I was born. (July 1, 1985.) Pretty big deal for my parents, pretty slimy and unmemorable day for me.
5 years later-ish: I met my best friend, the forgiver of my sins, the perfecter of my f@ith, the sav!0r of my soul, my protector, my fortress, and my deliverer when I was just 5. And since that day when He saved me from my dark and sinful life of stealing playdoh from the
kid sitting next to me in preschool and making my baby sister do my chores for a penny, HE HAS NEVER FAILED ME.
Successfully passed 5th grade—a big year for me. Here's why: 1.) My teacher, Mr. Koning (hands down one of the best from my many years of school), had a heart for the world and for the King that was contagious. Andwhile I have many fond memories from that year that include marbles
and piranhas and a deer's head named "Earl," the passion and genuine spirit of my teacher sticks out most clearly. He taught us this song, which is in my "the best!" playlist on iTunes to this day: "There's a loyalty that's deeper than mere sentiment, and a music higher that the
songs that I can sing. The stuff of earth competes for the allegiance I owe only to the giver of all good things. And if I stand let me stand on the promise that you will pull me through, and if I can't let me fall on the grace that first brought me to you, and if I sing let me sing for the joy that has born in me these songs…"
2.) When teaching us geography, Mr. K had us play a game called "Location Roulette." I don't remember everything involved, but it was something with a blank map and having to fill in the names of the countries in a listen-to-the-teacher-call-the-country's-name-and-find-that-country-and-label-it-as-fast-as-you-can fashion. Each time we played, there was a winner. That winner got candy. And this one day, after we had a partner score our maps, it was realized that Joel Sluis and I had tied. So, we held a tie-breaker. "Paraguay!" yelled Mr. K. We both find it immediately. We were studying South America at the time, but since we clearly knew the continent well, Mr. Koning took us around the world. "KAZAKHSTAN!" he yelled. Victory, sweet victory, was mine. I chose Starburst. Kazakhstan's held a happy place in my heart since that day in 5th grade. (However, I may have wondered once or twice what would have happened if he had chosen to yell "FIGI!" instead…) Mr. Koning, THANK YOU. That year in your class was the year I began to develop a heart for the nations (In fact, it may have been the first year I realized that there actually were other nations.). I hope you know how powerfully G-d uses you in the lives of young people.
Summer of 1995: Physically felt the hand of G-d for the first time—He held my head above the raging water of the Arkansas River until my dad could find me and pull me to safety.
1996-1999: Made it through middle school with flying colors…Really, those were pretty uneventful years for me, during which I developed my passion for music (thanks, Mr. Hall), writing (thanks, Ms. Zwiers), and fleece vests from Old Navy (thankfully, that was a phase).
High school was HUGE:
August 1999: Started my freshman year at Western Michigan Chr. High School.
November 4, 1999—Grandpa DeVries crossed from earth into eternity at age 65 after a heroically-battled war with cancer. This was one of the sadest days of my life, and it led into one of the hardest periods of my life, but G-d brought me through it stronger. My grandpa left a
legacy of love for the L-rd and his people, and some awfully big shoes to fill. Those shoes pointed me toward the Father. Those shoes pointed me toward the lost. Those are the shoes that, though still too big, I wore as I trudged half way around the globe to Kazakhstan.
April 2001—Took my third missi---s trip with the CLC youth group to Tijuana, Mexico. While there, I met a little boy named Jose Luis—his family was going to live in the house we were building. We became instant friends, and since we finished the house early, Jose Luis and
I hiked hand in hand to the top of the mountianish hill nearby. He picked flowers for me the whole way, and I put them in my hair. At the top, I climbed a huge boulder overlooking his impoverished village and pulled him up behind me. We sat and silently looked at his dirty
little home, strewn with garbage and stray animals and hungry children. But that's not what the little guy next to me saw. No siree. He, looking at the same sorry site as me, said, "Es muy bonito!" "It's so beautiful!" That day, his eyes were G-d's eyes looking out at the least of these, and loving every single one of them. My heart broke for the nations, and through tears that left wet streaks on my dust-stained cheeks, I saw the beauty that Jose Luis saw—the beauty that G-d saw. That day, as I was walking down the mountain holding the hand of the little boy I still love, G-d clearly told me that my life was for the lost. Later that week, I promised my future to my Sav1or. Since that day, I have eagerly pursued that to which I know he has called me.
