CALLED TO MISSION WORK
Bullard teen readies for outreach in New Zealand
By Lori Mellinger
It's something Kaitlin Timmins has been working toward since she surrendered her life to mission work two years ago at age 14.

Kaitlin Timmins, right, poses with her family: mother, Jacque; father, Paul and sister, Klaire. Kaitlin said her entire family is supportive of the New Zealand mission trip she is taking this summer.

And now, at 16, with three mission trips already under her belt, Kaitlin is taking the Word abroad.

She's signed up for a mission trip where she'll spend a month in New Zealand this summer.

"I had a friend who told me about this program, " Kaitlin said. "We went to Africa last year, and it was something I felt moved to do."

She said since she surrendered to ministry at church camp two years ago, she knew the direction her life was headed, but she wanted to be sure this was the right step.

"I prayed about it to see if this was what the Lord wanted me to do," she said. Kaitlin sent for brochures from Teen Mania, and began the application process.

The hardest part, she said, was telling her parents.

"My dad initially said no," she said. "But we thought about it, and we prayed about it as a family."

The smoother the process, the more Kaitlin and her family were convinced it was meant to be.

"They have so much faith," she said. "And they are so supportive of me."

Kaitlin said she was allowed to choose three regions, and the agency would then choose which she would visit.

Her second and third choices were the United Kingdom and Western Europe. But her first pick was New Zealand.

"It's always been some place I've been interested in," she said. "And as I was doing research, I found that the suicide rate is high there.

"I'm hoping to share my testimony with other teens there and show them what God has done in my life."

She said one life changed would make it worthwhile for her.

"If I can come back having saved one kid or knowing one more kid will go to heaven, then it will all be worth it."

Her grandmother agreed. And while Kaitlin is raising the $4,000 it takes to make the trip, her grandmother and the rest of the family believe it's money well spent.

"You can't put a price tag on a life changed," said Pat Fielding, Kaitlin's grandmother.

None of her friends are surprised, Kaitlin said, about her choice.

"I've always been that kid who was at church Sunday morning and night and on Wednesday," she said. "They can't believe I'll be gone that long, but they're not surprised I'm doing it." She is a member of First Baptist Church, Bullard.

Teen Mania is part of Garden Valley-based Global Expeditions and is not affiliated with one specific denomination.

According to the Global Expedition Web site, the group, comprised of U.S. and Canadian students will spend the summer hanging out in skate parks sharing their faith with the young people of New Zealand.

The group will also have the opportunity to present street dramas at parks, schools, street corners and plazas.

Kaitlin and her group will be led by project directors selected by the organization. Many have traveled with Global Expeditions in leadership positions for several years. Each spring, project directors experience specialized training in leadership, communication, confrontation and personal development.

Each group has two project directors - one male and one female - whose responsibility it is to oversee the logistics of the trip. This includes safety, housing, transportation, and ministry.

Kaitlin, who is now a sophomore at Bullard High School, sent a letter to her friends and family explaining what she's doing and how she needs their help. Since that time, donations have poured in to the church.

"As everything falls into place, I'm not afraid at all, I'm more and more excited," she said.

As for the money, Kaitlin and her family aren't worried. But her grandmother tells Kaitlin that mission work isn't just about traveling the world.

"Ministry is wherever you are, whatever you're doing and whatever your profession is," Mrs. Fielding said. "It's a part of your every day life." Mrs. Feilding said she and her husband Bill are extremely proud of their granddaughter.

Kaitlin is the daughter of Paul and Jacque Timmins. She has a younger sister, Klaire.

Kaitlin will train for about four weeks, and her trip is from June 10 to July 6.

First Baptist Church is hosting an ice-cream supper in Kaitlin's honor before she leaves.

For more information or to donate to Kaitlin's trip, call First Baptist Church at 903-894- 8999.