michigan with my best friend and roommate. For the next 8 years I was involved in children’s and youth ministries. About halfway through that time period I was struggling to do it. There was no joy or satisfaction, just exhaustion. At first, I thought it was just inexperience or lack of support or resources, but it was clear to me by that point that youth ministry was not where God was calling me. It was time to brew a different kind of tea.
In January 2019, I decided to take a break from ministry and seek the Lord’s guidance with prayer. Lots of prayer…and many cups of tea. I knew I wanted to serve Him but wasn’t sure what He was calling me to. I began praying about a few different possibilities, but I was interested in secretarial or clerical work because I thrive and deeply enjoy organizing and planning. I began seeking employment in that field but Covid hit and everything came to a screeching halt. It was a blessing in disguise and it gave me a great amount of time to seek Him, seek His will and grow spiritually.
In May 2021, Helen Cline contacted me and asked me to pray about the bookkeeper position in the TBM Home Office. She believed it would be a good fit. I was almost certain when she first asked but I took an additional 4 months to pray and seek the Lord’s guidance. I finally made the decision in September 2021 and contacted Helen to let her know. What joy there is when you know you have found your calling! Peace when you know you are in His will. I’m thankful for this cup of tea.
