Anyways...as I said, my name is Chad and I recently (December 2012) graduated with a B.S. in Civil Engineering at Washington State University (WSU). I thought I went to WSU because I received a couple scholarships, I liked the applicable math and science used in engineering, and I seemed to like their engineering program. The true reality, however, is that God guided me to WSU for a particular reasons (a few reasons actually) and He has been guiding my steps ever since, even when I don't realize it. At Washington State I had the opportunity to join a Christian ministry organization called Young Life (YL).
Through Young Life, the YL leadership team that I was a part of, and of course my family back at home, God began to change my heart and my passion. I still enjoyed engineering but God began to plant another purpose into my life...ministry. Now I recognize that everywhere we go, all Christians are to be ministers. But I'm talking like occupational ministry. But the passion that God implanted into my heart was not just ministry...it was international ministry. And not just international ministry...international ministry in Africa. Pretty specific, huh? So I began to wonder...engineering or ministry. Then God answered me with, "How about both?" I was then a believer that I was to use engineering as a platform for ministry in Africa. I switched my emphasis to Water Resources and began looking for organizations that would allow me to be an engineer with the PURPOSE is sharing Christ and His love with others. While researching opportunities for this, I was reminded of a Christian organization called Samaritan's Purse (SP). All I knew about them was that in high school I had filled a shoe box for a school drive with a bunch of little toys and things that would be given by Samaritan's Purse to a child for Christmas. I began to look for opportunities within the organization to use my water resources engineering education in Africa. I came across their internship programs and found a WASH (Water Sanitation and Hygiene) internship. The job description was exactly what God had been putting on my heart. For some reason I knew that this was right...I believe I even called my parents, so excited that I had found the doorway that would get me there.
Well, I'm going to speed up this story since it is getting long already. The summer after I came across this internship online, I had an opportunity to travel with Young Life to Liberia, Africa to assist in putting together a YL camp for high school kids. This was my first time in Africa. The two week trip was fantastic but emotionally it was a roller coaster. This was my first chance to actually experience the place that I was sure God was leading me. Honestly, it scared me. It was so different from anything I had ever known before...culturally, economically, environmentally. I was actually surprised by how uncomfortable I was there. I began to wonder if that really was where I was supposed to go. But God answered that question clearly on our last day there. We spend our last day in Liberia at the beach, having time to relax and debrief. As we were walking on the beach we came upon two white ladies...strange sight there in Liberia. We inquired what they were doing there and they said they were there working with...Samaritan's Purse. What!? I didn't even know Samaritan's Purse had a base in Liberia. One thing led to another and I was meeting with these ladies the next day in the cafeteria of the SP base talking about what a WASH internship looks like. God, without my knowledge, brought me to Liberia not only to help with a YL camp, but to have a face to face interview with my future boss. Yes...my future boss. When I got home I applied for the position and after about six months of waiting, I was officially hired as a WASH intern for SP Liberia.
That is why I am here in Liberia now. As I look at what got me here, I am completely humbled. Nothing that I could have done would have gotten me here. When I allowed the Lord to take control of guiding my steps, He led me to a place that I couldn't have even imagined. God has big big plans...bigger than we can ever imagine. Because they are so big, even if we knew them we would not be capable of making them happen. I have learned to just take a step back...actually many steps back and let God conduct the symphonies of life. He will lead you to a place far beyond your greatest dreams.
So here I am, working for Samaritan's Purse as a WASH intern in Liberia, Africa. It is great being here, but it is definitely challenging as well. I know God is going to stretch me in order to continue to mold me into the man that He intends me to be. While stretching is painful, I welcome it because I know that without stretching, I will never reach where God wants me to reach.
This blog is my way of sharing with all of you what God is doing here in my life and in the lives around me. I will try to keep it updated as much as possible so you can check in occasionally to hear some new stories, thoughts, prayer requests, or whatever the Lord puts on my heart to share. Again, blogging is not a strength of mine so please be patient with me.
Also, I should make this clear...I am here working with Samaritan's Purse, but this blog is me and only me. It does not represent them or their views. If you want to know more about the organization you can visit their website.
May God bless you all!
Well, I'm going to speed up this story since it is getting long already. The summer after I came across this internship online, I had an opportunity to travel with Young Life to Liberia, Africa to assist in putting together a YL camp for high school kids. This was my first time in Africa. The two week trip was fantastic but emotionally it was a roller coaster. This was my first chance to actually experience the place that I was sure God was leading me. Honestly, it scared me. It was so different from anything I had ever known before...culturally, economically, environmentally. I was actually surprised by how uncomfortable I was there. I began to wonder if that really was where I was supposed to go. But God answered that question clearly on our last day there. We spend our last day in Liberia at the beach, having time to relax and debrief. As we were walking on the beach we came upon two white ladies...strange sight there in Liberia. We inquired what they were doing there and they said they were there working with...Samaritan's Purse. What!? I didn't even know Samaritan's Purse had a base in Liberia. One thing led to another and I was meeting with these ladies the next day in the cafeteria of the SP base talking about what a WASH internship looks like. God, without my knowledge, brought me to Liberia not only to help with a YL camp, but to have a face to face interview with my future boss. Yes...my future boss. When I got home I applied for the position and after about six months of waiting, I was officially hired as a WASH intern for SP Liberia.
That is why I am here in Liberia now. As I look at what got me here, I am completely humbled. Nothing that I could have done would have gotten me here. When I allowed the Lord to take control of guiding my steps, He led me to a place that I couldn't have even imagined. God has big big plans...bigger than we can ever imagine. Because they are so big, even if we knew them we would not be capable of making them happen. I have learned to just take a step back...actually many steps back and let God conduct the symphonies of life. He will lead you to a place far beyond your greatest dreams.
So here I am, working for Samaritan's Purse as a WASH intern in Liberia, Africa. It is great being here, but it is definitely challenging as well. I know God is going to stretch me in order to continue to mold me into the man that He intends me to be. While stretching is painful, I welcome it because I know that without stretching, I will never reach where God wants me to reach.
This blog is my way of sharing with all of you what God is doing here in my life and in the lives around me. I will try to keep it updated as much as possible so you can check in occasionally to hear some new stories, thoughts, prayer requests, or whatever the Lord puts on my heart to share. Again, blogging is not a strength of mine so please be patient with me.
Also, I should make this clear...I am here working with Samaritan's Purse, but this blog is me and only me. It does not represent them or their views. If you want to know more about the organization you can visit their website.
May God bless you all!
