My name is Ryan Collison.  I'm 22 years old and live in Severna Park, MD.  I go to the local community college around here studying music.  I've been playing guitar for about 8 and a half years and I love it.  I play on my church's worship team, and in my spare time I like to play classical music.  I'm honored that God has put this love of music in my heart because I believe that God uses music in many different ways to draw people to himself. 

   

   I came to know Christ at the age of 12.  I remember struggling with it at first because I didn't "feel" anything different.  I guess I expected to feel something tingly, warm, or to be completely, and perfectly happy.  Even though I didn't "feel" any different, I KNEW I was different...if that makes any sense.  I suppose I actually realized what certain convictions felt like even though I didn't know what a conviction was at the time.  Like I said, I knew I was different.   It's hard to explain. Maybe you can relate?  Hopefully....because I sound silly.   

 

   Anyway you put it, Christ has come in, changed me completely, and I have been saved by his magnificent grace.  I told a friend the other day that the more time I spend with God and learn more about him and learn about myself , the more unworthy I feel to be called his son.  Simply because he is so beautiful and I am so wretched.  But I know that I can come to Him with confidence, become perfectly clean, and be called not only son, but beloved.  

 

   I am very excited for this trip.  I'm very excited to meet all of you.  I'm very excited to see how God will use us together to make a difference half-way across the world for his kingdom.  I know that he is working in our lives before we even go on this trip, and I can't wait to see what he does when we get there (Lord willing).  I don't know about you, but right now he's teaching me to trust him with the finances I need for this trip.  It's really hard, but remember that our God is all-powerful and all-knowing.  I need to remember that, too.  Please pray for me to trust him with that.  I will be praying for you.