Abby’s Journey to Becoming a Missionary Because of Student Missions

I have been involved with missions for most of my life. Growing up, my dad was my youth pastor and he wanted my sister and me to understand the importance of taking the gospel to people who needed to hear it. From various states to France and Ecuador, my dad introduced me to several missionaries who had dedicated their lives to sharing Christ with others.

After hearing great things about ETEAM from my friends who had been a part of this high-school missions program, I decided to apply in eleventh grade (2014). Later that year, I joined ETEAM Cuba and flew to another country for the first time without my dad. While in Cuba, I enjoyed helping in different churches, forming new relationships, and participating in a different worship style in a new culture. I loved my time in Cuba. But after it was over, I didn’t yet feel like missions was something that God had planned for my life.

It wasn’t until later in college where I started to feel a burden to go to Asia, although I didn’t yet know where in Asia. During the fall semester of my senior year at Welch College, I was studying nursing and I was assigned to go to my nursing clinicals on Sunday mornings. There was one Sunday that they canceled the clinical (which was unusual to cancel). It just so happened on that same Sunday, Jerry and Barb Gibbs (former IM Missionaries to France) were hosting the annual Gibbs’ Global Grille for college students at their house. It was during that event that God really grabbed a hold of my heart. Matt Price (IM Missionary to France) spoke at the event and what he said changed everything for me. He said, “If you say that you are willing to do anything for God, but you won’t even consider going to a different country… are you sure you’re actually willing to do ‘anything’? That doesn’t necessarily mean He’s calling you to a different country, but you need to at least be willing.”

At that point, I decided I needed to figure out this “feeling” about Asia. After learning about the need for the gospel in Japan and much prayer and discussion with my friends and family, I decided to apply the following week to go with IM’s College Missions Program (CMP). Not even two weeks after I graduated from nursing school, I traveled to Tokorozawa, Japan with CMP to spend six weeks with the team at Hope Alive Church. During this trip as a college student, I was able to better understand the life of missionaries as the program allowed me to have more independence to meet with people, plan and lead community events, handle my own finances, etc.

This trip to Japan was different than other mission trips I had previously been on. I met so many wonderful people who really wanted to know who God is. They had never heard about God or Christianity but wanted to learn more. I saw a great need for the hope, joy, and love that can only be found in Christ. After returning to America, I had a strong desire to return to Japan one day. I prayed to God and asked that if it was His will for me to return, please make it obvious.

Two years later, I was appointed as an IM missionary in December of 2020. I put a pause on my nursing career to focus on this new ministry God had for me. I knew there would be some hardships along the way, so I continued to ask God to make it obvious that this was what He wanted me to do. He made it clear once again. I was able to raise all my funds within ten months! After Japan’s borders were closed for more than a year, the borders finally opened on March 1^st. On March 2^nd, I received my visa and flew out to Japan on March 29^th.

God has blessed me immensely in my journey to get to Japan and continues to bless me to this day. Now in Japan, I am ministering with the team at Hope Alive Church. God has already given me so many opportunities disciple new believers and evangelize to people who have not yet accepted Christ.

Becoming a missionary to Japan was never in my plans. God used opportunities like ETEAM and CMP to show me that there are so many people in dire need of a Savior. I have no doubt that without these experiences, I would not be where I am today. I want to encourage anyone who is able, to apply for these student missions programs. God can use you to spread His kingdom. You just need to come out of your comfort zone and say (like Matt Price said), “I am willing to do anything for God.”