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elementary school years, their father and I divorced, however, God enabled me to forgive and move on. The disappoint- ment was channeled into ministry in churches and throughout the community, including serving as Chaplain at the Atlanta Union Mission My Sister’s House for women and children in transition. That experience left a lasting imprint in my heart and mind because of the role of my young daughters throughout this 5-year assignment. As I facilitated workshops and services for women, they simul-
taneously facilitated
activities and interaction
with the children. We
formed a great
partnership, but most
importantly, they were
learning to serve. The seed was planted and they are now both professionals in service careers. Brittany is currently an elementary school teacher and an aspiring principal with a vision to launch Christian schools in underserved urban communities. Kourtni serves as a neonatal nurse with an amazing gift of providing healthcare to premature babies and infants in critical care, while offering ongoing support and encouragement to the parents.
Service has been my passion since accepting Christ at age 19. When I said "YES" to Him, my stony and selfish heart was replaced with a heart to love and serve others. As a result, several outreach initiatives were launched which targeted transitional homes, youth detention centers, senior citizen facilities, outreach to families of the incarcerated, youth mentoring programs, millennial and
parent empowerment, and generational collaborations. In 2012, I was honored by the National Coalition of Women in Ministry and was presented the Esther Award for dedicated service in the church and the community.
During these years, I was also privileged to travel to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and Cape Town, South Africa for a comparative study of race relations in the United States, South Africa and Brazil. While in South Africa, we partnered with the Office of Nelson Mandela, who also served as our conference keynote speaker.
CALL TO LEADERSHIP
We’re all given numerous opportunities to impact lives. According to leadership guru John C. Maxwell, “Leadership is influence.” God has called each of us to lead from a place of humble strength, and to exercise our Christian influence in the different spheres - societal and geographical. With every season of life comes new opportunities to impact the lives of others, both here in the U.S. and abroad. Plans are currently underway to serve in Uganda and Zambia in April in partnership with Bridging the Gap: The Uganda-US Initiative, Across the Nations International Ministry (ACTNIM), and TRIGA Outreach International Outreach Ministries. (To find out more, go to www.catalystempowerment.org/Africa).