Bolivia Call Story
If there is only one story that can make me remember what I know, trust, and believe about God, it is the one about how I was called to live as a missionary teacher in Bolivia, South America when I was 26 years old, and spoke no Spanish.
It was 26 years ago when I heard that small, still whisper:
“You have to go. You have to serve the Church.”
Those were the profound words in the stillness of the night that began my life-long journey of learning about God’s goodness and faithfulness, even when I would forget to remember.
It all started in a cell phone store.
I was asking about a new service and the salesperson told me that I would have to sign a one year contract.
A soft, still whisper said, “You won’t be here in a year.”
That same spirit-filled whisper led me to a parking lot of the United Methodist Church offices on the campus of Oklahoma City University, where I sat thinking I was going crazy, as I heard another soft, faint whisper, “Go see Larry!”
I walked into the building, nervously announced and simultaneously questioned the secretary, “I need….to see….? …..Larry?” I expected her reply to be, “There isn’t a Larry here!” (because I’m crazy and hearing voices at this point, right?!) But she cheerfully said he was on the phone and would be right with me. I sat down, looked around, and saw a sign above the door that said, “Volunteers in Mission.” So that’s who Larry is – I thought – the director of Volunteers in Mission (VIM) for the state of Oklahoma. When he greeted me, he asked me what led me there that day. I laughed. “I’m either crazy or God sent me here!”
I sat in Larry’s office that day as he told me about work needing to be done in Bosnia. Nope! I shook my head – that place was just on the news last night!
He told me about a school in Bolivia. “Where in the world is that even at?” I asked. They were looking for English speaking teachers. “I am a teacher and I speak English,” I said. He asked if I could leave in a week. I shook my head “YES” while my mouth said, “No. Absolutely not!”
In the days that followed, there were numerous connections, promptings and leadings by the Holy Spirit that led me to pray about moving to Bolivia, South America, to be a missionary teacher. I had so many doubts that I argued with God about: I had a Master’s degree I was supposed to be using. I just bought a cute, fun car. I just spent the last year traveling around the world. It’s time for me to settle down.
However, after many affirmations from the Lord, I got on my knees and said, “You are going to have to tell me what to do!”
It was in the stillness of the night, with a whisper in my heart, that I heard, “You have to go. You have to serve the church!”
Ten days later I was in Bolivia.
The calling to Bolivia has never been easy, but it has always been clear. Over the past 26 years, I’ve come to know God more deeply—not just in the bold moments of calling, but in the quiet, daily steps of faith. I’ve learned to trust His character, even when the path felt uncertain. I’ve come to recognize and respond to His voice, even when it whispers through the ordinary.
God has never wavered in His faithfulness. He is exactly who He says He is: trustworthy, steadfast, and true. As I walk with Him, I’ve learned that obedience isn’t always about big decisions—it’s about the small, everyday choices to follow His lead. When life feels routine or my purpose seems hidden in the mundane, I remind myself that serving God happens right where I am, when I remember who He is and why He called me in the first place.
And when I forget to remember my faith—when I lose sight of His purpose—I return to the moment He first whispered Bolivia into my heart in the stillness of the night. I remember how every step was orchestrated by the Holy Spirit, how He created me for this, and how He placed me exactly where I’m meant to be. That one defining moment always draws me back. It anchors me in the truth that everything I know, trust, and believe about God is real, steady, and sure.
My adult faith journey has been based on that calling. My prayer is that I can help you know God more deeply, trust Him more fully, hear His voice more clearly, obey Him more willingly, and serve Him more faithfully—as you remember His goodness in your own life.