Send Me

“And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?’ Then I said, ‘Here am I! Send me.”

“Send me.” I have read and reread this verse from Isaiah 6:8 several times over the past two years and I keep going back to those two words: “Send me.” Where could God possibly send me? Where could I have an impact for Christ? How could He use an eighteen year old from Ohio?

After years of praying and thinking about missions, I was given the opportunity to travel to Zimbabwe with a team from Millwood Church of Christ, Jason and Rachel Postle, Mike and Brenda Walters, and Shelby Bateman. My home church has supported Hippo Valley Christian Mission for over twenty years, but we had never witnessed God’s handiwork in Zimbabwe. My love for this country began even before I stepped foot on it and after arriving in Zimbabwe, I knew I was going to come back. On March 28, 2015, I set out on my very first mission trip and flew for the first time. Our two weeks there were successful and life changing, and we came back filled with amazing stories of Christ’s goodness in Zimbabwe. In the months that followed my return, I was given a few opportunities to present about the mission and my trip. My Dad (Dave Jones) also became part of Hippo Valley Christian Mission’s board, where he discussed the possibility of me becoming an intern for the mission in the Stateside office located in Kentucky. In September of 2015, I moved to Grayson, Kentucky and worked as an intern at the Hippo Valley office. There, I worked for Al Serhal and Brittany Wisecup, who are awesome managers and great examples of Christ’s love and sacrifice. It was a great experience seeing how missions work on the Stateside and it gave me a better understanding of all that goes into running a mission. In December, I returned home to begin preparing for a move that would take me to Zimbabwe once more. A team of six (Brittany Wisecup, Rachel Werner, Jeff Hawkins, Ronnie Goodwin, Larry Marshall, and I) flew out on February 15th and I returned to Zimbabwe less than a year after my first trip. During our two weeks together, we hosted a Living Proof Teacher’s Conference, played euchre, hung out with another team from the states (Walter Poole, Dave Thurman, Chris Hill, and Byron Miller), and attended a Preaching Summitt in Harare, the capitol of Zimbabwe. After spending so much time with these two teams, it was hard watching them leave. They were my last bit of home (except for the beef jerky I had in my bag ;) and they had become very good friends. It took time to adjust being on my own again, but I've been enjoying my time here.

I’ve been in Zimbabwe exactly 5 weeks, and I still have 5 weeks left and I’m looking forward to the many adventures that await me in this country. I’ve traveled to countless schools and helped with the distribution of new uniforms and shoes, I’ve had the opportunity to help with the worship team at church, and to help with Sunday School. This stay in Zimbabwe has challenged and strengthened me in ways I never could have imagined. As I think back to Isaiah 6:8, I know that wherever I am, whether in Zimbabwe or in the States, that God can use me in ways I never thought possible. “Here am I! Send Me!”