Hi! My name's Jes. I was born in 1990, into a Christian family number 4 of 5 children. In '97 my family moved from St. Louis MO to Huntsville AL. I graduated high school in 2009. As I didn't know what I wanted to do with my life, and was feeling very burned from high school, I took a gap year. I knew I wanted to go into missions. But had no idea in what way, shape or form it would look like. So I didn't want to go to college just to go.... because there was no way to go without occurring a lot of debt, and I didn't want to hit the mission field with a lot of debt!!!
In 2010 I discovered Mission to the World had an internship program for kids like me! I didn't have to have college, I could just go! For up to 11 months!! "Sign me up!!" So I did. I applied to go to Ireland, Scotland or Germany (in that order!). However, I was told I wasn't old enough for Ireland, but could go to Japan. I had NO desire to go to Japan. No. But I prayed about it and felt God's leading for me to go there. And it was beautiful, because it was where I was supposed to be! I was in Chiba, Japan (across the bay from Tokyo) for 6 months serving at a missionary school where I taught 7th grade, one high school class and one elementary class.
I came home in July of 2011. With the intent on going to college. About a month before I was supposed to leave though realized that financially it was not a good idea for me to go. So, suddenly my life had no direction! I was still adjusting to being back in America and to top things off my home church was going through a split and didn't want to hear about what God was doing in Japan. Long story short, I avoided the whole situation by going to Germany in October (2011) as an Au Pair (an overseas nanny).
Crazy huh?? No, dumb. God protected me so much and grew me through that whole mess!! I would never have admitted it then, but I was definitely running away from the church. So I ended up in a country that has a lot of churches, but isn't Christian, any more. Or if they are, they're very confused. While there, I saw first hand the spiritual darkness of Europe. (I also discovered a calling to working with youth.) Over all, I loved Germany!! Loved the family I'd come to work for... But after 7 months, it just wasn't working! Nothing was right. Through that I felt God tell me it was time to go back home, it was time to stop running from the church. So I went home.
This time when I came home, I was actually excited about being home! My church took me in and took care of me. Mind you though, this was a different church than the one that had sent me to Japan. So they didn't didn't even know me! They (the church) painted a beautiful picture for me of Christ. I became an active member, serving the high school and middle school girls.
In October of 2012 I started working for a Chiropractor in Huntsville, as a therapist tech. I do not have any desire to be a chiropractor!! But I did seriously consider going into physical/ occupational therapy, or to go into counseling; because I discovered I loved helping people feel better and hearing their stories.
In 2013 I went on a 5 week summer mission trip to Scotland with Mission to the World. I went to the High Lands of Aultbea, with a team of 3 other people. While there I rediscovered how spiritually dark Europe is (Great Britain). I fell totally in love with the high lands!! If you ever get a chance to go, do it! But more than just the rugged beauty of it, I felt a calling to come back to work with the young people there. There's nothing to keep/ bring university students to the high lands, so after they finish high school, they go south to Glasgow or Edinburgh, and don't come back. So there isn't any one slightly older than the youth to mentor them.... Thus I felt called to come back and be that person. So I pursued going back.... but it didn't feel right. Which was strange because I thought that's where God was calling me to go..... Yet He seemed to be saying no.
He closed the door to that and I continued to work for the chiropractor. Then in spring of 2014, it hit me. Jes! you are going to be 24!! What are you doing with your life?! I realized I'd just been "floating" through, waiting for God to just reveal Himself to me, and give me some direction. That's not a bad thing, except that I hadn't even set roots in Huntsville. I didn't make commitments... not long terms one's, "just in case". I discovered that Huntsville has a rowing club, I nearly died with excitement! (I'd seen it Germany and thought it looked beautiful and wanted to do it!!) So, I signed up for a Learn to Row class. I also discovered that I could run 6.3 miles... I'd been running for a long time, but finally checked the millage. I was so impressed with myself!! I signed up to run a 10K. Made commitments! In March of 2014 during my church's mission conference someone introduced to a missionary called Denise.
Denise was going to serve in England with Serge (formally World Harvest Missions). After hearing a bit of my story, she told me to check out Serge's Apprenticeship program, (http://www.serge.org/apprenticeships/). I was like... sure, yeah, of course... I've done internships before... if I have time.... Then I heard her (Denise) share about England and her calling there. I was in tears. She was talking about the Spiritual darkness of Europe (Great Britain) that I had experienced in Germany and Scotland. As my heart broke, I realized I needed to check out the apprenticeship program with Serge. As I read about it I knew this was the what next that God wanted me to pursue. That He had not in fact closed the door for me to go into missions, as I'd thought He had, it just had to be His time.
What is the apprenticeship program? "...a 2 year program geared to equip, train, empower, and mobilize missionary apprentices; developing a love for the gospel, the kingdom, and other cultures. With the goal being faith based reliance on the gospel more than one's own gifts and abilities for the purpose of fulfilling the Great Commission..."
As I pursed this opportunity, I kept expecting God to close the door and to get a "no". But it kept never happening!! Till eventually in October of 2014 I went to Ireland on a "sight trip" to meet the team there and see if that was in fact where God was leading me. Let me just say, I do have a weakness for Europe and traveling in general. But when I landed in Dublin, jet-lagged, I was ridiculously skeptical toward God. I mean, what I was seeing was beautiful, but if this wasn't where God wanted me, why was I here??!!
