This past school year, I was a junior at Ole Miss. My major and passion is graphic design. I also love Jesus. He has my heart. Recently, the idea of world missions has continued to be on my mind. With one summer left before the time would come to "grow up" and enter the big world, I started exploring ways to serve. In the fall, when I was praying for God's will for my summer, it seemed like a divine appointment opened up. I was blessed with the opportunity to serve with a missionary family in Brazil for the summer months. I got excited and told my friends. My dream to serve in missions was coming true. I got to work planning, building it up, and getting excited about what God was doing.
In January, I was truly blessed by the Passion Conference in Atlanta. It is a four-day gathering of college students that "exists to glorify God by uniting students in worship and prayer for spiritual awakening in this generation." I had an encounter with Jesus that I hadn't had before. I left, hungry for His name to be known, yearning to truly LIVE for Him. My heart was uneasy about the Brazil decision, and I couldn't understand. It made me nervous.
What would my friends think of me, a big-dreamer whose ideas were too good to be true? I had explained Brazil to many and already planned for it. It was going to cause a mess if God was really telling me that it wasn't His plan. In my heart though, I knew I was supposed to surrender the identity I had made for myself in this summer missions trip, and go back to Jesus' feet. He is trustworthy. He knows me and the big picture.
It was humbling and hard to let go of what I thought I had already figured out. I knew God knew best, but that didn't make it feel easy. I told God I would be content returning home to Chattanooga, working in Oxford, or going wherever He wanted me to for the summer. I just wanted Him to be clear and help me discern His will.
One day at school, I randomly googled "graphic design summer internship + ministry." The first link on the list said, "IMM, International Media Ministries." I clicked it, and a page pulled up that said, "Graphic Design Summer Intern Needed." I got to read about the ministry and learned how it is a group of missionaries that use their passion for media design and production to further the Kingdom of Jesus. Wow.
I wrote an email to IMM's director, Jerry. Within 24 hours he had responded. He put me in touch with his wife, Gwen, whom directed me in the application process. Applying required going through a global missionary placement procedure. I sent in my application and was told I should hear if accepted in two months. At the time that I sent it in, Jerry emailed to see if I could send in some of my art work. Two weeks later he told me that He and Gwen wanted to offer me the position of graphic design intern and summer MA (missionary associate). However, I would still have to wait on the back ground check. Two weeks later, I hear from the company I had to apply through that I was accepted and placed with IMM in Madrid. It was a month earlier than I was supposed to find out!
It is now May 18th and six days until the day I leave for IMM! God has gone above and beyond to bless me with the resources needed to travel. I will be there from May 24th until August 3rd. It has been an amazing blessing the way God has worked in each detail. I haven't done anything to plan, and the way it is unfolding is amazing me. From Brazil, to no plans, to a summer spreading the name of Jesus through my love of art... I can't even explain. Praise and glory to Jesus! Thank you to the King!
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