A heart for missions: Friese's compassion led her to Georgia

Joanna Friese has a heart for others, and this past summer that compassion led her to a national mission opportunity in Georgia.

Friese, 25, attended Southeast Missouri State University, where she received a degree in dietetics. Following graduation, she attended Southern Illinois University-Carbondale and completed a master's and internship program in community nutrition to become a registered dietitian. Soon, however, the Jackson native found herself looking into a summer mission opportunity.

"I had just graduated with my master's and had a full-time job as a dietitian that turned out not to be for me, and things just began to get a little bit hard from there and threw my world for a loop," she said. "God blessed me by providing me another job even before I got out of the first one, and when I realized I was going to have a free summer I wanted to use it for him, because he's been so good to me. And sharing him is the ultimate reason I am here anyway."

In her search, Friese found a 10-week opportunity with the Georgia Mountain Resort Ministry, which is supported by the North American Mission Board and the Georgia Baptist Convention. Feeling called to the position, she applied and was accepted.

Friese often worked with her three team members and two supervisors as coordinators for youth groups participating in weeklong mission trips through the Georgia Mountain Resort Ministry.

"A typical day for us started out doing a day camp at one of our many locations for kids ages 4 to 12, much like VBS. In the afternoon we would do servant ministry projects."

Among the servant ministry projects her team performed: river and trail cleanup, window washing the shops of downtown Helen, Ga., construction, yard work and painting. The group also visited nursing homes and a senior center frequently.

"In the evenings I often worked at my job at Damron's Gifts, but that didn't mean the ministry stopped. I had some great conversations with customers there."

The evenings not spent working, Friese was involved in children's ministries or the family evening programs. These were opportunities to reach out to the families of children who attended the day camp.

Christian upbringing

A member of Jackson First General Baptist Church, Friese said she was a "good" kid growing up, but at the age of 9 she realized the need for a personal relationship with Jesus.

"I realized I was not good enough to go to heaven on my own, and I needed a savior ... So on a Sunday morning in May before church I talked to my parents about my desire to be saved. At invitation time at church that morning, they took me to the alter where my pastor at the time, Kevin Roberts, led me in the sinner's prayer."

Friese's parents, who she says have been the biggest influence on her life and Christian faith, consistently took her to church where she was involved in Sunday school and other programs that emphasized the importance of missions.

In addition to the summer opportunity in Georgia, Friese has also participated in trips to Texas and Louisiana, the latter after Hurricane Katrina.

Though Friese said the mission trips have been a positive experience, she's quick to recognize there are opportunities every day to share her faith.

"It's not about going somewhere else and only sharing [your faith] when you're 'on mission.' As a Christian, we're on mission every single day in our daily tasks."

Reflecting on the recent experience in Georgia, Friese said, "I learned through this experience how to start conversations with people that can be meaningful and not superficial, to not be afraid to have those conversations, and to have open eyes to see the opportunities.

I also got to see the power of prayer at work, and that is something I will always be able to look back at and say, 'God was faithful here, he will be faithful now.'"

Friese said there are many opportunities for mission work on both a short- and long-term basis through the North American Mission Board. Other opportunities exist through state conventions and individual churches.

"The main thing is to be much in prayer about it. God will put the opportunities before you that he has for you. Do keep in mind that financially mission work isn't easy. Funds have to be raised in some way. But God is our provider, and if he's called us there, you can have faith to believe it will all work out. But if you go, just be ready to be flexible.

"I was richly blessed this summer by the love and fellowship of all the Christian people I had the opportunity to get to know and serve alongside of. It gave me a little taste of what heaven will be like one day. But just the act of sharing Jesus is a blessing in itself."