Introducing: Gillian

Growing up in rural Saskatchewan on a farm in the middle of nowhere, my family was my world. It was natural then for me to believe in the God that they loved and had served for generations. Church, Sunday School, and King's Kids Programs were the normal and I was considered the good christian girl in my friend groups.

My heart was always searching for my life to have great meaning and I found that in God. I committed my life to him fully when I was around 8 years old at a summer camp that we attended every year, even though I can not remember a time that I did not know and follow God's ways. It was in those early years that I would read the 'Voice of the Martyrs' books and saw that their lives we an amazing testimony to the Lord. I wanted my life to make such an impact for the Kingdom. I attended a christian school from grades 7-12 and there I had the opportunity to be taught from a christian perspective and, in my youth group, to go on short term mission trips. It was on one of these trips that I truly saw the hopelessness and depravity of heart and circumstance that people live in throughout the world. This greatly impacted my decision to go into full-time missions. I saw this a the best way I could reach people, not just to change their physical situations, but also to give them the true life that is only in Jesus Christ.

I had be looking for a program that would offer missionary training and experience. I didn't want to have to wait through 2-4 years bible collage before I could get on the field. I didn't want my passion to be squashed and die under the rules of how one "should" do ministry (I know this isn't the case for everyone in the least, I just think that would have been mine). I wanted to be lead by God himself and to see the power and love that I read about in the bible. My cousin had also just finished a program with YWAM and I saw great things in that and a true life transformation.

After doing my first school (Discipleship Training School) and my second (School of Worship), I chose to stay in YWAM for many reasons. It has over 1200 locations in 80 countries, it is multi-generational, multi-cultural (with staff members from almost every country), and multi-denomination. Decentralized and more a movement then an organization, I found in it room to bring what I had to bring to missions and also learn from many people from many backgrounds, all bringing their part to the mission and the body of Christ. 2 years of training later I joined staff at one of the bases in Germany. I have been serving and training others there for the last 6 years.

#SKgirl #missionsorbust