It all started 26 years ago on a cold night in Charlotte, NC on December 12,1988! I am super blessed to say that I was raised among an incredible Christian family and even extended family on both sides. At the age of 8 years old, I accepted Jesus Christ into my heart to be my Savior. During this young age I was unsure of what exactly this meant and when I was 14 years old I rededicated my life to Jesus. I was attending youth camp at Fort Caswell at Oak Island, NC, each summer my youth group would attend camp for one week. Upon rededicating my life I begin to genuinely understand what it means to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Although at this time I didn’t completely give my entire life to Jesus and surrender everything to Him.

I attended high school living a very straight lace life, making good grades at school and respected the authority of my parents. In 2007, I graduated from high school to go on to attend Central Piedmont Community College in Charlotte, NC. Originally I was studying to become a Nutritionist and that all changed in the summer of 2008. I had the honor to work on Summer Staff at Fort Caswell, the same summer camp I had attended for 6 summers prior. During my time serving this summer, the Lord called me to culinary school and I went home to change my major. In the spring of 2009 I began culinary school at CPCC and first for the first time in my life to pursue God’s calling on my life.

The summers of 2009 and 2010 I also worked on Summer Staff at Fort Caswell, during my time there I worked on café staff and girls barracks building supervisor. My time serving at Caswell is where I learned about the servant’s heart I have and where the Lord molded me into the woman I am today. Summers at Caswell involved the most glorious memories, many tears, spiritual growth, living in community with 70 others at the Staff House, and where I began to truly surrender my life to Jesus. I graduated from college in 2011 and worked full time for the next 2 years. In November of 2012 God called me to the World Race, an 11 countries in 11 months mission trip to take the love of Jesus to the nations.

I was obedient to the Lord’s calling on my life and stepped out in faith to pursue this mission. In July of 2013 I left America on the World Race with 49 other radical lovers of Jesus. Leaving meant putting life on hold, quitting my job, and moving back home. This 11-month trip around the world completely transformed my life and launched me to where I am today. In January of this year I was in India where I had one of my leaders spoke some incredible life into me. These words included that I was made for full time ministry and to serve the Lord with my life rather that would be stateside or in the nations…. WHAT!!!

So in February we traveled to spend month 8 in Nepal and the rest is history! I literally fell in love with the ministry I was able to be apart of while serving in this beautiful nation. During my time I worked with a local Nepali man loving on God’s children in the city of Kathmandu. One of my teammates went to university with a fellow who now runs the Gethsemane House of Prayer in Kathmandu. I had the honor of doing ministry and worshipping alongside him and his team for the month. Half way through the month I knew I would be returning to Nepal to serve and would love to come under the prayer house to serve this nation. All that the Lord had taught me in the first 7 months of the World Race, I saw active in this ministry and thriving more than anything I had ever experienced. The only way I know to describe my desire to return to Nepal is a calling from God and the most natural ministry I had ever experienced in my life!

We left Nepal to continue on for the final 3 months of the World Race and God was so clearly speaking to me about what He had for me in my return. He told me to be praying into my specific passion for ministry, a ministry to work with full time and to be covered under, and a nation/place to serve Him full time. I finished my race, returned home for 2 months, and the end of July headed back out to Kathmandu, Nepal, where I have served the past 4 months. Currently I am home in NC for the holidays but the past 4 months have been the best of my life. Along with the best but also the most challenging I have ever experienced learning to do life as a full time missionary in a 3rd world country. My heart loves Nepal and at this very moment I long to be there among all the craziness of my life. I spend my days worshipping the Lord in the prayer room, loving on God’s children in the city, and bettering the kingdom for eternity. It’s a fantastic story and one I absolutely love living every single day!

It has been amazing to see God work in and all around me during my timeserving. How within the first couple of weeks I knew Nepal would be my new home and where He would have me serve for this next season of my life. Not only serve but also give me an amazing ministry to serve alongside daily as we learn what it means to be laid down lovers for the sake of the gospel. The first month in a half was amazing and beautiful to realize I would be serving in this nation until revival breaks out. I have no idea how long this season will be and what all it will involve. But I do know it means spreading the love of Jesus to one person at a time as I get the honor of serving in the amazing nation. This is a brief bit of my story and what God has and continues to do in my daily. I hope you enjoyed reading about it and know whatever story you are living now it is a great one. As long as you are walking in the Lord’s Will for your life and pursuing Him, it’s worth living in the name of Jesus!

– MICHELLE MCPHERSON

via Yes To The Calling © Michelle McPherson