Admitted & Enrolled and my classes start in August BUT I still need your help...

Hi there,

My name is Xenia Kekae - a sinner saved by grace - and I am a full-time youth volunteer missionary with the Seventh-Day Adventist Church. What this means is that I’m not an official “employee” of the church however, I volunteer to help where I can, when I can, covering my own costs.

I’m right now raising funds to help meet my first semester tuition fees of USD $7500 at the Southwestern Adventist University in Texas, USA . By God’s providence, I’ve been admitted and enrolled to pursue a Bachelor in Religion and my classes start fourth week of August.

I initially put out my first fundraising poster in April and the idea was to run the fundraising drive till July. In May however, I was called back by my local church in Hohola, Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea to serve as an “Admin Clerk”, a capacity I had served since 2021 after walking away from the Corporate world.

So I put my fundraising drive on halt and returned to the small dusty make-shift of an office and for these past two months, I’ve been quietly serving my local church.

Now, with less than four weeks to go before my classes start, I’m in need of urgent financial assistance to complete my first semester fees. The initial target was PGK30,000 however, half of this amount has been raised and already paid into the school account. Unfortunately, I’m still short on half - K15,000 - and with this fundraiser, I’m hoping to raise the outstanding.

Prior to this study opportunity, I was based in the Philippines last year where I served as a Digital Missionary with the Adventist World Radio. Before that, I worked full-time with my local church as an Admin Clerk - a capacity I served since 2021.

———————————————————————-

Let me back up…

In March of 2021, my local church Pastor asked me if I’d be willing to serve the church during my free time. I almost blushed at the question. Me? I thought. Yeah, nah. I’ll pass.

I didn’t know anything about “church work” or the processes involved. Sabbath in, Sabbath out and that was all there was to my “church life.” Sure. I had grown up in the church but never really involved myself with anything outside of my Pathfinder classes. Fortunately, that was about to change.

This Pastor - Edward David Dango who is now a District Pastor within the Central Papua Conference - reassured me that God was going to be with me and for some reason, that was enough for me that I ended up committing to the church. It has now been more than 4 years since with the exception of a year in the Philippines and I’ve never been more fulfilled in my life being actively involved in God’s mission.

________________________________________

Before the year 2021….

I graduated from the University of Papua New Guinea with merits in 2019 with a BA in Business Management and having worked for just two (2) short years in the Corporate world (in two different companies), I submitted my resignation to serve full-time at my local church. Little did I know at the time that in submitting my resignation, I was actually giving up my career.

I had just been promoted to managerial position within 3months into my second job - my annual salary was PGK35,000 plus an additional sales commission of PGK70,000. I thought it was a fair start for a young graduate. When I made the shift from Corporate work to Church mission, I was given an allowance of PGK340 fortnightly for almost 2 years. The rest is HIS-story.

The growth has been humbling, my faith and passion for church and mission have grown and I’m now excited to witness for Jesus in “…Judea, Samaria and the uttermost…” Acts 1:8.

Your support to me right now in what seems like an impossible journey of faith will mean so much to me! However little, I trust God to multiply. At the time of this fundraising drive, I’m wrapping up my Admin duties at my local church to prepare for departure.

I have a Digital Ministry under my name on social media where I post uplifting contents from time to time and pray with people. I also share personal testimonies which can also be found on my Facebook page.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read my story (though it’s not the whole of it) and for sharing it. Thank you also for your prayers.