God’s Unexpected Path:

From Environmental Sciences to Church Planting

A Calling Rooted in Nature and Faith

As a young girl I was always interested in hearing stories of missionaries’ work. It inspired me when I heard their words of how God used their obedience to reach those who lived lives without Him. When the time came for me to graduate high school I prayed and thought carefully about what I was going to do in the future. I was fascinated by plants and the intricate workings of the natural world, so I chose to study Environmental Sciences, an integrated degree that focused on ecosystems and biodiversity. I can distinctly remember being in a prayer meeting and sharing with some ladies the assurance I felt that this was the right degree for me. A lady spoke up and said she thought God wanted me to do great things, and she had no idea how my degree would lead to that, but she was trusting God that I was seeking Him in it.

From Farming to Ministry in Southeast Asia

I took a gap year and during that time met some amazing people from Avant. I decided that I would ask Avant if they had room for my oddly specific skill set. To my surprise, they did, and I met with a lady who was passionate about using Natural Farming techniques to reach the unreached in Southeast Asia. I began an internship with Avant, which later led to signing on as a long-term member with them. I lived in the rural areas of Southeast Asia and used my skills every day to help manage a farm and teach believers how to bring the gift of Natural Farming to their own communities.

A year and a half into my first term, I met my husband, and together we knew that God was calling us to something a bit different—to return to his hometown in rural Southeast Asia in order to be a light in the community. With Avant and the support of many friends back home, we made that transition to a community with no church but instead multiple temples and pagodas. Our goal at first was to serve the community and look for opportunities for ministry. We would have never imagined how God would turn our willingness to go to the unreached into something so amazing.

Planting Seeds of Faith

We’ve been able to coordinate distributing fresh water to those in need, community meals, a playground for the new elementary school, and many more projects with the help of supporters and churches in-country. Most importantly, a small group was established in our community with a dozen faithful new believers.

We are hoping to become a church that gathers faithfully. We are hoping to see some more gospel workers move into our area to help with this growth and to help shape the group into a biblically solid church. We have already faced some challenges with paperwork for our meeting place, and we know the road ahead to getting our church legally recognized will be a long one.

I would have never guessed that choosing to go into Environmental Sciences would open the door to working abroad planting a church, but God knew. I am so glad He is able to use us—in whatever situation, with whatever skills we have—for His glory.

Prayer requests:

• Please pray for our growing community of believers, for their faith to be strengthened as they follow Christ in their daily lives.
• Please pray for wisdom and favor as we navigate the legal process of establishing our church and securing a meeting place.