“No, I serve Jesus back home. There are people who need the Lord in North Augusta, ya know. I’ve got lots of opportunities lined up to minister to the people there. Besides, I miss my family and I’ve just spent a year away from my boyfriend and I really need to build back that relationship before he starts school here in the fall.”
Little did I know that God was working in my life and would be shaking my world so hard that I would have no choice but to rely completely on him. I did serve God in North Augusta just like I had always intended. However I also discovered that I had changed since going to college and so relationships at home were hard. I didn’t know it but God was making it hard for me that summer so that I would know that I would need to go somewhere else the next summer for the entire summer. God was teaching me through the bible study I lead for middle school girls about to enter high school. To make my life completely miserable, over the summer and the first half of Fall semester I would have to break up with my boyfriend of 3 years. It was one of the hardest things I had to do, which is why it took me 4 months to do it. But once I did, there was no turning back. From that day on my life was different. I have spent the last 7 months, 215 days to be exact, learning and growing from the events of last summer, and the 3 ½ years prior to leaving my ex. But that’s another really long story…so back on topic…
Now all of my life I had loved children. You can ask my parents, I was constantly asking for a little sister, I already had two older brothers and so I didn’t need any more boys. All of high school I had worked a minimum of one Sunday a month in my church’s nursery. Most months I worked during one service, and attended the other. Since I was in middle school I had helped with Vacation Bible School, and other various activities with children. I went on several mission trips while in high school and worked with many children over my times away from home. I babysat like it was a full time job.
If you met me today you would probably think that I’ve always wanted to be a teacher. I haven’t, or at least I haven’t known that I wanted to for very long. It was when I was in the 11th grade that I first truly considered it. I filled out an application for Teacher Cadet, and since then I’ve been hooked. That application changed my life. I truly feel in love with teaching, and learned that I have a little bit of a natural knack for it, mostly because I have innate passion for it. This I know is a gift from God. Because of Teacher Cadet, I heard about the Teaching Fellow program and eagerly applied. That narrowed my scope of possible colleges to only Teaching Fellows institutions. I had barely even heard of Winthrop went for a visit of the campus. My favorite teacher, Mrs. Robbins, had demanded that I go visit. She told me I would love it, I wasn’t so sure. The brochure did nothing to impress me. I had visited several schools and none of them had really caught my attention. I was a senior in high school without a peace about where I would be going away to for 4 years in less than 9 months.
As a favor to Mrs. Robbins I went to Winthrop. The moment I stepped on campus God whispered in my ear “This is where you are going. This is where I want you Katherine.” I fell in love immediately. I couldn’t wait to tell everyone that was where I was going to college. One problem, I hadn’t been admitted yet. I mean, I had been accepted at 6 other respectable schools, but not Winthrop, not yet. I remember going to my room one night. I prayed extra hard that night.
“God, if Winthrop is where you want me to go, have me accepted there. If, however it is not where you want me, you have to close the door completely. If you don’t want me to go to Winthrop you need to send me a rejection letter. It will hurt, but this way I know you want me there.”
I cried as I prayed those words. I was so scared of what God’s answer would be. But I had faith that’s how he would show me. I waited on pins and needles for my acceptance. But after two long weeks it came I was going! Then I found out that I was a Teaching Fellow, school would be paid for completely with Teaching Fellows and a few other scholarships I had earned. But, I didn’t get Teaching Fellows at the school of my choice, I got my second choice. What was I going to do? I knew I need to go to Winthrop, but Teaching Fellows was so prestigious and would pay $24,000 towards my tuition for four years. I took a leap of faith and decided to go to Winthrop with or without Teaching Fellows. Two weeks prior to graduation I got a call, I had gotten my first pick. I was well on my role to be a teacher!
I love children and want to see them come to know and love the LORD. They are the future, the whole future. If we impact them, they’ll be the future, and then they’ll impact their future, and so the cycle continues. I have one special little girl in mind when I am working with children. She’s my world. I adore her so much just for being her. She’s a handful, she drives me crazy, she’s spoiled, but she is mine. No, I’m not a mom, but I’m an aunt. Kiele is my most precious possession and passion. I have spent many, many hours playing with her, brushing her hair, taking naps with her, teaching her various things. My favorite thing to do with Kiele is talk. Four year olds ask a lot of questions, and I do my best to answer her. I live my life openly in front of her, hoping she’ll learn something from my example. Her parents are both atheists, which means she is at a slight disadvantage for coming to know the LORD. Because I love Kiele so much I want her to be a Christian and love God as much as I do. However I have to be careful what I teach her and how I teach her, because her parents will undo it, and may even take her away from me. This summer I want to reach a thousand different kids. I’m hoping that my influence on them will eventually work its way to Kiele.
So part of why I’m doing this is because I want to be a teacher. Part of my reason for doing this is the pushing of a dear friend and mentor, Brandi. But one of the biggest reasons for me being a summer missionary for little children is my niece, Kiele. I just thought you should know. Thanks for making it this far in the blog, I know it was an extraordinarily long entry.
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