Rachel discovered her way to serve in missions in Russia.

Rachel’s Story: Discover Your Way to Serve

Her name was Maria. God sent me across the ocean to pray for her—a girl who was sixteen just like me, but lived in a completely different world.

Her name was Maria. God sent me across the ocean to pray for her—a girl who was sixteen just like me, but lived in a completely different world. Through Maria, God taught me three things that would continue to echo through my life:

  1. There is great need in this world
  2. God can meet that need
  3. He uses ordinary people to do it.

My heart was broken for missions. I wanted to help, but I didn’t know how.

The question of how to help sat unanswered for me through high school, an office job, and four years of Bible college. I had started to wonder if there was really a place for me in cross-cultural missions. It was at that point that I prayerfully began exploring MissionNext and my service profile—something I had set up in college, but had never really used.

One day I logged into MissionNext and saw something unusual—a 100% match! Intrigued, I began looking into this ministry that I had never heard of before. In dialogue with SOAR (Service & Outreach Alaska to Russia) International Ministries, I discovered something unexpected—a ministry job that was tailor-made for me.

My place to serve

When I found SOAR, I was actually looking for jobs overseas. Instead, God led this Florida girl to move to Alaska to serve in SOAR’s administrative base. With this position, I was able to travel to Russia and experience the ministry firsthand, in addition to using the skills God had given me in administration to fill critical needs in the U.S. God can use anyone, with any skill set, to further His Kingdom around the world.

My experience in finding SOAR was a reminder to always stay open to God’s leading. Your journey may not look the way you expected, but trust God’s plan. He knows you better than you know yourself.

Find your fit through a MissionNext service profile. Find out more.

Rachel Carlson

Rachel Carlson

When Rachel found SOAR, she was actually looking for jobs overseas. Instead, God led this Florida girl to move to Alaska to serve in SOAR’s administrative base. With this position, Rachel was able to travel to Russia and experience the ministry firsthand, in addition to using the skills God had given her in administration to fill critical needs in the U.S. God can use anyone, with any skill set, to further His Kingdom around the world.

1 thought on “Rachel’s Story: Discover Your Way to Serve”

  1. Rache’l’s story is somewhat similar to mine. Over a decade ago, some friends introduced me to JAARS, a ministry of Wycliffe Bible Translators, and I volunteered st the JAARS Center in NC a couple of weeks per year while working. At one point, I got to volunteering with an SIL member. He got me connected with the SIL Center in AZ. Being a retiree, Iworked with SIL in AZ for about 5 months in 2017, and have been volunteering with SIL this summer. As I had taken Spanish in high school and had served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in the Dominican Republic over 40 years ago and have a rusty but working ability in Spanish, SIL Mexico personnel office requested that I serve as a volunteer in Oaxaca, Mexico.

    Reply

Leave a Comment

recent posts

recent comments

Latest

MissionNext Blog

Rachel’s Story: Discover Your Way to Serve

Share!

Rachel discovered her way to serve in missions in Russia.

Her name was Maria. God sent me across the ocean to pray for her—a girl who was sixteen just like me, but lived in a completely different world. Through Maria, God taught me three things that would continue to echo through my life:

  1. There is great need in this world
  2. God can meet that need
  3. He uses ordinary people to do it.

My heart was broken for missions. I wanted to help, but I didn’t know how.

The question of how to help sat unanswered for me through high school, an office job, and four years of Bible college. I had started to wonder if there was really a place for me in cross-cultural missions. It was at that point that I prayerfully began exploring MissionNext and my service profile—something I had set up in college, but had never really used.

One day I logged into MissionNext and saw something unusual—a 100% match! Intrigued, I began looking into this ministry that I had never heard of before. In dialogue with SOAR (Service & Outreach Alaska to Russia) International Ministries, I discovered something unexpected—a ministry job that was tailor-made for me.

My place to serve

When I found SOAR, I was actually looking for jobs overseas. Instead, God led this Florida girl to move to Alaska to serve in SOAR’s administrative base. With this position, I was able to travel to Russia and experience the ministry firsthand, in addition to using the skills God had given me in administration to fill critical needs in the U.S. God can use anyone, with any skill set, to further His Kingdom around the world.

My experience in finding SOAR was a reminder to always stay open to God’s leading. Your journey may not look the way you expected, but trust God’s plan. He knows you better than you know yourself.

Find your fit through a MissionNext service profile. Find out more.

Rachel Carlson

Rachel Carlson

When Rachel found SOAR, she was actually looking for jobs overseas. Instead, God led this Florida girl to move to Alaska to serve in SOAR’s administrative base. With this position, Rachel was able to travel to Russia and experience the ministry firsthand, in addition to using the skills God had given her in administration to fill critical needs in the U.S. God can use anyone, with any skill set, to further His Kingdom around the world.

Share this Post!

1 thought on “Rachel’s Story: Discover Your Way to Serve”

  1. Rache’l’s story is somewhat similar to mine. Over a decade ago, some friends introduced me to JAARS, a ministry of Wycliffe Bible Translators, and I volunteered st the JAARS Center in NC a couple of weeks per year while working. At one point, I got to volunteering with an SIL member. He got me connected with the SIL Center in AZ. Being a retiree, Iworked with SIL in AZ for about 5 months in 2017, and have been volunteering with SIL this summer. As I had taken Spanish in high school and had served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in the Dominican Republic over 40 years ago and have a rusty but working ability in Spanish, SIL Mexico personnel office requested that I serve as a volunteer in Oaxaca, Mexico.

    Reply

Leave a Comment

Follow MissionNext!

TOP POSTS

recent posts

recent comments

Latest

Yes, I'm In!

Know when we post a new blog!

Recommended Browsers

Desktop Recommended for Profile Data Entry

Chrome Browser Logo

Chrome by Google

Works on Windows and MAC

Opera browser Logo

Opera by Chromium

Recommended Cautiously

Vivaldi Browser Logo

Vivaldi Technologies

Works on Windows and MAC

Edge Browser Logo

Edge by Microsoft

Works on Windows 10, 11

Firefox by Mozilla

Recommended Cautiously

safari-240-e1704411346526.png

Safari by Apple

Works on MAC