My husband Jonathan ( Jon ) and I began our post-college careers in ministry … I with Youth for Christ and Jon as a youth minister in the Evangelical Covenant Church . We met while Jon was in seminary and volunteered with Youth for Christ , and we married two years later . Over the next 30 years , the Lord led us through many situations and opportunities , including ministry , graduate degrees , foster parenting , adoption , moves to five states , and career changes . When we first learned about OMS , we were more than two decades into successful careers as a Wake Forest business school professor ( me ) and a sought-after process engineer and consultant using principles from Lean Six Sigma and the Toyota Production System ( Jon ).
By 2021 , we had been sensing God stirring our souls for several years about what would be next . Accompanied by praying friends from our church , we sought God ’ s direction . We prayed and fasted regularly , crying out for the Lord to show us what he would have us do . We spoke with dozens of mission organizations , searching for the opportunity where the Lord would say , “ This is it ! I ’ m calling you here .” I especially desired to work where I could share the Gospel openly and often .
After three years of honoring the Lord in our professions while seeking his leading , Jon encouraged me to resign from my position and apply for a full-time ministry role . This shift allowed more time to pursue potential opportunities . After many months of applications , conversations , prayer , and fasting , we took a short trip during Thanksgiving 2021 to Guatemala and Colombia to visit two ministries that seemed like great fits for us . While visiting OMS in Colombia , the answer we sought came . During a presentation from Prison Fellowship , we both individually heard the same message from God : “ This is it !” So , we returned to North Carolina , where we sold our house , cars , furniture , and most of our earthly belongings . We said tearful goodbyes to family and friends and moved to Medellín , Colombia .
Today , our days are filled with different scenery , relationships , tasks , and issues , but we still lean in to listen for God ’ s direction and voice … Which homeless people will you lead us to feed today ? Who needs to hear your Word ? How can we share your love and encouragement with men and women coming back to the community from prison ? Lord , please show us how to earn the trust of a people often reared in guilt and deception so that we can share your love and truth .
Whether in professions where sharing Christ is not part of the job description , volunteering in local churches and ministries , or engaging in short-term or full-time mission opportunities , all of us have the same work — to seek God ’ s leading , open our ears to hear and know his voice , and then respond — speak , feed , wait , listen , give , go !
photos , top : Jon and Holly visited Chigorodo , Colombia , and participated on an OMS Men for Missions trip as they built a house for the pastor . Holly played with the children in the community while on a lunch break . bottom : Jon and Holly visited an OMS-founded IGLEICO church and shared a laugh with the pastor ’ s daughter .
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