September 2001—stared my junior year at Spring Lake High School, and had to, for the first time, defend my f@!th.
September 11, 2001—watched the second plane hit the Trade Towers shortly after 9am in World Cultures with Mr. Warren. This was the first day that I felt pulled to the Mu$1!m world. When I told my parents that I wondered if G-d was calling me to the Middle East, they
assured me, as any sane parent would when their blond daughter tells them she wants to move to Saudi Arabia, that he was actually calling me to Western Michigan.
Summer 2002—participated in a program through Calvin Theological Seminary called Facing Your Future. It was a month full of classes on theology and relig!ons and world view and so many other good things. It culminated with a trip through Turkey, following in the footsteps
of the Apostle Paul. It was one of the most life-changing months of my life, I met 30 incredible young people on fire for the Father (many with whom I still maintain contact), and G-d affirmed his plans for me.
April 2003: Traveled through Europe for the second time and realized beyond the shadow of a doubt that Europe was NOT where He was calling me. But had a blast nonetheless.
May 2003: High School GRADUATION!
August 2003-May2008: Moody B!ble Institute and HELLO CHICAGO!
Those 5 years at Moody were some of the most formative I've had. My heart continued to grow for the nations, but also developed a love for the best city in the world: Chicago.
May/June 2004: Third time through Europe. Again, had a blast. Again, knew that was not where I would end up.
April 13, 2005: God took Payton David home to eternity after giving us only a few years with him. This day and the weeks that followed were the absolute hardest I've faced in my 24 years. I questioned His goodness, I questioned His sovereignty, I questioned His very existence. Payton was (and still is) a precious and dearly loved member of our family. But, this little guy continues to touch lives today as his story lives on through his parents and siblings. And G-d held my family close and assured us of his goodness and faithfulness and persevering love. And Payton? He got He@ven.
The next three years were fairly uneventful. HE brought me successfully through two trumpet recitals, neither of which, even in hindsight, I enjoyed at all. I developed lifelong friendships with some incredible people. He brought me around the Unites States with my orchestra, from New York City to Anchorage, and to many many states between. My senior year, I traveled through Israel for a few weeks, walking in the footsteps of the Son of G-d. INCREDIBLE. But again, while there, the areas that most captured my heart were the areas where nearly every person was a practicing Mu$1!m: the West Bank and the Golan Heights (Syria). Following this trip, I knew exactly the people group to which HE was calling me to work. And the prospect of the work He was affirming for me was exciting beyond words!
Thank you to these teachers who had an incredible impact on my life: Mr. David Gauger, Dr. Mike VanLaningham, Dr. Gerald Edmonds, Mr. Ron Denison, Dr. Joseph Stowell, Dr. David Finkbeiner, Dr. Michael Easley, and whoever that young guy was with the cracky voice who liked to talk about acid who I took for Apologetics.
May 2008: GRADUATION. Hallelujah. Pink tassle? Really? Not so awesome.
July 2008-July2009: Nannied in the city for two beautiful families whose children I love like my own (at least this is what I imagined loving my own children would be like…I really have no experience in that department yet…). Lived in a beautiful condo with three incredible women of G-d who encouraged me and laughed way too much. Attended New Community Covenant, where I sang in the gospel choir and loved on the little ones and made amazing friends and had this crazy small group called Disciples (ooooh that group was so trippy).
Loved the city more and more, but knew that HE was calling me overseas, so I pursued my options, found teachoverseas.org (to which I would give my HIGHEST recommendation to any of you thinking about serving overseas), and applied. I interviewed and was accepted. Later that night I laid on Laura's bedroom floor while she made me a pros and cons list for the Stay in Chicago/Go to Kazakhstan decision. The pros clearly outweighed the cons, so with excitement, I accepted. The next day, I bought Lonely Planet: Central Asia, and learned they mainly ate horse intestines in Kazakhstan. I considered for a short time calling and cancelling my acceptance.
And so, with the support of so many, I was finally on the way to Central Asia.
And so, that's where I've been… Now, where to?
Also, if you made it this far, WOW. You rock and I should add a paragraph about how awesome you are and give you a gold star.
Also, for dinner tonight I ate refried beans and a pomegranate that was as big as my head and tomato yogurt. Better than horse intestines, hands down. But there's a mini-protest happening in my stomach right at this moment.
That's my life, friends, from epic highlight to epic highlight. It's good to look back every once in a while! Now, to get on with this whole looking forward thing...
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