Answering the Call holds a special place in my heart. They built the retreat center in Costa Rica, where my husband, Griff and I went on our first missions trip together – where we lived and served for the first couple months of our marriage after college. They were a type of community for us, providing a deep sense of purpose while we lived abroad in Europe. They invited us into a greater story of grace and adventure and depth that we would not have had otherwise. They showed us what faithfulness can really look like.
ATC isn’t some ethereal entity. It’s a few broken, inspired people who say, “Take me! I’ll go,” and that gets me excited.
When Griff and I moved back to the States after living abroad for several years, I jumped right into working at a Real Estate Law firm and starting my Master’s Degree in Strategic Communication. Fast forward a year or so later and I realized looking at closing statements and ordering payoffs was wonderful work, but not the direction the Lord was leading. Then came a phone call from Dave Fuller asking if I would have any interest in working for Answering the Call - and so began a new step in the journey.
My name is Liz Brand and I am honored to join the team at Answering the Call as the Director of Operations. I have been connected with ATC for over 6 years and could not be more excited about what God is doing in and through this organization.
What I love about Answering the Call is that they show up for people. They know that 90% of life is just showing up – being there, on the ground, in the beauty, in the mess, face to face, hand in hand, leaned in. It’s not about special programs, or finding a formula to reach the most people for the greatest amount of good – or saving the world in one spectacular act of brilliance. It’s about reaching that 1 person, apart from the 99. That 1 person the rest of the world forgot, that is too difficult to reach, seemingly not worth the danger. It’s returning over and over again and saying, “You have a good, good Father who sees you, who cares. You are not forgotten, you are deeply loved.”
In a commencement speech at Marquette University in 2001, Mister Rogers said, “You don’t ever have to do anything sensational in order to love or be loved. The real drama of life (that which matters most) is rarely the center stage or in the spotlight. In fact, it has nothing to do with IQs and honors and fancy outsides of life.”
What a profound thought! I don’t have to do ANYTHING sensational to love or be loved. This is the beautiful news of the Gospel message. He did the spectacular and all we need to do is lean in and Answer the Call to show up and show Him off. In doing so, we put our shoulder into the things that matter in history.
Ben Stuart, pastor of Passion City Church, Washington D.C. said, “Sometimes the spotlight doesn’t shine where the real action is, and we don’t get to determine who the history books remember. But we all get to decide if we’re gonna put our shoulder into the things that matter in history.” Translated: Lean In, Show Up, Shoulders Down, Head High. There are so many things I am not capable of doing, but I know I have the ability to show up.
Does that mean $10 donated matters? Absolutely!
Does that mean taking a step to go on a trip is important? Certainly!
A simple phone call, act of kindness or hour of time can make a world of difference.
When we lean in and show up, we don’t have to wait until we are millionaires to give. And we don’t have to wait until we are grown to go. We don’t have to wait to be qualified to be called.
We are putting our shoulders into the things that matter in history, and it is a divine privilege to be part of something bigger than ourselves.
So as we move forward in uncertain times, as I join this community that says, “Take me! I’ll go.”, I am resolved to simply show up. To give all of me to the least of these. Most of whom are women and men rising to be a spiritual force, children growing to be spiritual giants. Those who hold much higher standing in the Kingdom of God than I could ever dream. But you and I get to rub shoulders with these guys, and for that, I am eternally grateful.
If you want to get more involved with ATC, head to the main page of our website at www.answeringthecall.org to sign up for our email list or contact us at info@answeringthecall.org. Follow us on Facebook at Answering the Call, as well as Instagram and Twitter
@atcmissions.
LIZ BRAND | DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS
Missions was ingrained in Liz from the beginning, living in Guatemala and Belize while her parents completed a discipleship training school. Studying business in college, missions remained a focal point in her life and continued to foster a deep desire to see business implemented on the mission field. After graduating college and getting married, she and her husband lived in Costa Rica for two months and then moved to Germany for 2 ½ years where they worked and traveled to over 40 European countries. She is currently completing her Master’s Degree in Strategic Communication and is passionate about the future of ATC and the work of reaching marginalized people around the world.