Isn’t that what we are all looking for? A place to call “Home?”

Valina Ramsey’s journey began in the sleepy little town of Sevierville, TN, where she lived, as she calls it, “a nominal Christian life growing up.” I made a lot of bad decisions in my youth and tried time after time to work my way out of disastrous situations.”

Close friends and church family continued to invest in her life and tried to point Valina  to a complete and total surrender to God.  Finally, at a point of desperation, Valina knew that she wanted to fully commit every area of her life to God and trust Him to guide her path.

A soccer player by nature, Valina knew that God created her with specific talents and interests. She began to search for some sort of ministry that would combine her love for sports and her love for Him.

One late night, as Valina surfed the internet, she came across International Sports Federation’s website.  This was it! She had found something that totally excited her!  Could it be? Could there really be an organization that sends sports teams on mission projects?  This was sounding too good to be true!  But there it was, the ISF project list, including an opportunity to go to Kenya and play soccer and tell people about Jesus.  She was hooked!

Traveling overseas was an eye-opening experience for Valina.  She saw things she had never seen before and God began to give her a worldview and a heart for the nations.

During this time,  a desire to study medicine also began to take root in Valina’s heart. So, she began a course in emergency medicine.  Upon completing her Emergency Medical Technician certification, she was certain that God was directing her to continue her education to  eventually become a nurse.

While serving on the ISF Medical project to Senegal, West Africa this past fall, Valina knew that she had finally found her home!  She returned with a sound resolve to eventually serve overseas as a medical missionary; specifically as a pediatric nurse.

Valina currently lives in Atlanta, GA, working as an EMT-I for Puckett EMS/Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta while continuing her path to nursing.  It took her a journey around the world to find her home in medical/sports missions.

Have you found your home yet?

—story by Cheryl Wolfinger

This entry was posted on Thursday, August 18th, 2011 at 7:17 am and is filed under ISF Events, ISF News, Sports Missions Projects, Uncategorized.