Jamie East
Have you ever had a dream? Have you gone so far as to have lived or at least tasted a bit of your dream? Have you had a lifelong dream ripped out from under you? If so, you will understand my story. As an 11-year-old girl, I felt God calling me to serve as a missionary in Africa. For 20 years, it was just a dream that I mentioned to close friends and would occasionally look into ways to make it happen. People thought I was crazy anytime I mentioned it, so I tended to keep it to myself. The one person who at least pretended to not think I was crazy was the man who is now my husband of 14 years.
After 9 years of marriage, he jumped on my crazy train and agreed to sell our house, cars, and everything else and move to Uganda with our 3- and 1-year-old boys. During our two years in Uganda, we gained more knowledge about ourselves, our God, and what it means to serve long-term as a missionary than I ever thought possible. While we were there, I wrote a blog about ways that people back home could best serve us and other missionaries. I laid out plans and dreamed a dream of what I wished people would do for us and our friends. Most of it never came to fruition. Now, I know why. Even though it ripped my heart out, God pulled our family off of the mission field. We came back to a country we never thought we would call home again and began the very difficult journey of making it feel like home. A piece of me will always be in Uganda, but God has made it clear that America is where I am to lay my roots – for now.
Jennie Allen says, “His ways are not like ours. He is mysterious and moves as He wills. But He wants us, like children, to keep an unreserved faith in Him, simply because He is God.” (from Anything) A verse I clung to during our time of transition was Isaiah 55:8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. He has proven to me over and over that His ways are always so much higher than my ways. So as I live in the town I was born in and teach middle school, I am reminded of His divine authority over my life. I am loving where I am and what I am doing with a passion and contentment that could only come from God.
I have spent the past two years praying for God to show me how all of my passions and life experiences can be used for His glory. It is with sheer terror and tremendous excitement that I introduce my new ministry – Serving His Servants. My mission is to empower and inspire people who are long-term missionaries in order for them to be physically, mentally, and spiritually equipped to serve the Kingdom where God has placed them.
My introductory project will be “Friends From Afar” and needs all kinds of people of all ages. If you have a few minutes a week or a month that you could devote to corresponding with a missionary or missionary children, please fill out the form on the link below or send me an email. My goal is to bless as many missionaries around the world as we possibly can with words of encouragement. My hope is that this will not be a one-time thing, but that you and/or your children will truly connect with a person or family and share honest life stories with each other. Technology makes the world a smaller place and allows us to learn, experience, and show love in all kinds of ways. Together we can learn about who they are, what they do, and the people they serve. As we learn about them, they can learn about us as well. We all need prayer and extra encouragement. Are you willing to reach around the world and give someone a big hug?
Are you a missionary? Please let me know if you want to be involved with “Friends From Afar” or any of our future programs by filling out the questionnaire or sending me an email.
Questionnaire link: https://servinghisservants.wufoo.com/forms/z18dlg820y4amzo/
Email address: servinghisservants@gmail.com
“Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes.” Luke 12:37
I have partnered with CMN to raise funds for my ministry.
