Narrative Summary
Interview with Becky Zellars by Brittany Bergman
Becky Zellars is a home school mom, student, and a missionary. Becky was born in the
1970”s and currently lives in Howell County, Missouri She is married to a wonderful husband
and has three children. Becky has been on several trips around the world in her lifetime. She has
been on mission trips to Guatemala and Albania, and has traveled a lot of the major cities in
Europe just for fun. During the interview Becky, told me about several events that have
happened in her life and how some of those events have shaped who she is a person.
Becky grew up in a family who believed in God. Her parents taught her from a young age
that the Bible was true and that God loved her very much. At nine years old, Becky believed that
Jesus did in fact take the penalty for her sins and was baptized in her Church. Like most
teenagers, at fourteen Becky went through a time of questioning her faith. Becky says that she
went through a little rebellious stage in that period of her life. “It wasn’t horrible but I did kind of
disobey my parents and stay out late and you know I would just swear and I don’t know I guess I
just thought it was cool.” When Becky was sixteen years old, she went to a youth function and
there was a speaker who encouraged her to read Romans Seven and Eight over and over until she
could understand it. At that point she says that she was just convicted of the things she had been
doing that she knew were wrong but was doing them anyway. Romans 8 starts out “But there is
no commendation for those who are in Christ Jesus” this verse spoke to her because she knew
that she was in Christ Jesus and He didn’t condemn her. So she told God she was sorry and
rededicated her life to Christ.
At sixteen Becky also went to a summer camp and there asked a question if anyone was
willing to give their life in missionary full time to walk forward. Becky says that at that moment
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she did walk forward and would never forget the commitment she made that day.
It was when her husband went to seminary, that she too was able to join him in a
certificate program called Partners in Ministry. This is where she learned how to work alongside
her husband in ministry. They decided that if God ever called her out to the mission field that
they would go. In 2008, Becky and her husband went on a project to Montenegro to do an
English Camp for Albanian students. During her time there, she built relationships, discipleships,
and shared the Gospel with anyone who was interested or had questions about Christianity. After
they came back to America, Becky asked her husband “who’s going to disciple the kids who
made the decision to follow Jesus at the camp? Her husband said to pray about it. They went
back the next year to the camp and had the same question when they left. “Who’s going to
disciple the kids?” This is when they realized that God was telling them “you are!” So Becky and
her family raised support and moved to Albania to disciple the kids.
During the interview I asked if she had any unique experiences as a missionary being a
woman. Her response was “Yes, it was a male dominant culture so it would not have been
appropriate in any way for me to have authority teaching or even really being with the men.”
When I asked Becky what her most life changing experience was she answered “I think
when I realized that God did not just save me because he loved me and wanted to have a
relationship with me and that was the end. He saved me so I could be a blessing to others and be
his hands and be his feet. I think that realization changed my life. “
Becky’s main ministry is her family. Since she is a home school mom her number one
ministry is her three children. Becky has been involved in several different organizations such as
Campus Crusade for Christ (CRU), and World Vision. She has also been involved in several
Non-denominational Churches. When asked what ritual was most significant to her religious
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life? She said that singing worship songs with other believers is the most significant thing for
her.
In coming to a close, when asked is there anything else you think is important that you
would like to add? At first her response was no but then she goes on to say “I think just that the
feeling that Gods not done with me yet is exciting even though I have been oversees and I have
done mission work. I feel like it’s just starting and Gods teaching me new stuff all the time. I’m
in this great class called Perspectives in World Missions. And I’m learning so much and you
know just the feeling that God is teaching me something new every day and I feel like I am just
at the beginning of something that Gods going to do in my life. So, I guess that’s it you are never
done learning!”
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Religious Lives of Ozarks Women