Staff
Melissa
- melissa@wordmadeflesh.org
- Country
- India-Kolkata
Melissa is the second of four daughters, but her family still managed to play full-contact football in the backyard in the fall. As long as she can remember, the way of Jesus was modeled for her by her family, and she was encouraged to pursue her own relationship with the Lord.
After completing a degree in pre-medical biology from Indiana Wesleyan University in 2000, Melissa realized she didn't want to be a doctor anymore. (She could have saved herself a lot of hours of study if she would have figured it out sooner!) Instead, she spent five years serving as the junior high youth pastor at Spring Arbor Free Methodist Church in southern Michigan. During this time, God awakened in her His passion for justice, the poor and the world. In 2006 Melissa resigned from her role at the church, unsure of what would be next in life.
After a friend told her about WMF, Melissa went on a Servant Team to Kolkata in 2007. She returned to the States more convinced that she wanted to be a part of amplifying the voices of those who are being drowned out. In 2008 she spent a year volunteering for a human rights organization in South Asia. During this time, Melissa became aware of two things. While parts of her enjoy "the big picture," relationships make her alive. And though she enjoyed the years of "taking the long way around," she was ready to put down roots again. It became abundantly clear that joining the WMF community in Kolkata was the next step on the journey.
Melissa is currently putting down roots in Kolkata. She is slowly learning her way around the city, practicing her Bengali (the language), and takes great joy in deepening old friendships and building new ones.