Judit Manchay

“I was going through a challenging time, in many ways, just navigating the reality of growing up and being a little bit more independent as an adult. In the summer of 2012, the regional publishing director invited me to join a canvassing campaign. It was in that summer that I had an awakening and renewed experience with God. At the end of the program, I said ‘okay, God, I'm dedicating my entire life, career included.’

About a year or two before that decision, I had taken a spiritual gifts assessment at a youth retreat that the Chesapeake Conference had hosted. One of the results was pastoring. I remember being like ‘yeah, right,’ and generally ignored it. So, I continued studies at my Community College. But while canvassing that summer, I decide to pay attention to the call God had on my life.

I took a semester off and I prayed to God. I knew Adventist education would be more expensive and I had been attending a public institution where, with scholarships and grants, my financial burden was zero. So, I challenged God, “If you want me to do this, then open the doors.” God did. So, I transferred to Southern Adventist University and since then God has not stopped opening doors.

If you would have asked me, when graduating from high school, ‘where are you going to be in 5 to 10 years?’ what ultimately happened was not what I had planned. I wanted to pursue a career in broadcast journalism. I am not where I thought I would be. But, that’s the beauty of walking with God. Rather than following a map that I thought was figured out, my walk with God has been more like a canvas that God and I are painting together.”

- Judit Manchay, from Franklin and Mt. Juliet church in Tennessee.