As many of you know, my position on the World Race is a storyteller intern. You may wonder, what does this consist of? What does it mean to be a storyteller? Well, I am here to tell you it is something that God has gifted me in.

Before we attended training camp back in October, I applied for the storyteller internship for photography. It wasn’t until the last couple of days during training camp I found out that I was accepted into the internship. I was so excited to be stepping into something that I could express my creativity.

I was helping Mary Grace, Jacken, and Justin make a video for our squad. It was such a fun time! Photo: Jacken Holland

Photography started out as a hobby in early high school, but it quickly became something that I thoroughly enjoyed. It became a passion.

Growing up I loved to color, paint, draw, and simply be creative in all ways. Something that I have learned within the past couple of months is how our God is a creative God. The world around us is created in such an intricate way. There are so many examples in nature that represents and mirrors our Heavenly Creator. He is SO cool! Just think about how everything in nature works together. Or think about how every part of our body is intertwined: spirit, mind, body, heart.

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.  Genesis 1:1

This was taken when we were hiking the active volcano. I have to get that good angle, right?

My role as a storyteller consists of taking high-quality photos for Adventures in Missions and submitting a minimum of four photo blogs per month. This is such a great opportunity to learn more about photography and grow my portfolio.

As much as this is a great opportunity, being a storyteller is something that I feel like I have always been. I love to connect and share with people! Being a storyteller allows me to share the Gospel with people through social media, blogs, and in any creative space. While I have been a storyteller, I have seen and heard of growth back home! God gives us such incredible gifts and using them to the best of our advantage can lead to glorifying Him in all sorts of ways. This is such a sweet way to connect with you and others who read my blogs!

We were having team time on the beach and my kind friend Jenna snagged this sweet picture! I love my job!!

God has created me to be creative and to express His goodness in this way. Here are three ways God has created me a storyteller:

1. I love to be creative in all ways! What a reflection of the Lord!

2. God has given me the gift of seeing people’s stories before they either knew it themselves or cared to share with others. My sweet teammate, Karis, spoke this over me during debrief before we were even aware that we are on a team together.

3. Building relationships because storytelling is nothing without building relationships. I love to have deep and intentional relationships with others.

Here is another shot of me helping out during one of the videos being created! I couldn't help but laugh because our crew is too funny. Photo: Jacken Holland

What has the Lord created you to be? Sit in His presence and allow the Holy Spirit to speak to you softly. You are gifted by the Creator of all things! Press into the things our Heavenly Father has laid before you.

with all my love,

PJ