Donna Brown
If Donna Brown could go back thirty years, to before she began serving as a missionary in Bolivia, she would tell herself, “When times get tough, don’t be afraid to reach out and ask for support.”
Donna didn’t grow up with a Christian background, so she didn’t know anything about missions before she accepted Christ and attended Circleville Bible College (now Ohio Christian University). While attending her first missions conference, she met Mary Hermiz, who was serving with WGM as a missionary nurse in Papua New Guinea. Mary’s life and testimony so inspired Donna that she decided to become a missionary nurse, as well.
During her time in Bolivia, Donna filled many different roles in addition to serving as a nurse. No matter what role she was filling, though, Donna’s heart for reaching people didn’t change. She had become a missionary because of God’s love, which was evident to her in Jeremiah 31:3, where God says, “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness” (NIV).
Donna leaned heavily on God’s everlasting love throughout different trials in Bolivia, including the loss of dear friends and the near death of her two-year-old son. God continued to show up through community, reminding Donna that when our faith is deeply challenged, God can meet our need in the most unexpected ways.
During her time in Bolivia, Donna has clung to Hebrews 10:35–36, which says, “So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.” These verses encourage her to trust God in all things and to keep persevering in the calling He has for her life. In July 2021, Donna retired, but she continues to serve as a volunteer missionary in Bolivia. She is eager to continue sharing God’s everlasting love with others, just as it has been shared with her.