Hello, my name is Anna Pavia! I could not be more thrilled to join the team at CFNA as a summer intern this month. I grew up in Saint Charles, Missouri, and I am a rising senior at Missouri State University. I am pursuing a degree in both International Business and Spanish.

My spiritual journey started as growing up with the understanding that God and going to church was good and prayer was what I was supposed to do. I didn't think there was more to faith for several years until God used some close mentors in my life to show me the realness of a relationship with Jesus; I learned that I didn’t have to work for His love, and my life didn't have to look a certain perfect way. Through a few years of trials and tragedy, the Lord showed me I couldn’t possibly do this life without his strength because mine had quickly proven insufficient. These years were definitely a time where my faith was being shaped and strengthened, as I learned more about intimacy with God and how faithful he is in the midst of the evil and tragedies that the world brings. Continuing through college as I am put in situations apart from the people and environments that I am used to relying on, God has become a constant for me. He is teaching me that there will be so many different seasons of life, and I am so grateful for all of the amazing people that He's brought into my life, but He's taught me that at the end of the day I can only wholly rely on Him and no person as I seek to live a life for Him.

A recent experience that has shaped my life and education is studying abroad in Costa Rica for the past four months. My time there highlighted and encouraged my passions for learning Spanish, interacting with other cultures, as well as traveling. I look forward to continuing to build and nourish the relationships that I built with people from Costa Rica. I am confident that my experience will play a crucial part in my life moving forward, as I will carry the love from the people I met, the lessons the Lord taught me, as well as the new perspectives I gained through each day.

By Anna Pavia

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