I spent a week there, by the end of that week God had confirmed His calling for me to serve Him in Ireland. I discovered that the desire I had 5 years ago to go to Ireland, what I'd come to think of as a self-centered desire, (romantic idea of Ireland, English speaking...) was actually a God given desire to go there. It was crazy to see that when I thought I'd just been floating aimlessly through life, God was actually just preparing me for ministry in Ireland!!
In December I was officially invited to join Serge as an apprentice and serve in Ireland!
 |
| My family (2010) |
In 2010 I discovered Mission to the World had an internship program for kids like me! I didn't have to have college, I could just go! For up to 11 months!! "Sign me up!!" So I did. I applied to go to Ireland, Scotland or Germany (in that order!). However, I was told I wasn't old enough for Ireland, but could go to Japan. I had NO desire to go to Japan. No. But I prayed about it and felt God's leading for me to go there. And it was beautiful, because it was where I was supposed to be! I was in Chiba, Japan (across the bay from Tokyo) for 6 months serving at a missionary school where I taught 7th grade, one high school class and one elementary class.
 |
| 3 of my students... ice cream run!! |
I came home in July of 2011. With the intent on going to college. About a month before I was supposed to leave though realized that financially it was not a good idea for me to go. So, suddenly my life had no direction! I was still adjusting to being back in America and to top things off my home church was going through a split and didn't want to hear about what God was doing in Japan. Long story short, I avoided the whole situation by going to Germany in October (2011) as an Au Pair (an overseas nanny).
Crazy huh?? No, dumb. God protected me so much and grew me through that whole mess!! I would never have admitted it then, but I was definitely running away from the church. So I ended up in a country that has a lot of churches, but isn't Christian, any more. Or if they are, they're very confused. While there, I saw first hand the spiritual darkness of Europe. (I also discovered a calling to working with youth.) Over all, I loved Germany!! Loved the family I'd come to work for... But after 7 months, it just wasn't working! Nothing was right. Through that I felt God tell me it was time to go back home, it was time to stop running from the church. So I went home.
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| Felicia (3), Viktoria (5) |
This time when I came home, I was actually excited about being home! My church took me in and took care of me. Mind you though, this was a different church than the one that had sent me to Japan. So they didn't didn't even know me! They (the church) painted a beautiful picture for me of Christ. I became an active member, serving the high school and middle school girls.
 |
| RYM Florida (2014) |
In October of 2012 I started working for a Chiropractor in Huntsville, as a therapist tech. I do not have any desire to be a chiropractor!! But I did seriously consider going into physical/ occupational therapy, or to go into counseling; because I discovered I loved helping people feel better and hearing their stories.
 |
| 2 of my coworkers, Crystal and Kelsey (2013) |
In 2013 I went on a 5 week summer mission trip to Scotland with Mission to the World. I went to the High Lands of Aultbea, with a team of 3 other people. While there I rediscovered how spiritually dark Europe is (Great Britain). I fell totally in love with the high lands!! If you ever get a chance to go, do it! But more than just the rugged beauty of it, I felt a calling to come back to work with the young people there. There's nothing to keep/ bring university students to the high lands, so after they finish high school, they go south to Glasgow or Edinburgh, and don't come back. So there isn't any one slightly older than the youth to mentor them.... Thus I felt called to come back and be that person. So I pursued going back.... but it didn't feel right. Which was strange because I thought that's where God was calling me to go..... Yet He seemed to be saying no.
 |
| Ullapool, Scotland |
Denise was going to serve in England with Serge (formally World Harvest Missions). After hearing a bit of my story, she told me to check out Serge's Apprenticeship program, (http://www.serge.org/apprenticeships/). I was like... sure, yeah, of course... I've done internships before... if I have time.... Then I heard her (Denise) share about England and her calling there. I was in tears. She was talking about the Spiritual darkness of Europe (Great Britain) that I had experienced in Germany and Scotland. As my heart broke, I realized I needed to check out the apprenticeship program with Serge. As I read about it I knew this was the what next that God wanted me to pursue. That He had not in fact closed the door for me to go into missions, as I'd thought He had, it just had to be His time.
What is the apprenticeship program? "...a 2 year program geared to equip, train, empower, and mobilize missionary apprentices; developing a love for the gospel, the kingdom, and other cultures. With the goal being faith based reliance on the gospel more than one's own gifts and abilities for the purpose of fulfilling the Great Commission..."
As I pursed this opportunity, I kept expecting God to close the door and to get a "no". But it kept never happening!! Till eventually in October of 2014 I went to Ireland on a "sight trip" to meet the team there and see if that was in fact where God was leading me. Let me just say, I do have a weakness for Europe and traveling in general. But when I landed in Dublin, jet-lagged, I was ridiculously skeptical toward God. I mean, what I was seeing was beautiful, but if this wasn't where God wanted me, why was I here??!!
I spent a week there, by the end of that week God had confirmed His calling for me to serve Him in Ireland. I discovered that the desire I had 5 years ago to go to Ireland, what I'd come to think of as a self-centered desire, (romantic idea of Ireland, English speaking...) was actually a God given desire to go there. It was crazy to see that when I thought I'd just been floating aimlessly through life, God was actually just preparing me for ministry in Ireland!!
In December I was officially invited to join Serge as an apprentice and serve in Ireland!
