Today, I'd like to share a little about a young man I've known since he was born. (I'll post more about the call God has placed on us for orphans in another post). In fact, I was able to be part of this young man's first week of life, sharing in the changing of his diapers, feeding him his bottles, entertaining him and learning to love him while learning all about babies. You see, this young man is my cousin, Andrew Trey McCarty.
I've watched him grow up and he's been as much a part of my life as my brother has been, since it seems like we were always together growing up. (He's only about 10 years younger than me). Even though we lived an hour or so apart, our moms (who are sisters) made extreme efforts to always be together and therefore, we've got tons of memories together.
He used to drive me nuts when I had hit the teenage years and he was in the prime of being a boy at about 7 or 8. He would tease me like any good-natured little boy would and boy, would it work!
Well, as the years went on, I watched him grow into an awesome kid who gave his life to the Lord very young...and never looked back. Despite my rebellious example, he continued on the path of the Lord throughout high school, always in some form of discipleship relationship, and beginning the life of a leader.
I watched him graduated high school as the salutorian with honors and his speech gave glory to the One Most High God.
As he prepared for college, he saw his purpose there not so much as obtaining his degree for the ultimate career, but rather as the mission field God was sending him to. So he chose a secular school with that in mind. He quickly became involved in campus ministry and grew into a leadership position within that ministry.
He graduated last May, after serving in campus ministry with InterVarsity as chapter president and in many more ways than I'll probably ever know. He has developed intimate discipleship relationships with many students and offers grace in a way that closely models the way the scriptures tell us Christ did.
Andrew was planning to become a high school science teacher in the Terre Haute, IN area as he graduated from Indiana State University and his then fiance was just completing her junior year. Andrew had been awarded an amazing scholarship which paid most, if not all of his senior year of school. The requirements for the scholarship were that he serve as a teacher in a school where the students were at a lower level than state levels (I cannot remember the technicalities exactly nor do I have the correct technical jargon- I apologize). My point in saying this is that his plan was in tact, he was on course and he had received great blessings along the way. If he did not complete the required teaching time in said school district, he would have to pay back the scholarship amount - in full. Not too long before he was to graduate, he called us to talk with us about a decision he was trying to make. We had been gone on a visa trip and he could not get ahold of us. By the time he did, he had made his decision but we had a wonderful conversation as he told me his story.
Andrew had decided to go full time into missions and set aside teaching at least for now to be obedient to what God had called him to- campus ministry with InterVarsity on ISU campus. As I described above, he would be giving up much and his decision would be costly- literally!
One of his requirements as campus staff with InterVarsity was to enter a period of support raising and like most mission organizations require, he had to be at a specific level before beginning his campus time.
Andrew graduated in early May and was to be married on May 22, 2010 to his high school sweetheart, Stephanie. (Yes, my aunt is my HERO!!! Her oldest son graduated college and then got married two weeks later!!) We arranged our trip back to the states around their wedding because both Isabelle and Audrey were the flower girls in their wedding and Ethan was to be a junior groomsman.
So, the picture of his first few months or maybe first many months as a newly married man were to be without any type of income AT ALL and having quite a significant debt to pay off due to the scholarship he had to pay off.
I ask you- what would you have done? Would you have decided in your own strength to work the few years to pay off the scholarship, despite a burning feeling deep inside that that was NOT what God wanted you to do?
OR: would you have done what my cousin did- and let go of the wheel of his life and let God lead and followed in obedience?
I want to take the time tonight to share his story with you and humbly ask you to pray for him and his wife Stephanie. They are one of the sweetest couples I know and their wedding was one of the most romantic and godly weddings I have ever been too.
I asked Andrew to write a summary of his calling, purpose and passion for me to post on our blog. He is still in support raising, but, Praise GOD! he has reached a level where he can be on campus part-time. He still needs to raise a significant amount of his support though.
And this is where the plea comes in. I ask you to pray and seek God if it be His will for you to form a partnership with Andrew in campus ministry with InterVarsity at ISU campus. I have spoken with Drew many times of testimonies of those he has discipled through IV, of those who have come to know the Lord through this ministry, of those who've left lifestyles of drinking, drugs and partying and are now serving the Lord and discipling others through IV. That is what is key to this ministry- that it is all about making disciples of Jesus Christ, who make disciples, who make disciples. (Sound familiar?)
So, the following is Andrew's brief testimony of his call, purpose and passion as he enters the mission field of campus ministry. May you be as blessed as we have through our relationship with this young godly man.
"A quick recap of my calling, purpose, and passion...thanks so much for your offer to put that on your blog! Any networking I can do and more people interested in praying and being aware of the ministry is awesome so I welcome the opportunity. I have always felt God's leading to be a teacher. I graduated with a science teaching degree and until March 2010 felt strongly led to "ministry" in the public schools. I have worked with a student driven college ministry at Indiana State called InterVarsity Christian Fellowship for the past 4 years as a student and have seen God's tremendously faithfulness over the past 4 years not only to increase the students involved 10 fold but especially in the development of new student leaders. With graduation approaching, I began to sense more and more that I was hiding behind scholarship to teach that I'd accepted and was not fully surrendering to God's new leading to become the first full-time staff with the ISU InterVarsity students in over 2 student generations. In late March I was officially offered and accepted the campus staff member position at Indiana State University and now the privilege and casting vision for Christian students to boldly extend the invitation of the Gospel to other non-Christian students.
As I try to discern God's purpose for my life, I continually revisit my passions for relational evangelism with non-Christians as well as leading all types of people into study of God's Word. As a student, I had the privilege to lead over 100 Bible study to junior high, high school, and college students as well as a handful of adult groups. God is continually rebuking, encouraging, and challenging me to improve my personal devotion time with him and it's amazing how he using an imperfect (but passionate) follower like me to introduce many people to the Word that provides life for their souls. Since high school, I always remember having at a least a couple pretty intimate friendships with non-Christian friends and I love to not just ask them spiritual questions from time to time but show them the power of Christ across the full spectrum of life. I'm not perfect but it's still mind boggling when I look at where I mess up but consistently hear people refer to my "reputation" as a "good Christian person." It's clear in Scripture that there isn't much good about me but I know the ultimate purpose of my life is to have the light of God shine through my imperfect self so that others will be pointed to the cross. There's no better purpose in life than to teach and model that lifestyle and then rejoice as I observe students of all types of backgrounds do that same."
WOW! Can I get an AMEN?
If you'd like to find out more, talk with Andrew personally or just want more info, please leave me a comment and I can get you any information you'd like.
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