Shushan Richardson

I first heard the Gospel through a bus ministry when I was about seven years old. It was easy for me to see sin around me and desire to be saved from that sin, but it wasn’t until the summer after eighth grade, when I was attending teen camp, that I understood I was a sinner and needed to repent and be saved. God has been faithful all my life, drawing me closer to Him and leading me to deeper surrender. In 2002, I felt God calling me to greater service, and though I did not know what that would look like, I said yes. In May 2003, I began working at WGM in the World Connection Department. I coordinated short-term mission trips to all its fields of ministry. In 2006, God asked me to serve as a foreign missionary. I served in Ukraine from fall 2006–2008. Then I returned to the US to complete my degree.

At a small Bible College in Kentucky, I received an amazing Christian education and was also blessed with a multitude of ministry opportunities. After completing my degree, I returned to Ukraine. Unfortunately, because of unrest in Ukraine, I was forced to leave. With a strong belief that God was still calling me to international service, I wanted to use the time away from Ukraine in a way that would enhance future service, which lead me to earning a graduate degree in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages). God has granted me a lot of experience teaching and training others to teach English in multiple countries and continents. My desire is to serve God well, surrender all my skills and abilities to Him, and walk through any doors for ministry that He opens.