Since March 2020 (pre-pandemic), I began asking God for vision. Real vision. Clear vision. Although I had a heart for missions—I knew the things I liked and was good at in ministry, and I had some near-sighted ideas and goals in it—even in this area of my life, I felt that I lacked vision and thus hoped and prayed God would give more vision in this calling. Then, as the summer 2020 approached, I began anticipating that I would be back in the states within the next 1-2 years; this caused me to be even more stumped when it came to vision. Missions was always my dream. If I felt I lacked vision in living out one of the biggest dreams I believed God had put on my heart, how would I find vision at all if I left that dream?!
So, I continued to ask God for vision, and as time went on—and the possibility of residing stateside again soon became more realistic, I asked for vision specifically for what to do if I was back in the states.
Around January of this year, an idea came to mind. And it was one that kept reoccurring to my mind. So, I began praying through it; and it kept reappearing: through daily life happenings, praying, reading Scripture in Acts, even watching TV with my parents. So, I kept praying about it. The weeks leading up to my trip back to Peru, I shared the idea with a close friend, and with my boyfriend Turner. The day I left for Peru in February I shared the idea with my dad as he chauffeured me from Chattanooga to the Atlanta airport.
This was the idea: law school.
By then I wasn't certain that God had confirmed the calling to law school, but I did believe He was calling me to look into the next steps towards that direction. Pretty much the following step would be taking the LSAT (an LSAT score is valid for up to five years, so this also meant I could take it without deciding to enroll for the coming academic year). I began looking into this possibility, and I learned that because of COVID-19, the LSAC offered test-taking from your computer remotely. This meant that I could even take it from my home in Peru! This seemed like a confirmation from the Lord to go ahead and take it. So, I applied for the next available test date: April. Though I hadn't planned for it, the extra quarantine times we experienced in Cajabamba and the early evening curfews left me a lot of time at home; so I used some of that extra time to study!
April came, and I took it and earned a score that was nothing special; it seemed average at best. I considered waiting to move forward until I could re-take the test some time in the coming year in hopes of scoring better and increasing my chances of acceptance; and since the next step was applying to law schools, I wasn't sure there was a rush. Plus, I wasn't certain I wanted to go this coming academic year. I would just be returning to the states, coming off the mission field; likely advancing towards engagement and marriage with Turner; and that all seemed like a lot to manage well if I was also entering law school. "Why don't you just go ahead and apply for this year to see if you can even get in? And then if you don't, you could have an idea of how to better prepare for applying the following year," my mom told in a conversation related to the topic. She had a good point; plus, if I did get in, I had checked to see if law schools allowed deferring enrollment (the internet told me they did).
So, with the encouragement of my mother, I applied. To the University of Tulsa, the University of Memphis, and the University of Tennessee.
Although uncertain if I could even get in, I received acceptance from two of the schools (I still haven't heard from the third); and to my complete, utter surprise (shock, really), I was offered scholarship money at both! I repeat: I was shocked. It was quickly evident to me that it was all due to the workings of the Lord. It was so clear to me that He was confirming that calling to pursue law school, and He was opening the door wide open to pursue it now.
So, I am walking through the door, believing God is going to continue to provided where He guides, to continue to equip where He calls as I advance on this path. I am completely honored that God would provide this opportunity and I am praying that He will use this for HIs glory, to magnify His name in the lives of others, and that those around me while I am on this path will know and further understand how much God loves them and the unmatched value of having a relationship with Him through accepting Jesus Christ as our Lord, Savior, and Advocate.
For more insight into my heart behind the original decision to pursue law school, below is an excerpt from my personal statement:
Although I had not previously intended for a career in law, the combination of my background and skills in communicating effectively, my enthusiastic and ambitious personality, my heart and passion to advocate for others, and my vision for the future have now generated my decision to pursue a legal profession.
This choice was unexpected because, though having a dad who is a lawyer, I had never wanted to follow in those footsteps. Always the “humanitarian-type,” I wanted to be directly helping people, and in my mind, being a lawyer was incompatible to my desire. I dreamed instead of being firsthand on the international mission field, aiding the needs of others and sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ that has changed my own life. Ironically, living out that dream now is in part what sparked my desire to pursue law school. I came to the missions field in Cajabamba, Peru, two years ago with professional experience in marketing/communications, intermediate Spanish-speaking skills, and an extensive background working with kids and youth in various educational settings. While I was able to contribute all of these talents, experiences, and skills, I noticed areas where other skill sets were also needed, and ones that would take more years of investment and training. One area where this became evident to me was through our refuge ministry. In this ministry our team offers the vacant rooms in our homes to serve as transitional housing for local, abused women and children undergoing their legal process. Through these experiences, I realized the necessary presence of a legal representative—and, unfortunately, it was devastating when that representative was aloof, unreliable, or literally absent.
With plans to move in August to Tulsa, Oklahoma, in order to be closer to my future husband, I began to consider what I could do once back on U.S. soil. I could serve in ministry or return to a profession in communications and marketing, but due to my experience in Peru, I was also hungry to grow my knowledge and skills in order to better contribute to wherever God would lead me. Since international ministry is still my passion, I began to contemplate how I could expand my skills and experiences while stateside in case I had the opportunity to return to the mission field in the future. I determined law school is the type of higher education that I want to pursue in order to further my service in international missions—whether that is from the states or directly on the field. Moreover, even if I do not serve in ministry internationally again, I am equally eager to utilize the skills and knowledge of a lawyer to aid those around me wherever I am.
It is no secret that law school is a challenging endeavor that requires not only intelligence, but also ambition and persistence. Since I was young, I have always had some sort of big dream or high ambition, to be a part of something I deem as great. In college, I accomplished my childhood dream of playing a sport at a high level by playing volleyball at a Division-I university. Out of college, with very little work experience, I applied for a senior-level communications position at an all-girls independent secondary school where they aim to cultivate their students’ abilities, confidence, and integrity; I didn’t get that job, but they did create a position for me because they determined I was too valuable to let go. At age 25, I finally fulfilled my dream of living internationally with a vocation in ministry while simultaneously utilizing and bettering my ability to speak a second language. My natural gift and refined skill of communicating effectively with others is another reason I see myself as a good fit in the law profession. I have had years of experience learning how to best understand others and communicate to them in a way they understand through the medium of communication most appropriate for them. Most recently, I combined those years of experience in marketing and communications with my creativity and self-drive to create a communications asset in our ministry here in Peru. Of course, all of these dreams with their accomplishments were not achieved alone; God’s grace is what allowed me to walk through each of these doors as well as the support and encouragement of family and those close to me. I see that being no different with my vision to attend law school.
As I have already stated, I had not planned on a path towards a career in law, but my past, present, and future have woven together a course for me to now pursue becoming a lawyer.
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