Stevie Neale
About Mission Year
Mission Year is a year long urban ministry program focused on Christian service and discipleship. We take teams of young people, place them in an area of need, and help them to serve people and create community. We are committed to the command of Jesus to “love God and love people,” by placing the needs of our neighbors first and developing committed disciples of Christ with a heart for the poor. Learn more about our first year program…
Stevie Neale's Blog
Send me anywhere, only go with me... / Jun 17, 01:46 PM
One of the most inspirational missionary stories I’ve ever heard is of the African explorer, David Livingstone, who braved the unknown land for the sake of Christ. His prayer, “Lord, send me anywhere, only go with me. Lay any burden on me, only sustain me. Sever any ties but the ties that bind me to your service and to your heart,” has stuck in my mind ever since I read it over a year ago. It has been a prayer I have repeated many times and I finally feel like God has answered my longing with the call to go to Mission Year.
I only discovered Mission Year a little over a month ago. I had planned on remaining in Pensacola for another year until I could apply for graduate schools (specifically Eastern University) next year. However, when the opportunity opened up that I could leave Pensacola without leaving one or both of my roommates in the cold, I started randomly doing some research into The Simple Way, which led me to Mission Year. I talked to my parents and roommates and applied within the week.
So…a little about me, I guess.
I grew up in South Florida, in a little suburb called Coral Springs about 45 minutes north of Ft. Lauderdale. I attended a small Christian school for 14 years before moving to Pensacola, Florida (affectionately called “Lower Alabama” or “L.A.”) to attend the University of West Florida. Last May, I graduated with a double major in Musical Theatre and Political Science Pre-Law. “How in the world are these two majors ever going to make sense together?” I would get asked or would ask myself even. Then I discovered Eastern University’s Masters in Urban Studies with an Arts in Transformation concentration. Using the arts as a means to social justice…perfect. Funny how God works. During my time in Pensacola, I have gained many very valuable life experiences and have involved myself in many organizations that have shaped who I am and the skills I have. I am grateful for all of those opportunities, my God who opened the windows, and the people who gave me the chance to prove and improve myself.
The whole story of how I came to where I am right now in my life is really far too long for this introductory entry. So the most important facts are these: I have a God who is always faithful (even when I’m not), a wonderful and incredibly supportive circle of friends and family (what a blessing!), a wandering and adventurous spirit (“Not all those who wander are lost.” -J.R.R. Tolken), and the belief that with Jesus Christ absolutely anything is possible (Matt. 17:20). I truly believe that Mission Year is the next step for me and my growth as a follower of Jesus. I’m so excited to be able to live among and truly love those who Jesus calls “the least of these” and to learn to love them as the greatest. Peter Pan says, “To die would be an awfully big adventure.” But I think that to live life abundantly, to live like Jesus meant what he said will be the greatest adventure of all.
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