Taylor:

 

I had the privilege of growing up in a God-centered household where my parents daily exhibited Christ-like behavior that helped shaped me into who I am today. At the age of five God saved me through the working of His Spirit and the faithfulness of my parents who led me to saving faith. Even at the age of five I knew I was a sinner who needed Christ to save me from my sinful life and trust that His sacrifice was all I needed to trust on in faith for me to inherit eternal life.  Later on after much conviction from the Holy Spirit I realized the meaning and importance of baptism and obediently proclaimed to my church what God had done in my life.

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During my freshman year at Bible college, God got a hold of my heart and spoke to me through a chapel message. He spoke to my heart that He wanted me in full-time missions, and I was absolutely ecstatic. I expected to be serving in a church until God moved me to the mission field, but that was not God’s plan or timing. Throughout college I worked mainly secular jobs and often felt confused and frustrated because I was not being selected for any of the ministerial jobs to which I applied.

 

After graduating college with a four year degree and getting married a year later, I was starting to wonder if God wanted me to be a layman in the local church while working for a secular job. However, in the summer of 2016, my wife and I listened to a missionary present his ministry in the Dominican Republic to our church, and we both realized that we needed to make a survey trip to the Dominican Republic to see if God may use us to serve down there. In March of 2017, we did just that. We spent around a week down there, and while we were there we fell in love with the people and the church in La Vega. After several months of prayer and counsel-seeking, we affirmed to our local church the Lord’s calling on our lives to serve in the Dominican Republic in the city of La Vega.

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Mary:

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I was privileged to grow up in a Christian home and attend a Christian school where I was taught the Bible through and through and was able to hear from missionaries regularly.  Although I understood that Jesus loved me and died for the sins of the world, it was not until I became active in my church youth group that I surrendered my life to Christ and accepted His free gift of salvation. I was later baptized and have followed the Lord ever since. 

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I always knew God was calling me to teach. I worked to obtain Bachelor's degrees in Spanish and Secondary Education. The Lord used Taylor to help me recognize and be obedient to the call of foreign mission work. Yes, I knew I was called to love and serve God wherever I am, but through prayer and submission, I began to hear God more clearly. I would love to say that I will continue to teach in schools, but for now the Lord knows that I have completely surrendered to whatever plans He has for me.