Most people in ministry find opportunities through their churches or hear stories from friends and family members. Andrew and Jacquelyn were an exception.
A horizon for change was dawning for Andrew and Jacquelyn, who had increasingly sensed the Lord’s hand gently escorting them out the front door of their own comfort and onto an uncertain journey. When they encountered the job post online, it became evident that the Lord was leading them.
Things were only improving for Andrew and his family. The company that he was working for was expanding and so were his roles and responsibilities. However, through the Lord’s blessings, they still felt a restlessness and a calling to increase their service to others through their skills and experience.
The pair met on a blind date at Cedarville University, where Andrew studied political science and Jacquelyn majored in history. Once married, Andrew took a position at an oil field safety training company while Jacquelyn hit the ground running with their first of five children.
As life-long Christians, Andrew and Jacquelyn believe the Great Commission is a centerpiece of the faith. Andrew was saved at just five years old after praying with his father one night, a routine he’d been doing since he can remember. And as it still does today, Jacquelyn’s faith clung to her like a sweet aroma during childhood. She would leave traces of it with her friends on the bus and at school.
They were both heavily involved in their church in Covington, La., serving as Bible study leaders and Sunday school teachers. Although ministry always had a place in their hearts, God was shutting doors in order to better prepare and mature them for his perfect timing.
A rather odd door, or a window more precisely, was opened when Andrew scrolled through Indeed’s website this past February, finding a job ad stating, “Teachers needed in Togo, West Africa.” Soon after their applications had been processed, ABWE caught wind and enlisted them.
They are slated to depart for Africa in December. Jacquelyn will be teaching the hospital staff’s children and Andrew plans to assist with the business side of the hospital and help his wife until the arrival of a second teacher.
Editor’s Note: Learn more about the Kirbys’ ministry here.
