Joe and Catherine S.
Editors note: In Person is an occasional profile of folks who call the Jefferson Park neighborhood home. The first was Ezra Thompson, a painter. If you know someone doing something interesting, off beat, fun, please let The Jefferson Park Hub know. (Don't be shy. Tell The JP Hub what you are up to.)
At the end of December, Joe and Catherine S. celebrate their second wedding anniversary. A few days later, the 20-something couple is setting off for a two-year stint as Christian missionaries in a Middle Eastern country.
The couple, who live at 1114 Winburn Ave., spoke with The Jefferson Park Hub about their plans.
They know where they are headed, but because of the sensitivities about Christians in this country they speak in general terms about heading to the Middle East to start an “underground church.”(For the same reason, they asked their last name not be used in this post that a government might google their name and make their goal difficult to achieve.)
They are motivated by a desire to spread their Christian faith as well as help the poor. “We have a big heart for people, especially people in need,” said Catherine, 23, who is finishing her undergraduate degree from Georgia State University.
“We have had a wonderful experience with God,” he said. “We just want people to know there is a God and he is just awesome. And he had a son and his son is definitely worth getting to know and at the least, taking a chance on.”
As members of the Buckhead Church, both have gone on mission work, living and working among people with different faiths. She spent time in Romania and India and he in Slovkia and East Asia. “I don’t think missions work is ever easy or safe, necessarily,” said 26-year-old Joe.
They are working with a group called Operation Mobilization for this endeavor. Three other couples will join them as pioneers in this a community. Catherine said she wants to resist forming a clique of Americans in this new place. She said mixing and learning about new cultures is a priority.
After a three months living with a host family to learn the language and culture, they will be their own to both develop faith community and start businesses as an economic development tool to help people.
Always a personal goal, the mission trip was part of their five year plan. But life fell into place – Joe, who has a degree from Georgia Tech, finished a construction project in Midtown and she graduated from college, so now was the time to embark.
On top of adapting to a new language and new culture, they also are looking forward to growing their trust in God. “Joe and I are both big planners. We love to know what is next. We love to make lists. This is going to kind of break us of that almost and be ok without necessarily knowing what the next step looks like,” she said. “Being outside our comfort zone – I think that is where most people grow the most.”
