All In - the Mikayla Long story

Mikayla Long grew up in Roxboro, North Carolina, a town so small you could drive from one side to the other in under 15 minutes. She always knew she didn’t want to stay in Roxboro. She longed to be a part of something bigger than her town, bigger than herself. Thinking she may find that if she moved away, Mikayla graduated high school and moved to Lynchburg, Virginia to attend college.

After a few years at college, Mikayla made the decision to come home to Roxboro to work with the full intention of it being a stop-over, not the final destination.

Even though it was her home, Mikayla felt out of place. Her surroundings and the people did not fit the life she envisioned for herself.

An opportunity to go on a mission trip to India became a doorway to the change and vision Mikayla needed. Her passion for serving others overseas made her jump at the opportunity to visit India. While there, she and a team worked with pastors and missionaries, learning more about their stories. They sat outside under beautiful trees for hours just listening. The story of a young woman who left her family and her future behind to follow God and teach others about Him in her hometown struck Mikayla’s heart. She felt God tell her to be ALL IN – all in for her hometown and all in for serving God where he called her. She felt God telling her to plant herself in Roxboro and to trust in God to be faithful to accomplish His will even when Mikayla is uncomfortable in her surroundings.