Impact Intern Spotlight: Jesika Ward

Jesika is a 19 year old, sophomore at Messenger College.
She loves to sing, meet new people, and loves dogs with a
passion. 

The Journey of Obedience

You often hear about people's lives getting flipped upside down, but in my story my life was flipped upside right.

Last summer, I served as an intern at River Pointe Camp in Missouri. I loved getting to know the youth who attended camp and the guest speakers for each camp. However, one speaker stuck out above the rest... the Impact team. I would watch them teach lessons and invest in the kids. I was amazed to say the least. People my age from all over the country were sacrificing an entire summer to serve and advance the kingdom of God. I got to know many of the interns and had the idea to become an Impact Intern the next year.

Little did I know my life would be changed in a kid's service... I was at the altar to pray over the kids but something odd occurred... The kids would pass me left and right, I thought I was doing something wrong... Then a woman came up to me and said it was my night to get poured into. I had a plan for my life. I was blessed with two years of free community college in Missouri, a nice job, and the comforts of home, but the Lord wanted something else for my life. That night, God spoke through this woman and said I would be going to Messenger College in the fall. I was stunned! As I continued to pray, I just knew Messenger College was where the Lord wanted me to be.

Messenger College was the best and hardest decision I ever made. I knew the Lord wanted me there, but I struggled financially and logistically as I only had a few weeks before I started. My obedience paid off as the Lord constantly blessed me throughout the year.

When it came time to sign up for the internship, I already knew I wanted to be a part of something so amazing, and the Lord blessed me even further. The Impact interns travel around the country for children's camps, but we also get the opportunity to serve at a few teen camps as well. This year, I had the incredible opportunity to be on the praise and worship team for teen camp, while also serving on the kid's team. It was amazing to see how both of my passions were combined through this internship.

This internship has been more than I could have imagined. I have learned so much about leadership and teamwork. Throughout this internship, it is easy to get caught up in the ministry aspect and forget to give God the full glory. It is important for us to take a moment, pause, and remember why we are here. We are here to serve. We do not do this for the glory of who we are or the title. We do it to save those who might never know who God is otherwise.

As we end the internship, I am thankful for the lessons the Lord has taught me and the leadership skills I have gained through this experience. I hope my life will always reflect the Lord's will. It is important to obey the calling of God no matter what and I hope my story reflects just that.