Kristy Francis

Concordia College - Michigan

Q: What is the most important thing in your life and why?

A: My relationship with the Lord is the most important thing in my life and then my family. Having a close intimate relationship with the Lord is very important to me. Daily I strive to grow more intimate with Him and do His will. He is always there for me and has been and He continues to get me through hard times. My joy and hope is in the Lord and no matter what is going on around me I can always find joy through Him!! My family is also important because we, along with the strength of the Lord, have been through a lot together. We have grown closer to Him and to each other as a result.

Q: What life lessons have you learned from softball in general? A: Softball has taught me many life-long lessons. Commitment is one of them because you have a commitment to your teammates and coach. I’ve also learned discipline, hard work, team work and having to get along with others to achieve goals that are set because you win and lose as a team, not as an individual and you have to work together. Q: What do you remember most about your time in Zimbabwe? A: What I remember most is the fellowship with the team and other Christians and how awesome that was! Also it was awesome to be able to share the Lord with anyone we came in contact with. It's great to see people accept the Lord and to be able to get a chance to win others to Christ! Oh, and you can't forget all the animals we got to see. It was awesome to see the Lord’s creation and how beautiful everything was!!

Q: What has God taught you through CEI?

A: God has taught me many things through my CEI experience. One of them is that He has a plan for me. He knew that I needed an experience with CEI and the fellowship with my awesome teammates!! I was at a time in my life where things around me were looking down and this trip brought encouragement to me with those things that were happening. It also strengthened and encouraged me in my daily walk with the Lord. I saw the Lord work in a way I had never seen before. I had to learn to trust in Him and give up everything to Him no matter how small the problem might have been. I learned how important it was to always be in the word and my teammates encouraged me with that when I saw how important their quiet time with Him was to them. I also learned how to go out and totally play for Him not having to worry about playing for others, but just totally for Him and know that no matter what I did or how I played he still loved me no matter what the outcome.

Favorite Verse: "For I know the plans I have for you", declares the Lord, "Plans to prosper and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future" (Jeremiah 29:11).