April Miller

Never would I have thought I would be leaving America on the best day to be American, July fourth. But here I am. And I could not be more excited about it. So how did this happen? It goes back to this past year at college, where I felt the call of duty that every child of God has to go out and spread the gospel. I had my own idea of what this would look like this summer, but God quickly closed that door. I knew He had planted a seed in my heart for evangalizing, it was just going to be His plans--not mine. So when the opportunity arose shortly afterwards for this Bolivia trip, I was excited. I don't know what I'm entirely getting myself into but I know the Lord knows and that makes me all the more thrilled.

For those of you who don't know me, I was born and raised in Waxhaw, NC and have grown up at Calvary Church. My best friends are Craig and Sharon, Stephen, and Crystal Miller--all of who also double as my family, as well as Stephen's fiancé, Abby. I'm a rising sophomore Interior Design and Architecture major at Samford University in Birmingham, AL, which has become my well loved home away from home. There in Birmingham, I have met many wonderful people, made great friends, joined the sisterhood of Phi Mu Sorority, and have gotten involved in Shades Mountain Baptist Church. In a perfect world, my ideal day would consist of crafting, baking, spending time with my family and friends, eating good food, laughing, and dancing.

Going into this trip, my prayer is that The Lord would reveal Himself to me in new ways-- that I would see Him in ways I never imagined and that I grow closer to Him in ways I did not know possible. I pray that He will break down the barriers that I consciously and subconsciously put up, taking complete reign over my body and my life.

We serve a big God and I cannot wait to see what he is doing down in Bolivia.
Thanks for all the prayer and support as we prepare and head down!

Getting to Know Riah

Two weeks ago I thought I'd be spending my July vacationing on a beach in Savannah, GA. As I was considering how much to budget for the trip, I was reminded of a mission trip I'd heard of and how I'd brushed it off without even praying God would provide a way for me to go. I stopped right then and prayed...and here I am!

It's all happened really quickly; however, I couldn't be more excited about serving in Bolivia with this awesome team. They're funny, quirky and fully committed to Christ. In my opinion, that's the best combination.

For those who don't know me, I grew up in Peru with my two older brothers as a missionary kid of Peter and Carol Lawry, missionaries with Wycliffe Bible Translators. We lived in Yarina, just outside of Pucallpa, until 2000 when we moved back to the states and eventually relocated to JAARS in Waxhaw, NC. After high school, I went to Asbury University in Kentucky and graduated with degrees in journalism and media communication. Currently, I'm living in Charlotte and working at a marketing and technology company called Red Ventures.

Now that you "know" me and we're past the boring stuff, here are some fun facts. =)

• Riah's favorite foods are (in order of importance): rice, avocado, papaya, tea, apples and chocolate.
• You will never see Riah eating winter squash. Never. It's not physically possible.
• Her Toyota is named Beatrice. It's appropriate.
• To Riah camping is better than a five-star hotel. 
• Riah has gotten sick in the following countries: Peru, Mexico, Guinea-Bissau and Turkey. She managed to stay healthy in the Netherlands, Kenya, Senegal and the United Kingdom. Hopefully Bolivia falls in the latter.
• Riah is a recent Crossfit convert. 
• Her two older brothers pretty much (emphasis on "pretty much") inoculated her against most reptiles and insects. Ticks are in a whole other class. Don't even mention them around her.
• Jesus is the best!

Thanks for reading my little bio. Please be praying for me and my team as we prepare to head down to Bolivia for English Village. I could use prayer that I'd get finances figured out and that I'd be spiritually prepared. Thanks!

A Glimpse of Bolivia

Please take a few minutes to view the following video to get a glimpse into the people and places we will be serving in the eastern lowlands of Bolivia!

"The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few.  Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest."  - Luke 10:2