Hello All! 

My name is Kacie Sebek. I respond to Kacie, Kace, Sebek, and will inevitably always turn around when someone says “Hey!” – so, catching my attention will likely be fairly easy. Some close friends and family members call me Kacieleigh - (middle name) - it's not a nickname in regards to shortening my name... but it works. I am 22 and was born and raised in Houston, Texas. I went to The University of Texas for undergrad and graduated with a B.A. in Psychology and a minor in Spanish in 2010. Due to my fascination with child development and education, I have spent this past year working in an elementary school, KIPP SHINE Prep, in Houston. It has been an incredible experience and has confirmed my interest of working with children in the future. After we return from Nicaragua, I will return to UT to earn a Masters in Social Work to learn more about serving children and families.

My interest in this field has developed from a variety of experiences and has always been solidified through mission work. I have participated in several international mission trips through my church. I traveled to Guatemala in 2008 and Kenya in 2011. On both of these missions, our teams helped families and churches through construction. In Guatemala, we expanded a local church so they would be able to minister to more of the community. In Kenya, our group built AIDS orphan shelters (for children and family members that lost parents or loved ones to AIDS). The gratification received from working with locals is absolutely indescribable.  From each of my mission experiences, I have received just as much back from the communities as our church has given to them. I am excitedly anxious to witness what God has in store for the Nicaragua mission.

Nicaragua will be my first international mission with a national program and with a fully young population.  As the majority of people and their faith, I have been through a roller coaster of belief and doubt. I have discovered that my faith is significantly stronger when I share it with others and in ministry settings. I am looking forward to missioning with people around my own age. Being in a group of any size and age range always provides challenges and rewards. I hope that our focus in Nicaragua can remain on the task at hand – serving others. Aside from this, there are two things that I am excitedly anxious for (a mix of both emotions - weighed out currently by the excited!). The first is my Spanish knowledge. I am pumped to put my Spanish to the test and hopefully avoid making those common mistakes of saying, "I'm man" instead of "I'm hungry" or "I'm married" instead of "I'm tired." Regardless of what is actually said, the practice will be there - and I'm stoked! I studied in Spain (Santander) in 2009 but did not utilize my spanish surroundings. There'll be a whole different story for Nicaragua. Bring on the Spanish! The second, and more substantial of the two, includes my anxiety for how God is going to use me. I know He has amazing things planned for us and this mission as He works through us to serve the community, and additionally, how He works through the locals to impact our lives. I am ready to see the wonders He reveals in Nicaragua. Awesome!

From what I have read on the posts and comments, it seems like everyone already has a pretty sweet connection. I have no idea what this game is that everyone is speaking of, but I truly hope someone will bring it to Nicaragua and we can get serious about it. As for extracurricular activities and such, I have recently picked up the hobby of working out. I am not a runner and do not believe that I ever will be, although I wish that was not the case. I have never played Ultimate but have many friends that are addicted – so, I’d appreciate the opportunity to try it out! I thoroughly enjoy being outdoors and being active. I absolutely LOVE summer and water sports – wakeboarding especially! I really love all seasons (as much of “seasons” as we get in Texas). Winter allows me to curl up with a blanket and read a good book! That is so hard to do in the summer when it’s so pretty outside! I recently became an Aunt (in September) and so I spend a lot of free time visiting my sister and her family.

That’s a rough summary, but I think it’s a good peek into my life. We have lots of time to get the nitty gritty details! If you have any questions or just want to contact me prior to the trip, my email address is kacie.sebek@gmail.com. I look forward to meeting you all (in person) soon!

Blessings, 

Kacie Sebek