Can you tell us a little about yourself and how you came to Christ?
I had the privilege of growing up in a Christian home, the only child of a German father and an English mother. My father was very involved in evangelising immigrants in Germany, in particular Spanish and Turkish people. My mother had been a missionary in Spain for several years before she got married. After my parents married, they started a Spanish-speaking church in Germany, where I am still a member today.
From a very early age, my parents taught me about God and about Jesus Christ. I believed in God and in the truth of God's word and had no doubt that Jesus loved me and that He died for the sins of the world. At the same time, however, I knew that I was a sinner and that my sins separated me from God. During this time I had nightmares about waking up in hell. I believe it was at the age of six during a Sunday school lesson when I was born again and found salvation in Christ. That day, I confessed my sin to Jesus and asked Him to save me. I believe that that was the day I was born again into God's family. However, since I do not remember the details very well, I have learned to trust not in that experience, but in the clear promises in Scripture (such as John 3:36, Romans 10:13 and 1 John 1:9) and look more to Jesus than at myself. Today I can say that I know I am God's child, not because I can remember a day I made a certain decision or prayed a certain prayer, but because I am today trusting solely in Jesus Christ for my salvation. It is all because of His grace that I believe in Him, daily turn away from sin and see the fruit/changes in my life that testify to the fact that I now follow and belong to Jesus.
What drew you to missions?
From an early age, I had a desire to serve God with my life, but I never thought I could be a preacher, pastor or missionary. I was too afraid of standing in front of people and speaking to a crowd. When I was about 11-12 years old, I first heard about how many people groups in the world still did not yet have God's word in their own language - over 2,000! I could hardly believe that figure, but with my background in languages, I immediately recognised that this may be where God wants to use me.
One book which had a great impact on me some 10 years or so later was Don't Waste Your Life by John Piper. While reading this book, it became very clear to me how precious the years are that God gives me on this earth and how much God is worth us living our lives completely for Him. This is what I want my life to be - a life that is spent for God and that counts for eternity and gives glory to God.
Tell me about how you were called into missions work?
I believe that God called me into missions work while I was still a child - as soon as He gave me a desire to serve Him with my life. This call became clearer when God gave me a burden for the unreached people groups that are still waiting to receive God's word in their own language. Although I had this burden and desire for many years afterwards, I did not recognise it as a call, but still doubted whether this was really what God wanted me to do. It was during a six-week mission trip to Papua New Guinea that God made this call on my life very clear to me. I had asked God to show me during this time whether it was His will for me to go into missions. I sought guidance from God first and foremost from His word, not from circumstances, feelings, logic or the opinions of others. During those six weeks, God spoke to me specifically through a number of Bible passages to confirm this call to me.
One Bible passage which particularly spoke to me was Luke 18:29-30:
And Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel's, but he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life.
Another one was Luke 12:48b:
For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.
Both of these Bible passages (as well as others) spoke directly into my circumstances and I knew that there was nothing left for me to do but simply take God at His word and trust in Him. I want to give my life completely to the Lord and serve Him wherever He can best use me for His glory.
What work are you doing now?
I am now in my third and final year at the Bible & Missionary Training Centre of New Tribes Mission in North Cotes, England. This final year constitutes studies in applied linguistics, which will be helpful for learning, analysing and working with a language for which hardly any or no written resources are available.
What are your plans for future ministry?
I want to live and work among the Tarahumara Indians in Mexico, so that they may hear and understand the gospel and come to know Jesus Christ as their Saviour. There is a missionary team of Pioneers already working among the Tarahumara and after visiting them in August, I was very impressed with their ministry, but even more so by their great love for God, for each other and for the Tarahumara. These missionaries had been praying for years for someone with a background and interest in languages to help them in that area of their ministry, while I had been praying for an opportunity to be able to help meet such a need. I thank God for how He made our paths meet and how He guided me to the work among the Tarahumara.
What needs do you have?
The greatest need I have is for people to pray. If anything good will be accomplished through my life and ministry, it will only be because of what God will do. Therefore, I need prayer that I would daily live in God’s presence and get to know and love Him more and more, that God would work in my life to conform me more into the image of Christ, that God would prepare the way for me to be sent out as a missionary to the Tarahumara Indians, and that God would glorify Himself in and through my life.
What's your vision for the church & missions going forward?
My vision is to see the Tarahumara Indians receive God’s word in their own language, be transformed by the gospel and start church-planting movements among their own people and beyond. I also want to see churches in the USA and in Europe have an increasing burden for making Jesus Christ known among unreached people groups.
What don't a lot of people know about cross cultural missions that they should?
The great amount of time and effort it takes simply to get to the place where you can start sharing the gospel in a cross-cultural context (preparation/training before coming to the field, years of learning the language and understanding the culture on the field). Also, the huge need there still is for missionaries in cross-cultural situations.
What are some unique challenges and opportunities in your ministry?
There certainly are unique challenges for anyone who wants to become a missionary. In my own experience, which is still in the very early stages, I am fully convinced that it is God’s will for me to go into missions and yet I have had to deal with a number of challenges on my way, some of which could have moved me to give up and change my mind about going into missions. I have encountered opposition from unexpected places and experienced difficulties that I could not have imagined. God does not promise us that the road of following Him will be easy. The challenges I have faced have tested my resolve and my convictions – and continue to do so. But at the same time, they have given me a desire to know God better and as I have sought Him, He has revealed Himself more to me and I have learned to trust more in my heavenly Father and in His sovereignty over all – including the things I am struggling with. For this reason, I believe that these unique challenges are at the same time unique opportunities and blessings. When we learn to let go of things (our careers, our possessions, our plans, and yes, even our family) and have nothing else left but Jesus, we seek and treasure Him more and get to experience more of His love and care in every circumstance.
Is there anything you'd like to add?
Thank you very much for this opportunity to share what God has been doing in my life and the passion for cross-cultural missions He has given me. It is great to know people who, although they may not be called “missionaries”, recognise that mandate for missions still applies to them and therefore play a major part in what God is doing around the world through their prayers and support.
How can people keep up with your ministry?
I can be contacted via my blog, Here Today and Gone Tomorrow, Facebook or Twitter.
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