What is the best vacation place you’ve ever been?

A few years ago, I decided to become an expert in something - researching some thing or someone completely. I chose an author I loved as a child, Charlotte Bronte (1816-1855). I read her novel, Jane Eyre, many times. In my research, I read 35+ very thick books and 350 personal letters of Charlotte Bronte.

After five years of research and correspondence with the Bronte Museum, my husband and I traveled to Haworth, England (Charlotte’s hometown) for her 200th birthday celebration. I took 4 hours in the Bronte Museum reading all the stories and admiring the artifacts I knew so well. I met the curator of the museum whom I had corresponded with, who gave a semi-private viewing of original manuscripts and art. At the end, I empathized with Charlotte so much that she felt like a sister to me. It changed my view of life.

The trip was the culmination of hundreds of hours of study. To me, it was time well spent.

Coincidentally, I was interviewed by the BBC North TV News. I guess Americans don’t usually travel thousands of miles for a birthday party.

If you could have a superpower, what would it be?

I know it’s boring, but I want to be able to fly. As a child, I dreamed of flying over houses and streaking through the sky. I just love the idea of being so free.

What’s one of the most embarrassing things you’ve ever done.

We were new members of the church. It’s still difficult to admit, but one evening during choir practice I turned to my choir partner and complained about an unruly young boy in my four-year-olds Sunday School class. Couldn’t his parents teach him some self-control? Unbeknownst to me, I was speaking to his mother.

Why do you believe in God?

I think I felt God before I believed in Him. I knew there was something going on that was unexplainable. Something glowing nearby. I remember being confirmed but still not really understanding in my head how I felt in my heart. But God kept knocking. It wasn’t an “Ah ha!” moment. It was a slow, stead chipping away of my doubts. I began to see life from a different perspective with God in the lead. Now, I can’t see the world in any other light than the presence of God.

What do you like best about working for Jesus and his people.

Working for Jesus gives me great hope - seeing God’s people doing God’s work in this fractured world - selfless followers making a quiet difference in people’s lives. It’s such a blessing working alongside kind, generous Jesus followers who love God and each other. I am reminded, when the world seems especially bleak, that there will always be a remnant of God’s people doing his work for the benefit of His kingdom. Love Wins!