About Tara
The biggest turning-point in my life happened at age 17 as I got to know Jesus as my Savior. I was shocked to discover that God saves us by His grace rather than our own works (Eph. 2:8-9). I then moved from Platteville to Madison, WI, for college, and I immediately noticed Cru at the UW. Surprisingly, they were the largest student group on campus! My friends were going to the Christmas conference in Minneapolis that year, so I went too. The speakers were missionaries from around the world who told numerous stories about what God was doing. My eyes widened as I learned that there are millions of people who have never heard the name of Jesus. One speaker expressed the need for laborers in France. Though it's a developed nation, they are considered "unreached." God was whispering, "You've studied French for 5 years, you've been there, and now you know Me. Will you go, Tara?" I almost fainted. Me?! I couldn't believe that God had been equipping me for so long, but He's smart like that.
So I went to France in the summer of '05 and began treating Jesus as Lord. I wanted to be fully-obedient. And He blessed me. For example, I met a student who had had a dream about Jesus the night before! One student wanted to read a Bible, but there were no Christian stores in the city, so we provided a French Bible for her. The nation is less than 2% Christian, and most people have literally never heard anything about the Good News. The visible churches were museums, and it's taboo among French to talk about God, much less religion. But we weren't French, and they all had spiritual questions bottled up inside. So we were the safest people that many French students got to talk with, and that was quite rewarding! I feel very called to work with college students wherever He places us-- they are so ripe for the harvest!