I thought I’d tell you a little bit more of my story, because if you didn’t know me before, you definitely will after reading all of these blogs. Not just the Ghana story (as fantastic as that all is). Not just the “missions trip to Ghana” story. But the bit before that – the bit where it all started, long before there was a plane ticket or a packed suitcase. Instead, there was a teenager with purple (which turned green) hair, a Welsh accent, and a lot of questions about what God wanted her to do and what home meant to her.

That teenager had big dreams, a lot to learn, and absolutely no idea what God was preparing her for. But even then, there were hints – little moments where God was shaping her, stretching her, and quietly planting roots that would one day hold her steady all the way in Ghana. Because as much as I love telling the Ghana story, this whole thing didn’t start there.

It started in Nottingham. The place that will always be home. Someone once gave me a word at a youth leaders’ retreat that my life would be like a tree – that my roots would go down deep and my branches would spread wide. At the time I didn’t really feel like I had roots, but looking back now I can see that Nottingham was where they were growing all along. And honestly, being rooted somewhere is so important – not just in a place, but in people. Having “my people” with me for this ride is one of the greatest honours of my life. I’m so grateful for the years spent investing in friendships and being surrounded by people who encourage me, speak truth over me, and pray for me when I don’t even have the words. I now know those roots will last a lifetime no matter how far my branches reach.

Anyway, back on track.

We all know the Great Commission in Gospel of Matthew 28 – “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations…” – it’s the verse people quote when they talk about missions, or even just our calling as Christians in general. But eighteen chapters earlier, in Matthew 10, Jesus says something that completely shifted my perspective as a teenager. I remember standing in the entrance of my church in Nottingham, looking out over the city through the front doors, and this passage came to mind as if God was gently redirecting my focus.

It says, starting from verse 5. ‘These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’  Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.

And while I’m not usually a Message version girly (no judgement – obvs), teenage Jess absolutely loved it, and the way it phrases this passage has stuck with me ever since: don’t begin by traveling to some far-off place, go to the lost, confused people right here in the neighbourhood, you have been treated generously so live generously, you don’t need a lot of equipment because you are the equipment – travel light.

You are the equipment.

For our first calling, we don’t need three 23kg suitcases (in my case one of those was genuinely full of Dairy Milk, cereal and packet mac and cheese), we don’t need a visa, and we don’t need a dramatic life overhaul – we need ourselves, we need obedience, and apparently we need three meals a day (I’d personally add a couple of snacks). Our first mission field is right in front of us, and for me that was Nottingham.

For you, it’s wherever you find yourself right now – your school, your college, your workplace, your family, your friendship group. You are already called to tell people about Jesus exactly where God has positioned you, for such a time as this, and I really believe that God reveals the “where” once we’ve been faithful in the “here.”

That sounds lovely in theory, but if we’re being honest, we often want our calling to look how we would design it – safely within the boundaries of our own comfort zone. And if we’re talking about comfort zones, let me tell you that Ghana is wildly outside of mine – the heat, the snakes, the frogs, the insects, learning a new language, navigating a completely different culture, the food, not having my car, not having my family, not having my friends. I could go on. But even before Ghana, even in the UK, there were moments when living out my calling felt uncomfortable and stretching and completely beyond what felt manageable. Obedience has never really been about convenience.

So maybe the real question isn’t whether we feel ready, but whether we’re willing to let God redraw the boundaries of our comfort zone instead of clinging to the ones we’ve carefully built ourselves. Maybe we’re missing something incredible because we’re too attached to routine, to safety, to what feels predictable. The Bible tells us that He is our protector, our strength, our hiding place, that no weapon formed against us shall prosper – so when you really think about it, what’s the worst that could happen if you step out in faith?

Anyway, that’s my thoughts for this blog. More coming soon. Click the links below to find out how you can support me through prayer and financially.

Naawuni ni pahi gom,
Jess