Meet Anna Baker I am officially an Appalachian State University Alumni! I graduated in May 2008 with a Bachelor’s degree in Health Education (K-12) and a minor in sociology. I completed my internship with Western Youth Network in the summer of 2008.
Western Youth Network is a local non profit organization who serves high risk youth of the high country through after school, prevention, project venture and mentoring programs. My experience was so positive I decided to stay for another year as an AmeriCorps Promise Fellow, where I mentor a 15 year old girl, plan events, instruct a girls and boys group on health issues and recruit volunteers to become mentors.
Working with youth has always been a passion of mine. After an alternative spring break trip to a remote fishing community in Jamaica, where I volunteered at Sandy Banks Primary School, I found myself thinking where to next? Missions had been in my heart for a long time and it was after that trip that I realized what God had in store for me. He wants me to spread his love to others through education, friendship, scripture and laughter.
Proverbs 19:21, comes to mind when I think about my last years in college “Many are the plans in a human heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.” I prayed for an opportunity to arise, with college and a four year college running career coming to an end, I was eager to start my life after school and fulfill God’s call on my heart. I was in the middle of a couple of opportunities but none of the mission trips seemed to work out.
God led me to stay at Western Youth Network and at first I was angry, why did none of those trips work out? I now know why. The experiences I have with working with the children and especially with the girl I mentor, are amazing and have taught me a lot about myself and who God wants me to be.
Continuing to pray for another mission trip opportunity, Charissa came to Ashley and me one night and showed us Empower-a-Child’s website and their short term mission opportunities. Immediately I understood why God was telling me to wait, be patient and the right opportunity will arise (and with your best friends of course)!
I am so excited to see what God has planned for us through leading us on our journey ahead! I pray that God will help me be an example of his love and to share with the children and people of Uganda what he has done in my life. That I may be able to help them through struggles, challenges or difficulties that face them everyday.
If I could leave one thing in Africa, it would be Love. My dream is to share God’s unconditional love with the families and children that I meet and give them hope that one day we will all hold hands where struggles and challenges will be no longer.
“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Ephesians 2:10
Thank you very much for your prayers and support.
In Him,
Anna
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