Field Ministries Representative / Kansas City, Missouri

What is your background, and what is unique to your role at The Friends of Israel?

I have a background in education and have worked at elementary schools and preschools. I also have several years of experience in children’s ministry. I have been able to use my teaching experience to guest speak on behalf of The Friends of Israel at my alma mater, as well as in youth groups. Early on, I was told that I have a gift for teaching, and the Lord is using that spiritual gift in ways I never could have imagined.

What inspires you most to do what you do for FOI?

I was blessed to be able to go to Israel in July 2024, just nine months after the October 7th terror attack. There, I visited Kfar Aza, a kibbutz just a couple of miles outside of Gaza. A brave woman shared the stories of people she knew who were lost or kidnapped, some of whom she’d known their whole lives. I saw people who were heartbroken and scared, but still searching for joy and hope. And I knew God was calling me to help them. That is what inspires me everywhere I go.

What is one bit of wisdom you have for those who want to share the love of the Messiah with others?

It is not our knowledge or wisdom that convinces someone to come to faith in the Messiah; it is the Holy Spirit working through us. One of the ways the Holy Spirit can use us is through our personal testimony. I’ve seen how much someone’s testimony can connect with unbelievers; in fact, hearing others’ testimonies is part of my own testimony of how I came to saving faith. My advice would be to always be ready to share how the Lord is working in your own life and how His Word has impacted you personally.

What Scripture compels you the most to do what you do?

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8).

I heard the passage read from the pulpit only a few months after my trip to Israel, and I knew the Lord was speaking to me personally through that passage. It’s been my inspiration ever since.

What books have you read (other than the Bible) that have impacted your spiritual life most?

I read the book The Question of God in college. It explores the similarities between Sigmund Freud and C.S. Lewis in their younger lives, and how one came to live for Christ while the other remained in his sin. It was my first introduction to philosophy, and seeing how Lewis lived and spoke through a biblical worldview inspired me.

Project Code: SU116