Birthday: June 21

Hometown: Ontario, Canada

Prayer Requests: To obey rules and to follow close to God through everything.

Personal Testimony: My testimony isn’t that adventurous, or the best, but it is a lot to me and I want to tell about it. There have been many changes since my first time giving my testimony last term and God has shown me a lot since my last testimony.

There have been many challenges in my life that I have experienced and many since I have come to Teen Missions International. You know, when becoming a Christian, you might think it is the way out of everything, but really, its not. We have the same problems as others do, we just know that Jesus Christ is with us every step of the way and I am so thankful that He is in my life. God has given me so many second chances and I have finally realized that I am here, at Teen Missions for a reason. If you don’t believe God gives second chances, I know for a fact that He does give second chances. I just have to look at my life and I see it.

I grew up in a Christian home with my father being a pastor and my mother playing the piano on Sunday mornings at the service. I was the baby out of four. My brother and I were adopted from different families and my parents had two daughters of their own. If you are a pastors kid (PK) then you know that pressure that you have with everyone where you are supposed to be a certain someone and you are supposed to live up to those expectations and be a Christian and so on. In short, for a while in my younger years, you could say I was a fake. I said that I had Jesus in my heart. I had said the prayer and fallen on the ground and prayed, but I didn’t really ask Jesus into my heart. I sometimes read my Bible, I sometimes prayed. I mean, my parents would come in my room and tuck me in and I would go with my daily prayer thanking God for everything, family, friends and my dog. I would do that same prayer every night, but it didn’t mean anything to me.

I had been enrolled in the Catholic system for most of my elementary schooling so I could keep religion in my schooling but when eighth grade came, I changed schools and systems and entered the public school system. I entered a school that was the farthest from Christianity and ranked one of the worst in my area. Seventh graders were getting pregnant, kids were smoking, lots were skipping, it just wasn’t a pretty scene. I knew I was to stay away, but some of these things looked good and fun because I was sheltered and I really didn’t know anything about them, so I decided to try some stuff out.

Ninth and tenth grade were the worst two years of my schooling because those were the years I trued many bad things. I was a really rebellious child and my parents (half of the time) didn’t even know it because I hid it. I thought it was all fine until March 2005. That month changed my life. I was home getting ready for the grand opening of The Wizard Of Oz where I played the mayor with the understudy of the wicked witch of the west. I was at home getting ready to go out. The phone rang. I answered it. It was Keith, my sisters husband. I told mom and dad when I came home that Keith had phoned about Heather (my sister). Five minutes later, he phoned back again saying that something was wrong with my sister. Not even fifteen minutes later, he called us again. My dad started to cry. Mom started yelling and ran off. My sister had died. My best friend. At the moment on, I hated God because he ‘killed’ my sister. He took her from right under us.

For a couple months I was quite a rebellious kid with everyone and everything. No one could stop how I felt and help me. I wouldn’t tell them. I tried many things that I shouldn’t have and did some really bad things that have scarred me.

It was October of 2005 when my friend from the youth group asked me if I would like to go to this youth event called Acquire the Fire. I asked what it was and she told me that it was big bands, fun times and speakers and drama. They told me Skillet, my favourite Christian band at the time was going to be there. Right at that moment I decided I was going to go to this event.

The first night was a great night! Skillet played a good concert with KJ-52. That was what it was all about, but I knew deep inside I was looking for something. Something that could comfort me in times of trouble and times of grief. I needed something or someone to always be there. The second night, the speaker, a worldwide evangelist, Ron Luce asked the teens after his message if anyone would like to accept Jesus as their Saviour. That night, I accepted Jesus into my heart for the very first time meaning everything I said. Right then, I knew God had a plan for me,

After the three day event, we were shown this clip about teens going over to Africa as a missions trip. It looked really cool. When I got home, I asked my parents if I could go. I told me that I should wait a couple years because I was too young. I didn’t argue and I just stopped thinking about it.

Some years past and I grew farther away from God. I didn’t have a good relationship with my parents, I got into some pretty bad things again, it just wasn’t a good thing. One day, my father dropped something on my desk as I was doing some homework and wondered if I wanted to go. I accepted right away and I packed my bags and headed to bootcamp in Merritt Island, Florida for training to go to Ecuador. While at bootcamp, I had some difficult times, but with the help of other Christians and God, I grew closer again to God and rededicated my life to Him.

My leader was part of this school that Teen Missions International had called BMW (Bible Missions Work training school). I had wanted to go to a Bible School when I was younger, so I asked into it. She told me that it is really hard, but I should go. I brought home the forms and I asked my parents. I entered twelfth grade not knowing the future. I still continued to rebel in some areas but for the most part, I had stopped all that stuff. When it came to sending out to colleges to see to get accepted, I didn’t participate. I was trusting with my whole future, that I would get into BMW. Months past and I heard no news. I started to become worried. Then it happened. I got the papers saying that I was accepted and that I would start schooling in September. I was so exited! So after the summer, I moved down toFlorida and began my schooling at BMW.

That doesn’t mean that I am a perfect Christian or that I am better than anyone for going here. God has given me a second chance at living this life and I want to take as much precaution as I can. I am here for a reason. Yes, I don’t know that reason, but that is for God to know and me to find out. I have done some wrong things yes, but God has wiped my slate clean. I know that I am here for a reason and I am going to do this for God and I am going to figure out what I am supposed to do.

I am currently on my third term and I look forward to bootcamp this summer. Its been a while since I have been on a team. I know that I have screwed up royaly in the past, but that is the past and this is the present. We have to keep our eyes on the road and the future. Yes, I still struggle with some things, but with the help from God, I can do anything and I can overcome my struggles.

My favorite verse that has always helped me out was Psalms 18:16-17.“He reached down from heaven and rescued me, he frew me out a deep waters. He rescued me from my powerful enemies, from those who hated me and were too strong for me.”

One of the leaders at bootcamp in 2007 gave me this verse and I use it with others today as well. Honestly, if it wasn’t for that leader, I don’t know where I would be today.

God has shown me many things in the last year and yes, I know that I have done many bad things, but God forgives and He has given me a second chance and I know for a fact that I am here for a reason and I am going to finish my schooling here and I am going to do what the Lord wants me to do. I give my full life to Him.