June 22, 2026
A Kairos Story of Belonging, Purpose, and Calling
Recently, I had the privilege of joining Kairos University’s Reflection in Community Sessions to share my story with current students and faculty. As I reflected on my journey, I was reminded of how God often works through unexpected people, places, and opportunities to shape our lives.
My name is Lily. I am a Christ-follower, wife, mother of three, and a certified Spiritual Director. I hold a Bachelor of Arts in Christian Thought and Practice and a Master of Arts from Kairos University. Today, I serve my community as a Spiritual Mentor at ATLAS of Sioux Center, IA, where I walk alongside others as they learn to recognize God’s presence in their everyday lives—particularly through seasons defined by spiritual hunger, inner conflict, the search for self, and the journey toward healing and restoration.
My faith journey began in a large, busy city in northern Mexico. Surrendered by family, I attended a private Catholic school, and my spiritual life was shaped primarily by traditions and cultural practices. While I held a deep reverence for God, I also carried many questions. Faith felt more inherited than personal. I loved my roots and traditions, yet I often found myself wrestling with doubt, uncertainty, and a longing for something deeper.
After moving to the United States, a friend persistently invited me to church and Bible studies. She recognized a spiritual hunger in me long before I could name it myself. Although I initially resisted, curiosity eventually led me to accept her invitation.
Everything changed during a Christian Christmas concert in Sioux Falls, SD.
I remember that evening vividly. It felt as though the pieces of a lifelong puzzle suddenly came together. The questions that had occupied my mind for years gave way to a profound sense of clarity. As I listened to a musician share his testimony, I experienced something deeply personal: I no longer felt like a spectator observing faith from a distance. For the first time, I felt invited into God’s story.
The Holy Spirit met me in that moment, and the weight of confusion began to lift. Soon afterward, I found myself walking into my pastor’s office asking a simple but life-changing question for both of us: “Who is Jesus?” Not as a theological concept, but as Savior—the One who loves me and invites me into a relationship with Him.
That encounter transformed my life.
While my circumstances did not change overnight, something within me did. My faith became my own. I no longer desired merely to know about God; I wanted to know Him personally. That shift redirected the course of my life and awakened a deep desire for spiritual growth.
For years, I dreamed of pursuing higher education and deepening my theological understanding. Yet I continually convinced myself that the timing was wrong or that such a goal was unrealistic. As an immigrant, wife, mother, and full-time worker, higher education often felt out of reach.
Then God opened another unexpected door.
A friend who was studying at Kairos University reached out to interview me for a ministry leadership project. As he described his experience, what once seemed impossible suddenly felt attainable. Kairos was not merely an academic institution; it sounded like a community where someone like me could belong, grow, and flourish.
That intuition proved true.
The flexibility and relational nature of the Kairos learning model made it possible for me to pursue my education while remaining fully engaged in my family, work, and ministry responsibilities. More importantly, Kairos became a place of profound spiritual formation.
Through my coursework, mentoring team, and participation in the Listening People to Life program, I learned to embrace my story rather than view it as an obstacle. I began to see how God had been present throughout every chapter of my journey—even in the seasons marked by uncertainty and struggle.
My mentors did more than teach me. They listened deeply. They helped me recognize gifts, experiences, and perspectives that I had often overlooked or was afraid to see. Through their guidance, I gained confidence not only in what I knew but also in who God created me to be.
Looking back, I realize that the greatest gift Kairos offered was not simply an education. It was a transformation.
The real impact of Kairos is not only what you learn but who you become in the process. It is learning to recognize God’s presence in places you once overlooked, discovering purpose within your own story, and finding the courage to live faithfully into the calling He has placed before you.
Today, as I accompany others on their spiritual journeys, I carry with me the life and ministry lessons I have learned to recognize through Kairos: to listen before speaking, to trust God’s work even when growth feels slow, to embrace my story as part of His redemptive work, and to create space for others to encounter His presence. These lessons continue to shape how I serve, lead, and walk alongside people in their own journeys of faith:
God meets us where we are, our stories matter, and transformation often begins when we allow ourselves to be fully seen, fully known, and fully formed in Christ.
Lily V.
Bachelor of Arts in Christian Thought and Practice; Master of Arts, Kairos University
Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Spiritual Mentor