Hannah Friesen was recently voted by the Covenant Members to serve as the Missions Lead on the Navigation Team. She will oversee the Missions Team and our global and local partners and will provide leadership in how our community can be a piece of what God is doing in the world around us. Read on to find out more about Hannah.
Tell us about yourself.
My name is Hannah. I moved to Austin a little over six years ago and live near Space 12 on the East Side. I’m an Occupational Therapist and work with people with disabilities.
How did your story intersect with Jesus’ story?
I grew up in Thailand and Malaysia as a Missionary kid. Growing up as missionary kid, I heard a lot about God, Jesus, and what it means to be a Christian. As I’ve gotten older I have struggled through what being a Christian means to me. I have struggled through various disappointments life has brought, hurt, and change, and been jaded by what church has been. Through this journey I have been learning more and more about what it means to have grace for myself and for others and trying to live into that.
How did you get connected to Vox?
When I moved to Austin I was interested in joining an intentional community and began trying to find one in Austin. A friend who had heard Gideon speak at their church mentioned Vox to me, I emailed the website, met some people at Vox, and moved into one of the intentional community houses.
How do your skill set and experiences help you serve Vox as the Missions Lead on the Navigation Team?
I have been going to Vox for about five years and been involved in various capacities. From helping out in Greenhouse, to being a part of the stewardship, and midweek group. In it all, I’ve really appreciated Vox’s desire to seek to understand what it means to be community to one another, serve, and love each other well. As a missionary kid, I’ve appreciated learning about what God’s story looks like in various cultures. As part of the missions committee, I would want to continue to seek how our community can partner with other communities and what we can learn from each other and how we can grow together.