Her Story: Amy Noelck

her |həː, hə| pronoun 1 used as the object of a verb or preposition to refer to a female person: she shared her heart.

I recently asked my friend Amy to speak at Equipped By Faith and I was captivated by her passion for people. I had the privilege of meeting her through a mutual friend and was so moved by all the stories she would tell about India.

Beyond being a genuinely beautiful person of faith, Amy served the people of India for an entire year. We all cried as we heard Amy share her heart with us. I knew that my friends should all know her story, so I asked her the following questions... Praying that you would feel inspired and motivated to serve others. May we all be a little more like Amy!

Q&A with Amy Noelck

1.) What do you think you were put on this earth for? What's your biggest dream in life?

That's actually the question I've been asking myself lately. "Why are you here? Is anything you're doing important or positively affecting those around you? What is your purpose in life?" It seems I'm constantly asking God what my purpose is. We want to know who we are, and what we were created to do. This gives us motivation to wake up in the morning--something to conquer. But something wonderful happens when you begin to question your purpose in life: You're forced to run to the One who created you, to ask why. I know the path to His love and grace better than I know anything else. I can point people to that. I know, because I've experienced it for myself. I can bring people there, right to the feet of the Father who loves them more than they could ever know. I find great joy, peace, and purpose in that. I know I was put on this earth to encourage others in their purpose. To give hope to the hurting and to show love to the broken. I'm drawn to people who are left out, alone or abandoned. I want everyone to feel included, loved and cared for. I thrive when I can be part of helping others succeed in finding their own purpose in life. So, I suppose my purpose is to help others find theirs--and my greatest dream would be to live that out, the best that I can, all the days of my life.  

2.) What are some of the obstacles that you have had to go through to get to the point you are at now?

Obstacles come daily, but I'm learning to see obstacles in life as lessons and preparation for the future. Any time a challenge comes my way, I ask God how I should deal with it. What does the Word of God say about my problem? How do I respond? One of the biggest obstacles I've had to face lately is in the area of my finances. I usually find myself working for humanitarian-related projects, and those often don't pay the bills. When I moved to India for a year to volunteer for an organization teaching music at an orphanage, I had to trust God every single day to take care of my financial needs. And--He did. Abundantly and miraculously. I always had enough, and I learned that He is faithful, even when we aren't (2 Timothy 2:13). When God asks you to do something, you do it. No questions asked. The answer is always, yes. I've found that obedience is always the right answer--and God takes care of the rest.

3.) What motivates/inspires you?

Oh, lots of things. Other people who are doing great things with their lives, mostly. But I can be inspired by a bouquet of fresh flowers, traveling and visiting a new place in the world, a good cup of coffee, sunsets, clouds, nature.. Good, beautiful things inspire me. They remind me that we live in an incredible world, full of great potential. One of my favorite writers in one of my favorite quotes said it best, "Allow the subtle things to be glorious. Flip fear into courage. Sweetly anticipate nothing in particular. Be rocked and riveted by the "ordinary". Think poetically. Look for the beauty. Create magic. Be love." - Victoria Erickson

4.) What do you want to be remembered for?

I want to be remembered for being a lot like how love is described in 2 Corinthians 13. I want to be patient and kind. I want to be gentle and show kindness to all people. I don't want to demand my own way, I want to yield to others. I want to be un-offendable and quick to forgive. I want to be known for standing up for those who could not stand up for themselves. Always full of faith and hope. Enduring through every circumstance. I want to be known for bringing joy and peace into situations of division and hopelessness. I want to be known as an encourager, a storyteller, and someone who laughed often. I want to be known for leaving places better than I found them, and as someone who enjoyed life to the fullest.

5.) What advice would you give other women searching for their purpose, passion & faith?

Run to the One who created you when you're looking for answers about why you were created. The closer you get to Him, the closer you'll get to your purpose. When you fall in love with Him, you'll be filled with a passion that will ignite your soul. When you spend time with Him you'll begin to realize your own worth and unique identity. Don't pursue things, promotions, titles, fame or money. Those things always leave us feeling empty in the end. Pursue Him, and you'll find out what living life to the fullest actually looks like. That's the best advice I can give to anyone!

6.) What has been your greatest achievement in life?

I don't think I've had my greatest achievement yet, but I always said I wanted to write my own music and record an album of original songs… I was able to do that about 3 years ago and hope to continue writing songs, lyrics, books, and blogs in the future, for myself and others. I also hope to see the end of the human trafficking industry for children worldwide, and I want to be part of making that happen. That is a great achievement worth hoping for.

7.) How does what you do reflect ministry, what God placed on your heart to share with the world?

Right now, I'm a writer, editor, Pilates instructor, photographer, singer, and organizer. I want everything I do to reflect who God is, and I'm beginning to see that it can when you offer your whole life to Him. I feel like I'm all over the place right now, but I've asked Him to use every avenue of my life--and He does. He's opened up ways for me to share His truth through my writing, His healing through my Pilates classes, His beauty through my photography, and His hope through my songs/lyrics. The message I have to share with the world is a simple message of the pursuit of love. My hope is for that message to be intertwined into every detail of my being and in everything that I do.  

8.) What books are you reading?

I'm currently reading, Radical by David Platt and Heart Made Whole by Christa Black Gifford. But my favorite book is Love Does by Bob Goff.

9.) How do you stay encouraged and faith-filled?

Good music, prayer, the Word of God, and close friends. I worship, write and sing often when I'm discouraged or down. I pray about everything that is on my heart--the good and the bad. I read the Word of God, and pray it over my life. I keep good friends close, and stay transparent with them about my life, hopes, dreams, and struggles. But staying close to God is the best way to stay encouraged daily--there is just something about His love and grace that brings a peace that is absolutely unexplainable.

10.) Favorite Scripture of the moment?

"But I trust in your unfailing love. I will rejoice because you have rescued me. I will sing to the Lord because He is good to me." Psalm 13:5-6

See you next time, at Equipped by Faith! 

XO-

Sabrina