For the past few months, we've discussed our personal stories. So this is mine.... at least part 1.
I was raised in church. As a child, I was a faithful member of Mission Friends on Wednesday nights at our church. Yawn! It never really appealed to me, but I was a "pleaser". I loved my teachers in Mission Friends, but I wasn't a fan.
As I grew older, I advanced to GAs- Girls in Action. Again, this "program" did not interest me, in fact- it kinda scared me. I vividly remember a particular story about missionary to some foreign country. (probably Africa) In this story read to me in GAs, a missionary returned to her home or hut or whatever to find a cobra coiled up on her sofa. Well, that was it for me. There was no way I would ever be a missionary. I could be a teacher, a nurse, a children's minister, but never a missionary! Not this girl!
About this time, a family in our church was called to move to New York City and preach on the street. I have to admit, this was a little interesting to me. But I didn't tell anybody. However, I remember when "Brother Scotty Teague" and his precious wife, Linda, and their boys would come home to visit. I was always eager to hear what God was doing in their lives and in the lives of the people who came to the Lord as a result of this ministry.
When I entered junior high school, I became an Acteen, the "middle school" mission program for girls. BOORRRIINGGG! Again, I loved my leaders, but I wasn't a fan of the material. Ugggg. Yuck! Seriously, who in their right mind would want to be a missionary. Not this chick! NEVER!
I completed high school and attended Louisiana Tech University to become an Elementary School teacher. In 1993, I met Coach Ronnie Coker. We dated for a couple of years and married on July 1, 1995. (a teacher and a coach- now isn't that sweet?! And this Friday will be 16 years!)
Then, surprise! Before our first anniversary, we found out we were expecting our first child. One day Tracy, Mrs. Barbara, Mrs. Betty and I were shopping in a bookstore- aka- HEAVEN for a teacher-!!! I was buying books for "baby" Peyton. Picking up a book entitled, Miracle in a Shoebox, I noticed the author was Franklin Graham, so I bought it. I mean, if Franklin Graham wrote it, it must be good!
Well, you may have guessed it was about Samaritan's Purse Operation Christmas Child project. I was hooked and have to admit, it was "divine intervention". Peyton and I began a tradition. We shopped for our "shoebox kids", read the book, Message in a Shoebox, and recorded our "gifts" in the front cover of the book. It was so exciting to shop for a child with my child. And Peyton enjoyed it, too! We were making some special memories...
But little did I know, that was only the beginning...
Part 2- Coming Soon
I was raised in church. As a child, I was a faithful member of Mission Friends on Wednesday nights at our church. Yawn! It never really appealed to me, but I was a "pleaser". I loved my teachers in Mission Friends, but I wasn't a fan.
As I grew older, I advanced to GAs- Girls in Action. Again, this "program" did not interest me, in fact- it kinda scared me. I vividly remember a particular story about missionary to some foreign country. (probably Africa) In this story read to me in GAs, a missionary returned to her home or hut or whatever to find a cobra coiled up on her sofa. Well, that was it for me. There was no way I would ever be a missionary. I could be a teacher, a nurse, a children's minister, but never a missionary! Not this girl!
About this time, a family in our church was called to move to New York City and preach on the street. I have to admit, this was a little interesting to me. But I didn't tell anybody. However, I remember when "Brother Scotty Teague" and his precious wife, Linda, and their boys would come home to visit. I was always eager to hear what God was doing in their lives and in the lives of the people who came to the Lord as a result of this ministry.
When I entered junior high school, I became an Acteen, the "middle school" mission program for girls. BOORRRIINGGG! Again, I loved my leaders, but I wasn't a fan of the material. Ugggg. Yuck! Seriously, who in their right mind would want to be a missionary. Not this chick! NEVER!
I completed high school and attended Louisiana Tech University to become an Elementary School teacher. In 1993, I met Coach Ronnie Coker. We dated for a couple of years and married on July 1, 1995. (a teacher and a coach- now isn't that sweet?! And this Friday will be 16 years!)
Then, surprise! Before our first anniversary, we found out we were expecting our first child. One day Tracy, Mrs. Barbara, Mrs. Betty and I were shopping in a bookstore- aka- HEAVEN for a teacher-!!! I was buying books for "baby" Peyton. Picking up a book entitled, Miracle in a Shoebox, I noticed the author was Franklin Graham, so I bought it. I mean, if Franklin Graham wrote it, it must be good!
Well, you may have guessed it was about Samaritan's Purse Operation Christmas Child project. I was hooked and have to admit, it was "divine intervention". Peyton and I began a tradition. We shopped for our "shoebox kids", read the book, Message in a Shoebox, and recorded our "gifts" in the front cover of the book. It was so exciting to shop for a child with my child. And Peyton enjoyed it, too! We were making some special memories...
But little did I know, that was only the beginning...
Part 2- Coming Soon
The only thing I like about GAs was when it was my turn to read the missionary story out loud. I liked to read out loud. And don't get me started about how little enthusiasm I had for the missionaries who came with slide shows. I hate to say it, but I would have rather chewed aluminum foil.
ReplyDeleteOBU changed missions forever for me. I became friends with real live missionary kids and saw them for the people like me that they are. And we had a lot of international students and professors with true hearts for missions. Which led to my trip to Africa....and my world has never looked the same since.
I've been having computer problems so if I commented twice, please delete.
I'm cracking up! I thought I was the only one who hated GAs. I didn't want any part of what we learned about on Wednesday nights. A Little too Strange for me....
ReplyDelete