Where It All Begins

You may have read my "about me" info or simply seen the title of my blog and may be wondering how I got to calling myself a modern gypsy. So let's start at the beginning.

My mom is from the Bahamas and my dad from South Jersey which is where my story begins. I came into the world on July 11, 1994 in the heart of Camden, NJ. The first three years of my life were spent in that area and then the real story begins. Around the time that I was three, my parents decided to become missionaries on the island of Dominica. So off we went. Though we were unable to stay an extended period of time there, this adventure, although unknown to me at the time, would give me my first taste of overseas missions. 

After 6 months, we moved back to the States and shortly after, with my new little brother, moved to Nassau, Bahamas where my mom is originally from. There my dad became a teacher at a small Bible Institute. I have many fond memories of the time spent living there. From trips to the beach, to sleepovers with friends, to children's ministries in my church, my life as a kid was pretty good.

The summer I turned ten brought a whole lot more than just a new age. It also brought a new address. It was that summer that my family left Nassau to move to Spanish Wells, another island in The Bahamas. On this tiny two mile long island, my dad became the senior pastor of a church. The six years spent there brought many wonderful and hard times. It was there that I made some of the best memories I have to this day and experienced my first real missions trip. We didn't go far; just a few miles away to a neighboring island. We spent a week there running a VBS (Vacation Bible School) program for underprivileged children in the area. Those precious little souls stole my heart and placed in me a burden for not only the unsaved, but for those under oppression, seeking relief that can only be found in Jesus. 

My time in Spanish Wells also brought some of the most challenging times that I have ever faced. I learnt a lot in those six years and I thank God for all the great people and experiences that were a part of my life there. Though I have lived many other places since, I continue to refer to that place as my home. It has made a permanent imprint on my heart.

Shortly after I turned 16, we moved yet again. This time to Pennsylvania. That was probably the hardest move. I still miss the beautiful beaches that became my second home, the friends that had so much become a part of my life, and the simple pleasures of living on a small island. However, God is perfect in all his ways and I know he took us to Pennsylvania for a reason. For a while, I just wanted to get through the next 6 months before I headed off to work at a camp for the summer and then off to college. But God didn't want me to just survive; He wanted me to thrive. Though I had no intentions of settling in or making any friends, God had other plans and provided me with wonderful friends, awesome opportunities, and tremendous blessings beyond what I could ask or imagine.

But before I could become too comfortable, it was time to leave again. Off I went to Word of Life Ranch, a children's camp in upstate New York, to be a lifeguard for the summer. That summer was one of the hardest summers of my life. The physical challenges were like nothing I had ever experienced, however, it was those challenges that taught me to rely on God rather than myself. That summer brought me to a new point in my relationship with God and despite the struggles that I faced, it was one of the best summers of my life.

About a month after camp ended, I packed up and moved to Pottersville, New York to begin my first semester at Word of Life Bible Institute. What I thought would be one year at this college turned into two and before I knew it, it was all over. In those two years, I learned more about the Bible than I had in my entire life growing up going to church every Sunday. Like many who have gone to Word of Life before me, I left there a changed person. God did incredible things in my life that I cannot even begin to explain. He blessed me with the best friends I could ever asked for and gave me opportunities that I wouldn't trade for anything. One of those opportunities included a ten day missions trip to the country of Thailand. Let's just say I came back from that trip with a whole new vision for my future. 

And now here I am...back in Pennsylvania anxiously anticipating the day, just a week from now, when I will set off for a whole new chapter of life. In just a week, I will be in South Korea and in a few months, off to Thailand. All the details behind how I got to this point are another story for another blog. But let's just say I can't wait to see what God does in my life as I continue to follow him wherever he leads. 

I hope you understand now why I refer to myself as a modern gypsy. My prayer is that I will never limit God to a zip code or a street address but that my trust will always be without borders.