When I'm flying home from a project and begin to see corn, soybeans and lots of trees I know I'm home.  Fort Wayne, Indiana.....I never really appreciated the beauty of it until I moved out of state for 6 months in my early 20s.  But now, my eyes drink in the sight of it when I return.  Indiana.....born, raised, married to my high school sweetheart here in 1973 at age 18, found my Lord and Savior Jesus here in 1976 at age 21; we stayed until the golf courses of Florida called my husband to play the mini-tours as a prep to attempting to join the PGA Tour.  After 6 months of trying, God called us back to Fort Wayne where my husband took an Assistant Golf Professional job and I worked as a typesetter at a print shop. 

 

For two years we worked in Fort Wayne in the spring-summer-and-fall and lived, worked and golfed in Florida in the winter.  It was an exciting life.  In 1984 our first son, Travis, was born.....and then life really got exciting.  God called me to quit my job and become a stay home mom, so glad I obeyed.  Two more children followed:  Brittany in 1986 and Jared in 1989.  Public school didn't work out very well and in 1991 God called me to become a homeschool mom, so glad I obeyed.  We had so much fun with school; we'd study a subject, research it and then hop in the car and take off to see it for ourselves.  I have taken my children to 47 states and have been to 49 myself. (Does AIM have a project in Hawaii?  The only state I haven't been to.) 

 

Homeschooling was just right for our family as we continued to live in Fort Wayne spring, summer and fall and in Florida in the winter.  We just picked up the school work and took it with us.  Much siritual growth came through those child raising years for me; 2 year Bethel Bible course, 4 years of Bible Study Fellowship, many, many Bible study classes in Sunday School and a deep desire to know more and more of God's character in my own devotional times.  Much ministry was also done in those years of raising my children:  Preschool Superintendant, Sunday School Teacher, Bible Study Fellowship Children's Leader, VBS Coordinator, AWANA Co-Commander, Youth Group Leader, administrator of a youth evangelism seminar, volleyball manager, basketball manager and more.  As my children grew, my ministries changed with their ages.  I have loved every minute of it! 

 

And now, 25 years later, with my last child, Jared, graduated from high school, God is taking all the talents, abilities and gifts He has given me and put them altogether to enable me to do this ministry called AIM.  He is using my love of travel, my leadership/administration/serving gifts and my deep desire to pour the hope of Jesus into people as He continues to lead me out of my comfort zone to bring Him the glory. 

 

I am 100% totally dependent upon Him every single day for everything that He has called me to do.  For God has said to me....."My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.  Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.  That is why for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties.  For when I am weak, then I am strong."  II Corinthians 12:9-10    To God Be The Glory