Muizenberg, Cape Town, South Africa- When people think of a career that involves having a great deal of courage and bravery, many will rightfully think of public servants such as firefighters or members of law enforcement, and many will think of members of the armed forces. One that usually gets overlooked however, is a Missionary.
It may sound odd to some at first, but a Christian Missionary is someone who goes deep into remote, and sometimes dangerous, third world countries to help others and share their faith.
20 year-old Amber Tsougas is one such missionary. A New Mexico native, Amber grew up in the small town of Deming and graduated from Deming High School in 2014. Like most high school graduates, Amber wanted to pursue higher learning and enrolled in classes at New Mexico State University that fall. However, her time at State didn’t last for very long.
“Originally I wanted to be a veterinarian, so I studied animal science for about one semester and realized that was not at all what I loved to do.” Amber said. “I would come home crying because of how unhappy I was. I always felt like there was so much more to life than going to school and then working at a job I didn’t like. I was never going to settle into the American Dream.”
Ever since she was a young girl, Amber had always had a passion for helping others. Her faith in God has also been a defining factor in her life. With these two interests, as well as a love for traveling, Amber decided to seek out a position as a Christian Missionary.
After a quick online search, Amber found Passport, one of the Adventures in Missions programs for college-age students and soon found herself living in a tent for three months in Costa Rica, doing what she described as “getting to know God and working with the YWAM.”
YWAM stands for “Youth With A Mission” and is often pronounced “Why-Wham.” YWAM is a Christian based organization founded in 1960 and is dedicated to spreading the teachings and values of Jesus Christ across the world.
Amber is currently attending a Discipleship Training School in Muizenberg, a small providence in Cape Town, South Africa, and will soon spend three months abroad as part of a Ministry.
Amber’s travels with YWAM have taken her all across the world. She has visited Costa Rica, South Africa, Switzerland and France as part of her mission. She says she has also traveled to Puerto Rico, Mexico and Italy outside of the mission.
Most of the time, Amber has the time of her life on these travels. Aside from missionary work, Amber and her friends enjoy spending days on the beach, surfing, skating and (ever since arriving in South Africa) playing Ultimate Frisbee. Amber has been skating off and on in her hometown of Deming since the age of 6, but didn’t really start practicing regularly until she was 19.
But Amber’s work in the ministry always comes first. Amber describes working in the ministry as anything from working in townships with refugees to working on streets and speaking to homeless people, abandoned children and prostitutes, trying to spread God’s love.
This work has occasionally led to some odd and uncomfortable situations. “Townships and informal settlements are always a risk to go in.” Amber said, “I work on the streets, so you never know who you’re going to encounter. It’s really sketchy.” She went on to describe some tense situations involving homeless men, brothels and even witch doctors.
“I just pray to God to guide me through the situation,” Amber said. “Every time we go out, we have to pray for the amor of God to protect us.”
After being told that she must have nerves of steel, Amber laughed. “It’s not nerves of steel, it’s just pure love and trust. I know the love of God and I want it for everyone. The lost. The broken. I love people and I love helping them. I love being able to love the outcasts and the un-loveable. Just telling people about Jesus and knowing Jesus makes it worth every single second.”
Amber says that she plans on making missionary work a lifelong endeavor. Her next mission will take her to Cypress and Greece. She also regularly publishes her own monthly newsletter, documenting her missions and adventures across the globe. She also takes great pride in being the first New Mexico native that many people meet.
