Jen was only in her early 20s when she had an existential crisis while standing at the front of a classroom full of students. Teaching is what she had wanted to do her whole life. She got a degree and landed a job in education. Her plan for her life seemed to be falling into place.

But as she looked at her students’ faces, Jen suddenly realized that she couldn’t give them the one thing they needed most in this life—at least not in this setting. Her mind swirled as she began to question her purpose and her choices.

A question formed in her head that would shape the outcome of her future: Did she want to spend her life doing a good thing or invest in something that would matter for eternity?

Jen’s Journey to Missions

Jen’s plan going into college was to become a teacher, live in her hometown, get married, and start a family. Though she grew up in a Christian household, she never thought about or had any experience with missions. But college students tend to get exposed to peers from all different backgrounds. For Jen, she began meeting fellow students who loved the Great Commission and went on mission trips. Hearing from them and learning about God’s heart for the nations led Jen to sign up for a short-term mission trip to South Asia.

Arriving in a country that was predominantly Hindu and Muslim opened Jen’s eyes to a completely different world. For the first time, she witnessed what it was like to be in a place with no churches and where people had never heard of Jesus.

On the trip, Jen met a woman who was her age. This woman was also a college student, and her family dynamics were very similar to Jen’s family. The only difference was what the two women grew up believing. Jen knew Jesus from a young age, but this woman from South Asia was taught to fear gods.

When Jen shared the gospel with her, the young woman replied, “This God loves me? That’s too good to be true. If my people knew about this God, everyone would follow this one.”

That statement stayed with Jen as she returned to the United States. The trip had deeply impacted her, but she still had her plan waiting for her at home. She graduated from college and became a teacher like she always wanted to be. Her plan was coming together. Yet as she built lesson plans and imparted knowledge into young minds, that statement from the woman in South Asia kept nagging her. The students in her classroom could go to church, pick up a Bible, or talk to a Christian if they wanted to. But there were people around the world who didn’t have that opportunity. They would never hear about Jesus unless someone went to tell them.

Jen found herself at a crossroads. She could continue following the plan she had created for her life, or she could surrender to what God had placed on her heart and follow His plan. Ultimately, she decided to follow the Lord.

Following God’s Plan

Before long, Jen found herself back in the streets of South Asia. She was not going to be staying for a few days this time. She woke up and went to sleep day after day in the same country that was thousands of miles from home. This was a new and challenging season that stretched her faith and taught her to completely depend on the Lord.

But as time went on, the once unfamiliar and strange country began to feel comfortable and familiar. Jen settled into her missionary life, living out the calling God had placed on her heart.

She didn’t know how long God wanted her to live in South Asia. But every day, she sensed the Lord telling her to stay that day and the next day and the day after that. Then one day, God finally told her it was time to return to the United States. It once felt so difficult to move to South Asia and leave her teaching career behind. Suddenly, Jen found it more difficult to leave the mission field that had become her home.

When Jen arrived back in the states, she did not return to the classroom. Though she was no longer on the mission field, she could support those who are. Today, Jen works at East-West, using her experience to help get the gospel to the unreached.

Through her missionary experience, Jen learned to check-in with God and make sure she is where He wants her to be. When the answer has been, “Yes,” Jen knows she is following God’s plan. When the answer is different, she knows the Lord is calling her to something that will have an eternal impact.

Watch Jen’s full story below: