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Meet The Team

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The Missionary:
Michelle Jaworski

Accepting Christ at a very young age, Michelle first got the missionary bug growing up in church and attending monthly missions meetings with her family. Her parents had a heart for missions, but the Lord had called them to serve him in their local church and hometown community instead of  somewhere abroad. Every month, they would drag Michelle and her three siblings to the meetings. Michelle LOVED everything about it… the food, the people, and the occasional visitors with fascinating stories from far off places that she had only read about in books. Throughout high school, Michelle dreamed about going on a short term mission’s trip because of the fun stories she heard, as well as the promise to travel to faraway places and maybe get the chance to share Jesus. Plus, didn’t every proper Christian teen go on a short term mission’s trip with their youth group? Wasn’t it like a rite of passage or something?  Okay, so maybe in high school her motives weren’t exactly the best… but God was planting a seed deep in her heart.

 

Fast forward to her freshman year of college while pursuing a degree in Interior Design, Michelle traveled to Panama on a short term mission’s trip with Susie Shellenberger, of Shellenberger Ministries, and about 300 other strangers. This time, she was excited for the right reasons. While in Panama, away from her family and friends and all that was familiar for the first time, Michelle decided she was going to be intentional about following Jesus day to day. She wanted a relationship with him and not just fire insurance. She came home with a passion for Jesus and telling others about him. 6 years, two trips, and a whole lot of growing up later, Michelle stood on a gymnasium stage at a Remember Nhu New Life Camp in Kenya teaching over 200 children a song about the unconditional love of the Father. Humbled at the honor to teach them, and moved to tears in that moment of raw worship, she felt the Holy Spirit press upon her heart a calling to pursue a full time position bringing the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the least of these.

 

Fixing her eyes on Jesus, she started the journey to becoming a full time missionary.  Today it is her privilege to work for Remember Nhu, a ministry dedicated to ending child sex slavery through prevention.  Bringing her story full circle, Michelle works to help plan and oversee New Life Camps for other churches who wish to bring the Gospel to their sponsor homes. She also assists Sandy with formatting curriculum and the Spiritual Development Team's discipleship program, Journey Through the Bible. When Michelle isn't traveling with Coco and teams, or bent over spreadsheets, she loves to paint, sing with her worship team, attend shows at the theater, and go on outdoor adventures with friends and family. 

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The Companion:
Coco

Michelle met Coco in Coco's hometown of Gatlinburg, TN while she was on a family vacation visiting with some of her cousins who lived in the area. It had been a very long day, and too much fun had left Michelle more cranky then she would probably ever admit was possible.  In an effort to keep the peace, and cheer Michelle up, Racheal, Michelle’s sister, introduced her to Coco! It didn’t take long for them to become bbfs as they bonded over their shared love of Jesus, travel, and couture fashion. They began traveling together, and the rest is history!  Coco continues to lift Michelle's spirits on the rough days, always bringing Michelle's focus back to Jesus. When her heart starts to grow weary, Coco reminds her they do what they do to share the message of Christ’s unconditional love and saving grace to anyone who will listen. 

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The Fearless Leader:
Sandy Bryan

As the Director of Spiritual Development for Remember Nhu, Sandy is the creator of New Life Camps and the Remember Nhu discipleship curriculum, Journey Through the Bible. She also provides support to Remember Nhu house parents all over the world as they directly oversee the spiritual development of the children in their care. Michelle is privileged to be a part of her team as her assistant! Throughout the year, Michelle and Coco join Sandy on all of her stateside training trips and her New Life Camp trips aboard. Traveling for New Life Camps is perhaps the most exciting part of Michelle's job, and Sandy is by far Michelle and Coco's favorite travel buddy. Affectionately known as their “trip mama,” Michelle and Coco gave Sandy this nickname during their first trip to Kenya together where their friendship and journey with this sweet lady began. As Michelle puts it…  

“I will never forget when I first met Sandy. I arrived at my first New Life Camp Training that lovely May morning, not really sure what to expect. I greeted the couple people from my church I knew, but aside from that I sat silent, slightly terrified about the whole experience, until the lovely, professional, classy lady in a bright pink shirt and matching lipstick began to speak. As her sweet southern voice guided us through everything we needed to know for our upcoming trip, I was instantly put at ease. All the uncertainty I had been feeling about the trip turned to pure excitement and peace. She intrigued me, I knew I had to get to know her, and I was secretly overjoyed it was our church she would be attending the next day! After singing with my worship team the next morning, I made my way to the back to greet our sweet guest from South Carolina expecting to receive a polite greeting and exchange some casual small talk. Instead, she immediately wraps her arms around me like an old friend, and proceeds to compliment me on the song I had just sang, comparing my voice to that of an artist I had never heard of who had apparently done all these wonderful things for Remember Nhu. She asked if I would sing the song at New Life Camp. Not wanting to spill the beans that I had no idea who she was talking about, and honored and surprised at the invitation, I eagerly agreed! Later that summer, while in Kenya, Sandy would again wrap her arms around me by taking me under her wing, opening her heart to me, providing sweet wisdom and guidance, and looking out for me throughout the whole trip. In the years since that first trip, we have remained friends and she continues to offer me advice, prayer, and love. I am so excited and honored to introduce this sweet friend and mentor of mine to you all as my fearless leader, boss, and ministry partner!”

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