James Covey, who will turn 28 in May of 2012, is not easy to miss. He stands over six feet tall, has blond hair and has a smile as wide as the Mississippi River is long.
Nicknamed the “Energizer Bunny” and “Mr. Intensity” by his friends for his zeal and energy, he said that there are three important keys in achieving happiness in life - “grace, because that is all it is really about, having grace, showing grace; faith, because everyone should have faith as it is the backbone of everything and lastly, laughter.”
Laughter is something that the second oldest son of Michael and Donna Covey of McKinney, Texas doesn't lack and shares with all that he comes in contact with. One who has never met a stranger, James said, “For some reason or another, dogs and kids love me.”
He said that he doesn't worry too much about life -”I am anxious for nothing … Everything was created by God, so why worry?”
A sports enthusiast, who plays whatever sport he chooses with, by his own words, “reckless abandonment,” James enjoys being with his friends, playing guitar and “being active.”
His activities include playing hockey, softball and riding his bike. He has participated in several races – including one where he rode his bike for 100 miles. This year, he is planning on taking part in another type of race, called the Tough Mudder.
James' active spirit doesn't end there. “During a mission trip to Mexico, in 2004, James was one of the leaders at a retreat for youth that involved five churches. He remembers the group building a rock climbing wall that was about 12 feet tall. It was taking the youth a long time to get over it, and “I just figured out how to plant my feet at one spot and I jumped over the wall in five seconds.”
It was also during this trip that James helped find a lost group on a trail, and carried out one of the campers who had gotten sick.
He just shrugged when asked about his adventurous side. "Life is awesome," and according to James Covey, is meant to be lived.
At the end of this year, he will be traveling to Nairobi, Kenya to begin his career as a counselor for missionaries. Employed by Wycliffe Bible Translators, he graduated from Austin College, where he received his bachelor of art in psychology, James also received his master of art in marriage and family counseling from Southwestern Theological Seminary in Fort Worth.
Of his newest adventure in life – going to Africa – James smiles, “I am open to the possibilities.”
He is following a decision he made when he was a youth – to be a missionary. “My brother and I were attending a church camp one summer … I was 14 … I remember calling my mom and telling her I thought I should be a missionary.”
James smiled, “She said she was glad I had finally figured it out.”
He paused, “She said she knew that about me from the day I was born, and that decision is just as real now as it was then, and at age 18, and at age 20, and age 25.”
James said his first thought was being a “medical missionary.” He enrolled in Austin College – as it is known for being a prestigious medical school in Texas. “I was home schooled and when I got into college, was having problems with my AP class … most of the students there had had classes already and done experiments … where I just read a book.”
So, he met with his college advisor, and they discussed his schedule. Pretty soon things started happening that led James into the psychology major, and the idea of being a counselor. He was a resident hall assistant, did a stint as an interim youth minister at a church in Texas, and had participated in several mission opportunities in Mexico with Focus on Missions (www.focusonmissions.org).
James had never felt a “calling to be a church planter or a pastor,” but it was through seeing “missionary kids who were having problems … you know the old saying about preacher's kids being the worst?”
Missionaries “were coming back, gassed and burned out … preachers too … with no desire to continue their ministry. That saddened me.”
James went on to get his masters in counseling and worked with Catholic Charities in counseling to receive the LPC – licensed professional counselor certification.
Known already for helping people -”My friends are always calling me … and I don't mind … I feel like it is one of my spiritual gifts – and I enjoy it.”- James found the opportunity to serve with Wycliffe as a counselor for missionaries.
According to James, once he receives his training, he will go to the counseling center in Nairobi, Kenya. He will work with missionaries from all churches and will travel when necessary and called upon to help out in crisis situations with missionaries. “There are over 340 million people who do not have a Bible in their language … that is just sad … in my job, I will get to help the people who are helping bring the Bible to those people.”
James, who said his favorite scripture verses go from “Genesis to Revelation,” is ready for the challenges of living in a foreign land. Before beginning in training with Wycliffe Bible Translators, he sold all of his belongings, except for what fit in his car, quit his job and said good bye to his family – mom, dad, brothers, Joel and Charles, sister, Carole and brother-in-law, Landon, and friends, in Texas and headed to the Wycliffe training area in Orlando, Florida, where he is on staff. In a few months, he will be at the training center in North Carolina.
Of getting rid of his belongings, James shrugged, “It is just stuff.”
As for preparing for the unknown, including the potential of eating odd things while in Africa, James said, “Oh, I could so eat bugs … they are protein … You know the prayer of missionaries, don't you? God, I can get it down, can you please keep it down?”
And with that, James Covey just gave a million dollar smile.
James' support financially for his work with Wycliffe comes from partners who can sign up by visiting the Wycliffe site at http://www.wycliffe.org/Partnership.aspx?mid=ACA712 or go to James' blog, Covey's Chronicle at http://web.me.com/jamesecovey/Coveys_Chronicle/Home.html.
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