Have you ever met an extroverted extrovert? We have a few of these “live big” people in our community and each of them bring energy, enthusiasm, love and laughter. One of our lovely ladies is our own Samantha Ferguson. She makes us better!
A photographer by trade, you may know her best by her work through His Hands Photographs. She may have taken your picture at a community event or you have hired her to document your family. Or maybe you have enjoyed her world renowned chili at the Liberty Church fall picnic. If our memory serves correctly, she’s won the best chili trophy the last three consecutive years. Others may have met Samantha through home school activities where she creatively incorporates various culture foods, neighborhood parks, YouTube videos and crafts into her teaching. She may have been the one that had you gasping for breath because you were laughing so hard at a ladies night or she was the one who prayed boldly over you and begged God to act at a Monday night prayer gathering. Maybe you flew across the world with her to serve with Kwathu Children’s Home in Zambia or helped sort fresh veggies at the Grace Klein Community office?
Samantha is not one of those volunteers that fits in a box. She’s creative and crazy, a great cook and a Jesus lover. Most recently, she participates in the GKC Trade Market, giving rescued flowers to new friends, and caring for her elderly lady with fresh food, a listening ear, and leg massages. She hosts or attends intentional ladies gatherings where she loves with homemade yum, encouraging scripture and prayer. She cares for people and is often a sneaky giver of money, time or childcare.
Often she may describe herself as frazzled, chaotic, disorganized or broken, but if we all get real, wouldn’t those same words describe ourselves!? Samantha’s real is beautiful and she is actually fully equipped, redeemed, valued and a child of the King. An overflowing laundry basket, a messy van, and wrinkled clothing makes the rest of us feel more “normal.”
Some of our favorite memories of Samantha are that time she set up the funny photo booth at one of our community nights, the day she ate a mopani worm at the open market, the day she helped host an amazing Zambia open house with fancy foods, the time she prayed and spoke truth over a struggling friend, the late night game night where she laughed so hard I promise she snorted, that time she asked an Africa if they had jerky and she thought she was calling her a jerk, oh, and the bookmarks she designed for Kwathu Children’s Home where the printing donation was for 1200 and they accidentally printed 12,000.
One of her life songs is Oceans by Hillsong and she sings it as a genuine heart worship to Jesus and as a representation of how willing she is to trust God even when she has no idea what life may bring her.
“Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders
Let me walk upon the waters
Wherever You would call me
Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander
And my faith will be made stronger
In the presence of my Savior.”
Oceans, Hillsong