"The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet." – Frederick Buechner 

Carrie is a MobilePack Development Advisor at Feed My Starving Children. This post is part of a series where Feed My Starving Children staff share their FMSC story. Follow along on social media with #MyFMSCStory.

It was 2012 and I had just landed in Mumbai, India on my way to Pune, where I would visit the site of my company’s existing offices and the construction site for the new technical center we were building.

I was excited to meet my team face to face for the first time, but I was completely unprepared for the journey.

I did not realize that I was landing in a city where over 12 million people were living inside of 460 square km and over half of them did not have reliable access to electricity, clean water and educational opportunities.

I did not know I would see malnourished children working in unhealthy and dangerous conditions.

So, when I arrived at the luxury hotel, was given a complimentary upgrade and escorted to a suite, I became physically ill as the stark contrast shattered my heart in ways I didn’t yet understand.

The second was a couple of months later, when my family and I visited Feed My Starving Children for the first time. I was exposed to God’s heart for those suffering from starvation and introduced to a solution.

Fast forward to 2016. I was a successful woman with a family and a fast-paced career. I had it all, right? Why then, was I asking myself over and over, “What am I doing this for?”

That was God tugging at my heart, leading me to a life changing career move. My first response was, “Sure, God. No problem. We’ll just get these kids through college first.”

Sadly, it was months before I realized that waiting until the kids finished college was my timing, not God’s.

My next response was, “Ok, God, I get it; sooner rather than later, but surely not now, right?”

Clearly, I am not a great listener, because it wasn’t until December that I realized God’s answer was, “Not just sooner, NOW!”

Shortly after that “NOW” from God, we began a series at my church, Christian Church of Clarendon Hills. It was called Amplifying God’s love with my imperfect life. I thought, “Well, I definitely have an imperfect life, so if God is willing to use it and is calling, here I go.” God was probably thinking, “Finally!”

As a family, we had a lot of changes to make and I wasn’t sure exactly where to begin, so I prayed, enlisted an amazing team of prayer warriors, enrolled in Financial Peace University, and began my job search.

After seven months of prayer, forming new habits, searching, applying, interviewing for and being turned down for jobs, it finally happened. I was offered a position at FMSC that felt like it was exactly what God had been leading me to.

Last summer, I began my new role at FMSC and haven’t looked back since. I am not saying that it is perfect, and I am not saying it’s easy. But every day when I wake up I know exactly why I am doing what I do.

I truly believe God called me to this role helping to feed His kids around the world. That was boldly confirmed when I traveled to Haiti to visit with FMSC’s partners and spend time with kids who have been receiving our food.

I cannot even begin explain the darkness these beautiful children have experienced in their short lives and the light that God’s love brings to their world. I am so thankful for the seeds God planted back in 2012 and the opportunity to amplify His Love with my very imperfect life.

Do you want an FMSC story? Come work with us!

Current staff — send your story with photos to social@fmsc.org. We can’t wait to hear your FMSC story.