I work in children’s ministry at Elkin’s Lake Baptist Church in Huntsville, and to be honest, it wears me out. So, in the middle of the spring semester, I decided to drop my double major of education and kinesiology and only declare kinesiology. I had made this decision solely based on how my flesh felt—not considering what God is calling me to do.
Elizabeth CoudrainThe day I arrived on the field at Mission Arlington, we participated in apartment missions. The first night, we were leading a revival in an apartment complex with families living in poverty. As soon as I walked in, three young kids latched onto me. God broke my heart for these kids, not even 10 minutes after arriving on the field. They are not getting the attention they deserve.
A little later we divided into small groups, and I was put into a group of preschoolers as kind of like a teaching assistant. So, we got the kids settled down and started the lesson. I felt so convicted that I wasn’t leading the group, and a male missionary who had no idea what to expect or even how to speak to the children had to lead them.
I had dropped my major simply because I was tired, and I gave up on the children I had committed to be there for every day. During my life here—It’s not a trip; it’s a way of life—I have changed my major back to education. I realized I am called to teach, and you can only run from God’s calling for so long. I’m not sure what God has in store for me in my future career, but I know that whatever it is, it will have something to do with teaching children.
Elizabeth Coudrain, a student at Sam Houston State University, is serving with Go Now Missions at Mission Arlington.
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