A Reluctant Missionary

A Reluctant Missionary is about the mission trip to Africa I did not want to take. Sierra Leone was so different from the American world I knew! As a writer, I found myself unable to communicate beyond a few moments captured here and there in haiku poems. "A Reluctant Missionary" is a collection of the 54 haiku and photographs of Sierra Leone.

I never wanted to go to Africa on a mission trip.  God shoved me into one, my every objection answered. I looked forward to recording my experience in writing and radio bits. Sierra Leone was so different from the world I knew! As I waded into my days, the pages remained empty and I felt I had lost my voice. I found myself unable to communicate beyond a few moments captured here and there in haiku.   In Sierra Leone, I found it simpler to restrict what I felt in my heart to this pattern.   "A Reluctant Missionary" is a collection of the 54 haiku and photographs of Sierra Leone.

Heather Novak is a woman living a loud life—some of it messy, most of it meaningful—and she is eager to help other people find energy, engagement and excitement in their own stories. Heather's professional history includes 30 years of sales and customer service training with troubleshooting for business and church growth. Heather leads church events for youth, singles and women, and has spoken for The Chicago Apartment Association and other organizations throughout Indiana, including Women Business Owners, Rotary Club, and a wide array of churches of all sizes from a variety of denominations. Currently the Director of Connections at First United Methodist Church in Valparaiso, IN, she lives with her husband, two daughters, a dog and sickly guinea pig. Heather lives each day as if it were her last and does her best to live her love out loud.