Amy and Cristi traveled together to Moldova in July, 2009. Here’s what Amy shared at Highland Church on May 7^th, at the “Worth of One” event.

Some of you I have known for many years. Some of you I am just starting to get to know. So, I will give you a little background on who I am.

I grew up in Stevens Point. While my parents were not wealthy, I had a very blessed childhood. I simply assumed that everyone had a carefree childhood such as I. I believed that every child had a mommy and daddy who loved them. A mommy who stayed at home and read story after story at bed time. A mommy who could make your bad dreams go away. A daddy who went to work everyday to provide for the important things in life (like stuffed Eeyors, kitchen play sets and dolls, of course). You see tragedy and hardship in my life was limited to the time when, driving home from Indiana, my favorite security object (a stuffed Eeyore at the time) was left behind. To this day, I am convinced my older brother Andy kicked it out of the car, but that is another story for another time. It is safe to say that if the loss of my true friend Eeyore was the only tragedy, I had quite the pleasant childhood.

It was not until we moved into a home down by Bukolt Park that my utopic view of life was quite shattered. I began to realize, truly, how wonderful I had it. You see, on a summer day, if the windows were open just a crack, you would most likely hear some sort of screaming, crying or shouting coming from the house next door. I remember watching the little neighbor boy through my 6-year-old eyes. He was too small to reach the door handle, screaming and crying on the front step, wanting to get in his house. Yet, his family did not hear his cries. They were inside shouting at each other. I remember sitting on our front step, my little heart breaking. I watched the little boy and wanted nothing more than to rescue him. Yes, even at such a young age, I vividly remember my heart filling with compassion for that hurting boy. I remember one day, my sorrow overcame my fear when no one was looking. I, being the sneaky, young girl I was, walked over and opened the door for the small boy. I’ll never forget the look in that child’s eyes. It was desperation; it was hopelessness; and it was heartache. You see, not everyone has a childhood like mine.

Let’s fast-forward to my teen years. Ahh, the awkward years of adolescence! Everyone trying to find who they are. Everyone developing personality and character. I thought I had myself pretty well defined. I was the ordinary one. Nothing really made me stick out. I had average intelligence, average looks, and a below average singing voice. I was average. Ordinary. So I thought and so I believed for many years.

I spent so much time comparing who I was to other people; I lost sight of the talents that God placed in my life. I always considered talent to be someone who finished first in the cross-country race, versus my consistent place toward the end of the pack. I considered talent to be the straight “A” students who knew exactly what we were looking at inside that stinky frog on the biology table. And, talent was certainly the person who could open her mouth and sing loudly and boldly without missing one single note. Ah yes, I believed I was ordinary. I left Stevens Point and spent two years down in Florida. I was surrounded by some of the most talented Christian people. And, yet again, I found myself feeling ordinary… feeling as if Amy had no purpose. You see, I didn’t stand out.

But, I was mistaken. God does not create ordinary. It was not an overnight, “presto chango,” all of a sudden I am a confident women, “hear me roar” change. But, as I began to pursue a life after God, He began to reveal to me the worth of one. The worth of his Son dying on a cross for me! Knowing he would have done it if I were the only one who needed to be saved. When I realized that worth, God began to show me my own worth. You see, I was not lying when I told you I can’t sing. I can’t. I’m 100% sure I’ll never win a cross country race. But I am not ordinary and neither are you!

God has given me an undeniable compassion for the hurting. Along with that, he has given me a dream. The dream is to bring that compassion to the hurting of the world.

Cristi and I have an amazing opportunity to do just that. We are going to Moldova, a country only slightly larger than Maryland, nestled between the Ukraine and Romania. Moldova is home to as many as 13,000 orphans. On July 15^th Cristi and I will leave the comforts of home and become International travelers. On this trip, one of my life long dreams will come true. I am going to several orphanages with our wonderful missionary, Heidi Darrin.

I want to encourage those of you with dreams… share them with others. If Cristi and I would never have shared what God was doing in our hearts with each other, we would have never seen the opportunity that God has placed before us. Share your dreams with others. Ask God to give you big dreams and then ask him to make them a reality.

God is making a dream come alive in our lives. He can do it for you. I encourage you: don’t give up. Keep dreaming. PURSUE YOUR DREAMS!!!