I was born on May 22, 1985, in Niger, West Africa, where my parents served as missionaries. My family moved to Rock Hill, South Carolina, in 1993. My father works as an accountant in the home office for SIM, the mission board that my parents served under while in Niger. My mother is a stay at home mom.
I was saved while my mom taught me kindergarten. When she was explaining the wordless book to me, I told her I wanted to go to heaven, and she explained salvation to me and prayed with me. I doubted my salvation in seventh grade but went forward in a mission conference and got assurance of my salvation and prayed to the Lord that I would be willing to serve Him anywhere.
I attended a MK school in Niger for first and second grade and a Christian school in Rock Hill for third through ninth grade. My mother home schooled me tenth through twelfth grade. Growing up on the mission field I always had a burden for missions and saw the great need. I struggled with choosing a major when applying to Bob Jones University but finally decided to enroll as a Broadcast Engineering Management major and prayed that God would make it clear if that was what He wanted me to study. I received a peace and assurance that God wanted me to use my talents with electronics and burden for missions to serve Him in the field of missionary radio.
I went on a mission trip to Antigua when I was a rising senior in college. Through that trip and John 12:26 the Lord confirmed to me that He wanted me to serve at the Caribbean Radio Lighthouse in Antigua. I met Renee while studying for my undergraduate degree, and we began dating after we felt the Lord was calling us to serve together in missions. In May 2009, I completed my Masters degree in Broadcast Management. On June 19, 2009, Renee and I got married at East Side Baptist Church in Thomasville Georgia. We are both members of East Side and are actively involved in ministries such as Vacation Bible School, children’s church, nursery, and choir.
I have attended East Side Baptist Church, our sending church in Thomasville, Georgia under the leadership of Pastor J. Tim Robson since my birth on August 26, 1985. I was led to the Lord around Easter through the Children’s Church program at my church when I was five years old. Although very young, I do remember being pulled aside into another room where salvation was further explained to me, praying for forgiveness and salvation with the faith of a child, and then desiring to be baptized. I was baptized in my church the following month.
Growing up in my church I was able to be a part of our AWANA program and then traveling to youth camps. While attending The Wilds one summer during junior high, I was challenged with the evidences of salvation. The Wilds stresses a radical heart and lifestyle change in those who are saved and a desire to serve God. Being saved at such a young age, I was confused since I do not remember such a radical change. It was that summer that I received assurance of my salvation and surrendered my life to whatever service God would have me to do. I added in my prayer that even if He called me to be a missionary to Africa, I would go.
I attended Bob Jones University, where I struggled to decide a major that I could be helpful with in ministry. I chose the field of Accounting and a minor in Music, mostly from the guidance of tests and parents but also with hopes that I could help a local church with finances and music. During my sophomore year at college, I met Nathan Owens. The first thing I learned about Nathan is that he has a heart for missions. He told me that he had a heart for the African people and if God called him there, he would go. This immediately brought back my junior high promise to God that I would go wherever He sent me, even if it was Africa. For several weeks I thought through the validity of my promise, if I was sincere like Nathan seemed to be. After realizing the prospect of dating, I determined that I could not date Nathan unless I was absolutely sure of my complete surrender to service. I finally resolved my thoughts and once again surrendered to whatever God would have me to do, with or without Nathan.
Since the first I knew Nathan, I have had no doubt of his call to missions. I also believe God has uniquely put our lives together to serve Him in marriage and our talents together as a perfect fit to serve Him in the areas of need at the Caribbean Radio Lighthouse.
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