a little of my story
My desire for missions began when I was a young child. I remember praying for missionaries after pulling their prayer cards out of a tin can in Sunday School at Ankeny Baptist Church. I took several trips abroad, including a month with David and Kandie Stilwell in Peru when I was 17. I received a Biblical Studies degree with a minor in missionary nursing from Faith Baptist Bible College. I have worked as a nurse in a hospital for over five years, and I am now a Family Nurse Practitioner. I also work in a migrant agricultural worker family practice, where all of my patients speak Spanish (I have a translator because my Spanish isn't quite good enough yet!) Working in the medical field provides many opportunities for gospel-centered conversation.
I plan to serve in Iglesia Bautista La Romana (La Romana Baptist Church) in the Dominican Republic. I stayed with the Peavy family to meet their church family for one month in spring of 2026. This church has expressed interest in forming a medical team for community outreach. I will also provide medical care for the kids at the Hogar Betesda (Bethesda Home) boys home, a ministry of this local church. Additionally, I plan to teach a health class at the seminary. I also look forward to discipling younger girls in the church, just as I have loved doing at my sending church.
(It’s all in Spanish, but YouTube might auto-dub English for you.)
I joined Baptist Mid-Missions because of their emphasis on the local church. I’ve put a lot of time and resources into medical education, but my heart’s desire is still to use my life to share the gospel and strengthen the local church. Medicine is a tool in the toolbox, but it’s not the final goal.
Pastoral References
Pastor Jason Blunk
We are thankful to be Anna’s sending church. We have had the joy of watching her grow up here at ABC. Anna has desired to serve God in missions since she was young, and it has been a joy for us to see God confirm that calling in her life. We believe God will use Anna greatly on the field. He has given her a wonderful desire to serve others, a faithful spirit, and a genuine love for people. It is our joy to send her from Ankeny Baptist Church to serve in the Dominican Republic!
Pastor Brad Fincham
It has been a privilege for me to know and serve alongside Anna as one of the pastors at Ankeny Baptist Church. Over the time I have known her, I have seen in Anna a genuine love for the Lord, a desire to faithfully follow His Word, and a sincere heart for serving others. She is a humble, teachable, and dependable young woman who takes her relationship with Christ seriously and has demonstrated a willingness to serve wherever she is needed. I have been particularly encouraged by the way the Lord has grown her burden for missions and her desire to use the abilities and training He has given her to reach people with the Gospel and help them grow as followers of Christ. I am thankful for the opportunity to recommend Anna and have confidence that she will faithfully serve the Lord and be a blessing to the church and people she is sent to serve in the Dominican Republic.
Pastor Ramón Castro
… It has been a great joy to see how you’ve integrated with us and to learn a little more about what the Lord has placed in your heart. That is why I want you to know that we have a genuine longing and high hopes that you can return to our country as soon as possible, as the Lord opens the doors, provides what is necessary, and makes it possible. … I see several very specific areas where I believe you could serve and be a great blessing. First, at the Hogar Betesda Foundation (Orphanage), collaborating with the care and well-being of our children, both spiritually and physically. You could also join us in the community service projects we carry out quite frequently… Another very special area would be discipling our youth and teenagers—walking alongside them, listening to them, teaching them, and helping them grow in their relationship with Christ. Likewise, I see a wonderful opportunity for service in the Sunday School and evangelism ministry. …
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