The Real Beginning

So...i thought you should know the REAL beginning to this story and adventure.

It all started on a cold January day in 1989; on 25th day to be exact. I was born.
I came into the world just seven minutes before my beautiful twin sister Lindsey!
We have lived a great life, these last (almost) 19 years!
Let's fast forward a couple of years to February 3, 1997. I decided to give my life to God.
Later that year, while visiting a Christian camp in Oregon, i decided to take the next step in my walk with God:
i got baptized! The coolest part: it was done in a creek; i felt so much like Jesus!

Ever since i was about 5 years old i had been going to a program called Bible Study Fellowship, it was so much fun learning about God, memorizing verses, fellowshiping with other Christians young and old! On one particular night while i was there, God spoke to me. There was a man there that had been a leader for awhile. He came to the front to announce that God had been speaking to him and his wife, God was calling them to leave the United States and venture over to Madagascar, Africa.
Right then and there, God said, "I want to send you too, Carissa." I was so excited, i wanted to hop on the next plane to Madagascar!!!! But, then reality hit me: i was 8 years old! What was i thinking wanting to go across the world? I knew at that moment, that if i couldn't go now, i would for sure go someday down the road!
One person once asked the question: "What do you want to be when you grow up?" I answered: "I want to be a missionary!" "A missionary? Okay...but what kind of job are you going to have?" "Well, i just told you, I'm going to be a missionary!" "I heard that, but what are you going to do for money?" "I'm not gonna make money when I am a missionary, God will provide it for me." " Huh? How do you know that?" "I have faith!" "Faith, what's that?" "It's a level of trust i have with God. As my mom says: Fantastic Adventure In Trusting Him (F.A.I.T.H.)" 'Well...i guess if that's what you want to do, go for it."

So for the past ten years i have been saying to God: "Send ME Lord! I am your servant and long to do your will"
When i was 15. my older sister Cassie went to Port Townsend, Washington and did a Discipleship Trainging School (DTS) with Youth With A Mission (YWAM). I was sooo happy for her, but at the same time, i wondered if my time would ever come.
I was a sophmore in high school when she left and it felt like it would be forever before i would finish high school and then do what I really wanted to do: be a missionary. Well, I have graduated high school and have almost completed a two-year college degree!
It's been nearly ten years since God birthed that dream in my heart and i can finally say that "I AM GOING TO BE A MISSIONARY!!!!!!" I have always known that you don't have to go anywhere to be a missionary, you can be one in your own neghborhood. But, for me, i always knew that i wanted to reach the people of Africa and now in the last few years God has been laying a burden on my heart for the people of Latin America! It's so exciting to see what God is doing/has done/will do in and through me in the years to come!!!

Ever since Cassie had completed her trip with YWAM, i have been looking at the differnt schools and locations that there are.
This past June i was on the website of YWAM international and was doing a search for the different school. I decided to search by specific topic. Having taken a spiritual gifts class, i knew that my strongest God-given gift was compassion, so i decided to see of there were any schools with the focus on Compassion. There was one school; it happened to be in Argentina! HOw crazy is that? The two most obvious passions in my life right now, would be in the same place, focusing on the same two things!!!! How awesome! I told my parents, and with out much hesitation, we agreed that a Compassion DTS in Argentina was the place for me!!!

I am sooo thrilled beyond words that i have the opportunity to serve God in Argentina!!!
As i prepare to go, i have been praying for a guarded heart, unity in the team, and divine encounters with the Almighty God!

So that is the road i have traveled to get to where i am now! It's been exciting and i know that God has a GLORIOUS future in store for me!!!