Inspiring Women: Life With Katy. “My hearts biggest dream since the time I was a little girl, was to be a missionary in Africa. However, at that time I was becoming more and more anxious and began to think that I wasn’t worthy of working toward my dreams.”
Years ago, I met Katy, but I don’t think we actually talked to each other. I knew her Stepdad, John, and I had come to their home to meet her mom and chat with her. But one of Katy’s friends, Kendra, told me that Katy would be a beautiful woman to feature. I am so glad I listened to Kendra…you will read why!
Inspiring Women: Life With Katy
A Little About Me
Hello, My name is Katy Moore. My husband, Patrick, and I have been married for 5 years. We have two children, Violet (3) and Isaak (1) and another on the way due in April!
I was born in Southern Ontario and moved to Sault Ste Marie when I was 9 years old. Before moving to the Sault, we had lived in a small town about 40 minutes from Niagara Falls, called Beamsville. Located in Beamsville is a school called Great Lakes Christian High school, a private-residential Christian school. My grandparents had attended and met at this school, and ended up sending their children there. When it was time for me to go to high school, my mom gave me the option of attending Great Lakes. Being only 13 at the time, it was a very big decision. When I was sitting in the back seat of my family car one night as we drove, I asked God if He wanted me to go to Great Lakes. I felt peace about it, but I wanted to be sure.
I prayed, “God if this is really You, I pray that You will show me a shooting Star as a sign.”
A few minutes later I looked out the window at the night sky, and there it was! A shooting star!
I attended there all 4 years, except for my second semester of grade 11, as I was going on a mission trip that summer to Mozambique and wanted to be home with my family before being gone for so long. Although I had many typical teenage struggles, I am so thankful for my time there. It was at Great Lakes that God began to plant seeds in my heart and to begin to develop my faith.
In my grade 12 year I really struggled with what I should do with my life after high school. My hearts biggest dream since the time I was a little girl was to be a missionary in Africa.
However, at that time I was becoming more and more anxious. I began to think that I wasn’t worthy of working toward my dreams.
I ended up attending Wilfrid Laurier University for their Global Studies program. However, my anxiety became much worse. After that year I decided to go home to Sault Ste Marie to be with my family and attend college there for the Child And Youth Worker Program. I decided to pursue another desire my heart had, and that is working with youth and teens.
The summer between university and college I met my husband, as we worked together at a summer day camp for children. He wasn’t a Christian when we met, but he did come to church with me and respected my faith. We dated for 3.5 years. There were several times throughout this time that I thought about breaking up with him because he wasn’t a Christian, although I could also see God changing his heart. Every time I asked God if I should break up with him, I felt God saying “wait.”
About a month before we got married Patrick really committed his heart to Christ and was baptized. Since then I have watched God change his heart so much!
I finished up college in the Sault and then went on to complete a degree in Psychology at Algoma University. During this time, I felt like I had really moved away from my dreams to be a missionary, or to in some way work in ministry. I struggled a lot with anxiety about my future during this time. My first year of marriage, which was also my first year out of school, I began to seek God more than I ever had before. He began to work in my heart and to show me my worth in Him.
In August 2015 Patrick and I welcomed our daughter Violet into the world. At this time Patrick was working at Lowes in the Sault. Although we were both very thankful for him to have the job, he did not love it, and I really felt that he wasn’t able to use his strengths there.
I began to pray that God would give him a new job. And I was also praying that God would somehow use me for ministry.
I was getting more involved at church, and I loved it, but I wanted God to use me more! In March of that year, my best friend since High School, who actually works at Great Lakes as a Residential Supervisor in the girls’ dorm, told us that they were hiring a Residential Supervisor for the boys’ dorm. Patrick applied and ended up getting the job. At the end of that summer, a few days after Violets first birthday (and just a few weeks after finding out we were pregnant again), we moved to Beamsville. We actually moved into a house right on campus!
And we thus we began our adventure at Great Lakes!
My husband works in the dorm in the evenings, Sunday – Thursdays. He is there as a supervisor, a father figure, a spiritual leader, a friend to the boys, and a disciplinarian. He loves his job, and I love it too! In the 10 years since I have graduated, the school has taken on a lot more international students.
Many of the students living in the dorm are from Asia or Nigeria. A few are from Canada or the States.
I really enjoy visiting my husband at work and bringing my kids over to hang out with the teens. My kids and I also spend a lot of time visiting in the girls’ dorm as my best friend works there. I feel so grateful for this season of life where I can hang with my hubby or my best friend at their work, and get to know these amazing teenagers from all over the world.
Last year, I began to get involved in intentional ministry with the teens.
