Tell us a little bit about yourself
I would describe myself as an outgoing individual who loves seeing the ways God allows me to journey and trust him more with all the joyful chaos of life. I am currently the Missions Hub Director in Toronto where I get to build and catalyze partnerships amongst campus groups, missions agencies and churches. I live in Scarborough with my husband, teens and cats - and love getting to live life closely with my neighbours who come from all around the world. Some of my favourite things include meeting people over coffee or bubble tea, discovering new foods in the city, planning events, and spending time in different countries. Fun fact: I have spent time in nearly 30 different countries in the world starting with being born in Kenya!
What’s your favourite thing to eat? Why?
Pani Puri, Zanzibar Mix, Khao Soi, Satay, Elote… honestly, there are so many different favourite foods I enjoy, and my favourite changes all the time which makes this question too difficult to answer!
If you could go anywhere in the world right now, where would you go?
After this pandemic, I feel like I would be really happy to go anywhere!! If I had to make a decision on where to go immediately, I would probably choose Indonesia or Russia. Generally, I prefer visiting large cities (rather than more outdoorsy locations) since I really enjoy getting to connect with people and learn from them. Strangers who become friends is my favourite part of any trip!
Do you recall the first time you were interested in Missions? What led you to eventually acting on this interest?
When I was really young before I even came to know Christ, God was already increasing in my heart a passion for engaging in global missions. I look back to some of the people he allowed me to meet (including Mother Teresa, that’s a fun story!) and am in awe at how God included me in his plan to see all peoples know and worship Him! When I came to know Jesus personally, I wanted to see others experience this same great relationship and was eager to share the goodness of God with those around me. The more I read scripture, and the more I understood God’s heart for all nations and all peoples to know Him, the more I started making decisions to participate in this. From being intentional about what I chose to study to choosing to live in certain neighbourhoods, I want to continue exploring where God intends for me to best engage faithfully in missions.
What does it mean for you to live missionally right now? How do you practically practice this?
I currently practice living missionally by praying, learning, welcoming, sending and mobilizing. There is often so much going on in our world, and I want to always be careful not to be my own solution to the brokenness I see around me. Prayer has been so important for me to trust God in His power and grace, and also for me to cling to his promises when feeling hopeless. I regularly learn about and pray for different nations, so that I continue to have my eyes open to what God is doing around the world and participate by praying for places far from my reach. In addition, I often pray for and encourage missionaries who are faithfully engaging in different places. I love being a part of teams to send and support them in their work! I also love how we can find people from all nations right here in Toronto, and am thankful for opportunities to build relationships with unreached neighbours, refugees, and at-risk youth. As I continue to journey with different families, I want them to see and know Christ through all my interactions. Lastly, in my workplace, I get to be able to connect those exploring how to engage in missions with opportunities to go. I love how God allows me to mobilize and walk alongside others as they discern what it looks like to live missionally. I hope these practical examples are helpful!
What is the greatest frustration in your Missional journey? How do you find hope in the midst of this?
In my own missional journey, sometimes I get frustrated by wanting to accomplish goals or see the end result of my actions. So often, God is reminding me to trust him in recognizing that this is a journey and not a task that I need to reach an end for. I’m often reminded of how Abraham and others faithfully journeyed and trusted in God even when they did not yet see or receive the end promise reached in their own lifetime (Hebrews 11 vs 13 and 39) which gives me much hope to trust God in the process. This also helps remind me that it is not about my works, but God’s work through my obedience and surrender.