Today, I wanted to write for all of you something that I normally don’t write an entire blog post about. MYSELF.  I know that lately, I have been sharing all of the informational aspects of Kids On A Mission and I thought that it would add a nice twist to things if I shared a little bit about myself, my passion for Kids On A Mission, and my testimony. So here we go!

For those of you who don’t yet know me, HELLO. My name is Kaitlin, I am 17 years old, I have 2 sisters, 2 dogs, 2 cats, 2 eyeballs, & an addiction to Costa Rican guacamole & flavor blasted goldfish. I am a senior in High School, have been homeschooled my entire life, but have attended my community college since I was a sophomore. (Yes, I promise I have friends) One of my biggest passions is mission trips and sharing the love of Jesus with people in my community and around the world. And that passion is what inspired me to start Kids On A Mission.

So… when I was 8 years old, I was able to walk down the poorest streets in Fresno and see the unimaginable poverty that resided there. There were kids my age and younger living on the streets with no family, no food, and no water. Seeing this was so foreign to me because I have always lived in a home where I have never had to worry about any of those things. It put my reality into perspective. It blew me away and made little 8 year old Kaitlin want to do something. So I did and invited my friends to help me make a difference in my community of Fresno, California.  Before I knew it, I was being asked to speak at Churches, businesses, schools, and huge banquets to talk about my mission to help those in need. Now, let me tell you… I was the shyest kid you would have ever met. I didn’t talk to anyone, I cried if someone would just LOOK at me, and I couldn’t even stand up in front of my family and read a poem. So when I was being asked to stand on platforms and speak to thousands of people… well it definitely freaked me out, to say the least.  But here’s the thing, I knew that this is what God was calling me to. I knew that God had a plan for me, much larger than I could have ever possibly imagined.  As hard as it was to get on a platform, or get interviewed by numerous TV stations, God was working in and through me to make a difference.  

So jump forward to today! The shy, little girl that was afraid to stand up in front of a group of people and share what she was passionate about has now spoken to over 15,000 people due to various platforms around my community and around the world. Now I don’t say this to brag, or show you the cool things I have been able to do, but I want you to know that God can use anyone.  I am a normal, ordinary kid, striving to do extraordinary things for God and His kingdom. And let me tell you, it hasn’t always been a walk in the park. It has stretched me, grown me, and shown me that a teenager is this day and age has the potential to do great things if they let God work through them! One of my favorite verses is 1 Timothy 4:12 and it says, “Do not let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example to the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith, and in conduct”.  This verse inspires me because I know for a fact that I don’t want people looking down on me just because I am a teenager… or because I am “young”. I want to set an example for the believers (and non-believers) in all that I do and in all that I say.

Lately, one thing that has grown me significantly is having the opportunity to lead mission trips into Costa Rica.  A team of 21 went last December-January and now this year we have a team of 24 leaving next month. It’s incredible seeing my peers, the kids younger then me and the adults on our trip take initiative and lead here and in another country that is not our own. My faith has grown in a huge way due to the mission trips that I have been a part of and the mission trips that I have been able to lead and I cannot wait to see the things that God will continue to do in the hearts and lives of the people on our current mission trips!

Moral of this long blog post is to remind all of you that you can do something. You can make a difference. You can change the lives of so many people and bless them in a way that you could never of imagined. And YOU can share the love of Jesus with people in your own community and people all around the world… so don’t be afraid to get yourself out there and love on people, because I promise you that it is definitely worth it!!

<3

~Kaitlin