And finally, I run our team's digital engagement strategy. For a short explanation, I tell people that I get paid to make Instagram posts. But beyond that, the purpose of digital engagement is to get the gospel to the place where people spend the majority of their time: their phones. We do that primarily through social media posts and advertisements, with the goal of initiating face-to-face conversations that will eventually lead to professions of faith and subsequent discipleship.

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How did God lead you to Leeds?

I had no intention of moving to England when I began my search for places to serve. I knew God wanted me in Europe, but I was interested at first in the Mediterranean areas and then in Eastern Europe. I was allowed to choose up to three jobs to interview for, so I tossed in this random place called Leeds as my throwaway third option.

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Long story short, that initial interview led me to make the surprising decision to move to England. I was hesitant at first, because I was afraid my longtime love for the UK was guiding me more than the voice of God. But then I realized that maybe God had given me this fascination with the UK because He'd planned for me to live here. And now here I am, in the land of rolling moors, misty days, and J. R. R. Tolkien.

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God knows me well, to say the least.

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How has support in the U. S. made a difference in your ministry?

It means so much to know that people back in the States are praying for me. One time, I'd mentioned in my newsletter that I was feeling discouraged and homesick, and so many people responded to let me know they were praying. That lifted my spirits like nothing else could have.

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Honestly, this job would be nearly impossible without the prayer support of our sending churches. It makes more of a difference than we'll ever realize.

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How can we pray for your ministry?

It's proving difficult to find students who will stay interested in spiritual things. I had lots of great conversations at the beginning of the term, but now that the initial curiosity has faded, it's harder to engage them in spiritual topics. 

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A Bible verse that always makes me chuckle is Ezekiel 3:8, where God basically tells Ezekiel that He's going to make him even more stubborn than the obstinate children of Israel. I'm realizing that sometimes that's what it takes: sheer stubbornness and determination to talk about Jesus with people, whether they're super interested in it or not. So I guess you can pray that God would make me stubborn so I won't give up!

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How can we pray for you personally?

Being a single on the field is difficult. This work is hard, and it's made even more so by being more or less alone in it. Please pray that I will cling to God even more as I encounter things that are truly too difficult for me.

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You can also pray that I'll use the rest of my time in England wisely. I have less than a year left, and I want to learn all that God has in store for me.

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Is there a story you’d like our supporters to know?

I don't really have one particular story, but I do have a compilation of reflections. If my first year on the field taught me anything, it's that ministry looks different from day to day. One moment it's the traditional understanding of sharing the gospel with people and reading the Bible with them, and the next it's letting your friend sleep on your couch for a few nights because she doesn't have anywhere else to go. Ministry is answering a seeker's questions about God, but it's also cooking for a hundred university students or serving in the church nursery once a month.

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Anything done for another on behalf of God is ministry.

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In one word, describe how you feel about your current stage of ministry.

I'm going to go with "expectant." My first year here felt like set-up, like the first act of a story. Now we're at the midpoint, where all the pieces start to fall in place and everything is careening towards the climax. I'm expecting God to do something this year. I have no idea what, but I'm excited to watch it unfold.

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Isn't it cool that we get to be part of the Master Storyteller's epic tale?