How the Great Commission Captured My Heart at 12 Years Old

I was 12 years old when an elder in our church shared the Good News of Jesus Christ with me. As he spoke, I was immediately convicted of my sin. That day, I made the decision to repent and surrender my life to Christ as Lord.

Interestingly, when I asked, “What should I do?” the denomination I attended believed a person should immediately be baptized in water for salvation, based on Acts 2:37–38. So that same day, I was baptized.

As I continued reading the Bible, I was shown Jesus’ words in Matthew 28:18–20 about disciples baptizing others. But something else deeply caught my attention. Early on, Jesus’ command to “Go and make disciples of all nations” convicted me in a powerful way.

“The Great Commission is not an option to be considered; it is a command to be obeyed.”

— Hudson Taylor

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As a teenager, God began placing a calling on my life to become a laborer in His harvest.

After high school, I enrolled at Liberty Bible College in Pensacola — the same campus where Globe International is located today.

I didn’t simply want to learn about the Bible; I wanted to live it out. I was especially motivated to share my faith with people who did not know Christ.

My fellow students often said this verse best described me:

“Proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance.”

Acts 28:31

One of my favorite classes was missions, taught by David Kerr. During one class, a passage of Scripture deeply impacted my life:

“The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”

— Matthew 9:35–38

That verse stayed with me. It helped shape the direction of my life and strengthened my desire to be part of God’s mission to reach the nations with the Gospel.

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