We were lucky to catch up with Ellie Araujo recently and have shared our conversation below.

Ellie, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to hear the story behind how you got your first job in field that you currently practice in.

From the time I was little I always knew I wanted my life to be about more than just myself. I had a great care for those around me. This care for others really defined me at a young age and has stayed with me to this day.
I was in middle school. I was a very competitive and elite athlete. And I had the opportunity to set a record for my grade level in a 12 lap run for gym class. That day everyone was excited for me. But mostly I just wanted to prove that I could be the best. Side note, 3 gym classes were combined that day to run the laps together, with one of those classes being for some of the special education students at our school. As I started running I found myself encouraging one of the special education students every time I passed him. He was walking and looked defeated. But as I hit lap 3, something in me had me stop and walk with him. I started to pace with him and encouraged him to the point where he started to run. He was shocked but belief had touched his heart that he could do it. After a little while, he slowed down to walk and I ran off. From that point on as I came around and got close to him (he would hear and see me coming) he would start to run with me.

I knew from that random but so significant day in middle school, that my calling was to help people realize what they were created to do. It was a moment that marked me for a life time. The excitement that overcame me knowing I helped someone realize and tap into their potential was unexplainable.

Fast forward to the last couple years of my life… I have had the privilege of working in full time ministry. I have spent some time in many areas of the ministry (Youth Group Pastor, Young adults director, Outreach manager for inner city ministry, Bible Teacher, and now in the world of missions).

My first job out of college was as a High school Bible teacher at a Christian School. There was not one bone in my body that wanted to be a high school teacher. I went to school to get a communications degree. But I knew that teaching the Bible to young people was exactly what I wanted. I had the opportunity to introduce high school students into a real relationship with Jesus. Not just facts about the Bible but what it looked like to walk in intimacy with Jesus and be different from the world, bold and unashamed for Christ. That job was the foundation of what I knew back in middle school my assignment on this earth entailed — teaching others to love God and to make Him known. Being 22 and teaching 18 year olds was definitely challenging but I believe the Lord used me as a young example that the students could look up to.

My aspirations at the time and currently still are to activate the Church into missional living. I was dreaming of commissioning young people all over the world to go share the gospel everywhere; their schools, neighborhoods, to co-workers, family and friends and ultimately to the unreached people groups around the world.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I am a 26 year old girl from the midwest. I recently married my husband Shiloh. Together, we have the opportunity to train, activate and send out young people to preach the gospel all around the world. We have a huge heart for discipleship and an activation.

I have had opportunities to preach around the world and there is not many things I love more than that. I spent 3 months in Europe traveling through Norway, Sweden and Denmark preaching the gospel, activating youth groups and bringing people to Jesus.

I stepped into ministry starting in College and fell in love with it. I knew it was exactly where I wanted to be.

When teaching/preaching, my favorite messages are centered around the great commission, the Fear of the Lord and identity. I believe I help others find truth in the midst of a world questioning everything. Also, I provide a broken down, simplified understanding and way to learn how to preach the gospel.

Something I want others to know about me is that I stand for Truth. I am huge on the Word of God and a love for the scriptures. I believe it is the greatest book we have on the earth filled with so much wisdom.

Putting training and knowledge aside, what else do you think really matters in terms of succeeding in your field?

I have thought about this question a lot recently. I have seen pastors and ministers after years in the ministry fall into moral failures, burn out or just lack of enthusiasm for the field. I believe the most helpful thing in order to be successful in this field is the fear of the Lord and keeping it about Jesus.

Our world has become too obsessed with ‘self’ and can quickly fall into the trap of building one’s own ministry instead of the Lord’s. When we keep our hearts centered on the greatness of God and His almightiness we set ourselves up to be in constant awe and wonder of his majesty and glory.

The Lord is the one who promotes and provides. Success God’s way is way better than success my way. Finding myself more in love with God at the end of my life than at the start and bringing souls into His Kingdom is success.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

One of the most significant lessons I had to unlearn in my life is one of performing. Growing up I was an elite athlete. I played volleyball very competitively for 11 years. It was only after 3 years of playing and at 14 years old was I talking to college scouts and working towards a college scholarship. My whole life turn into performing. Everything I did was about training to get better to impress a coach or scout. I quickly adapted this thought process into everything I did.

As I got older I realized how much value I put in affirmation from others. It was what I thought success was– coaches picking you, colleges wanting you, and people needing you to perform at said level. It took years to retrain my brain into understanding how toxic this thought process was. I had to unlearn so many things from growing up that weren’t bad but had the wrong priority.

I realized that no amount of awards, scholarships, or opportunities would fill that void I was longing to fill. And one day it all ended. My last colligate volleyball game came and the next day there wasn’t anything more. No more coaches to impress, no more awards to win and no more validation to receive.

Looking back, it’s crazy to think about it all. I am so grateful for all the opportunities but even more great full to know where true validation comes from, where success really lies and that the fulfillment of life is found in Jesus.

Now being in ministry, I am more mindful of this lesson. I can’t perform my way to God. The Bible says in Romans 5:8, “but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

My performing has turned into abiding. And all that I do is because of Him who empowers me to do it.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://sowtheword.org/
• Instagram: elliearaujo_
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@seriously3037
• Other: https://ywamkona.my.site.com/staff/s/donate?id=6773