Other staff at the school asked Patrick and me to be involved with the teens. We pray for the students, intentionally develop relationships with them, and help to plan different events such as student Worship Nights and Student Retreats. These are events where we get to pour into the students about Gods love for them.
Although my priority in this season is my children, God has been slowly showing me how I can be more involved in these things over the past two years.
I have been able to get to know many of the students, to pray with them, to tell them how awesome they are, how much God loves them, and to just hang out with them. Many of them love hanging out with my kids, and it is a huge blessing. Teenagers are the best. They are hilarious, and they all think they are the best thing to happen since sliced bread (Hey, that’s how God sees them too right, so they aren’t far off!). I feel blessed to get to be a part of their lives in small ways.
In a way I never would have imagined, God has combined all the things that I have always loved – teenagers, different cultures, and ministry!
I feel like we are learning to be missionaries right here in Canada, and I never would have expected that. God is using this time to teach us so much about Him –who He is, how much He loves us and wants to take care of us, and how much He wants us to have a heart that is burdened for others to know Him.
A Typical Day
In the morning my kids wake me up, and we eat breakfast together downstairs as my husband sleeps in a bit since he works late. We get ready for the day, usually with music playing, so getting ready often involves several mini family dance breaks. Three mornings a week Violet goes to Great Lakes Preschool (there are a High school and a preschool on campus). Since Patrick is off during the day, we usually run errands or clean, and hang out with our fun-loving boy, Isaak!
Two mornings a week I work in the school cafeteria helping to make and serve lunch.
It’s a nice break from home life, and it’s also a nice way to get more plugged in with the students. We usually eat lunch together as a family since Patrick works during dinner time, and then we have nap/quiet time in the afternoons. Patrick and I try to use this time to have a few moments alone together. After nap times, Patrick heads to work then it is just the kids and me for the evening. We usually go for a walk, play outside, or go visit in the dorms before dinner.
After dinner, the kids and I play and clean up a bit, and then its bedtime! After the kids are asleep (finally!), I’m all alone for the evening. This is usually when I spend time with God, read, and check up on social media before going to sleep.
My Daily Struggles
My daily struggles are pretty typical of any mom with young children. The many tantrums, the fighting of naps and bedtimes, potty-training, etc. I do not naturally enjoy the toddler age, so I have to be intentional about making sure I am enjoying each day with my kids. Because I know that although this age is a struggle I will miss this season one day. However, God is teaching me so much about His heart and His love for us through this season!
Joys In My Day
I have a lot of things in my life that brings me joy! I love my two awesome kiddos. They are both fun loving and silly, and they both have their own very distinct personalities. I love watching them grow and learn. Watching my husband and my kid’s play brings me joy.
It brings me joy to see my husband’s relationship with God grow more and more as time goes on.
It brings me joy to see how this changes our family for the better!
I also get so much joy from living so close to my best friend. I get to see her almost every day, and she is someone who encourages me and uplifts me and brings me closer to God. The students in the dorm also bring me joy, I really care about them and love getting to know them.
My Dreams
A dreamer is something I have always been! I dream of travelling more of the world with my husband, also living overseas. I would love to go back to Africa someday. Doing some kind of overseas mission work with my family, whether short term or long term, would be a dream. Maybe going back to school one day to get a Masters in Counselling, would also be a dream, as I would love to work with teens in that capacity.
Most of all, I just dream of myself and my family trusting God and knowing him more and more.
I have always loved adventure, and the more I find that we trust in God – the more I find that we are allowing Him to bring us on an amazing adventure in life. We can let go of all our worries to Him, and we can see where He takes us. This is something I struggle a lot with because I like to be in control. But it is something God is teaching me and that I dream of doing more! I am excited to see what God has in store for us as we are obedient to Him.
Moments With God
Since my husband works evenings, I am alone after the kids are asleep. God is using this time to teach me the discipline of studying the Bible. He has provided me with this alone time, so I am trying to take advantage of that! I also find that listening to worship music or faith-based podcasts throughout the day have helped me to focus on God and to spend more time in prayer. As I include Him more in my life, I notice more and more moments with Him (funny how that works!).
God is so good, and He is always with us, in each moment.
I have not always recognized that in my life. But looking back I do know without a doubt that it is true! He is with us and loves us and works all His plans for good! Thanks for sticking with me until the end of this blog post, and I hope it encouraged you!
I trust you were blessed by, Inspiring Women: Life with Katy? I have featured many beautiful, inspiring women, and I will leave you with one more: Inspiring Women: Life with Maria(She is a single mom of NINE…yes – nine)
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*wedding photos by Brohart Photography
