MISSIONARY SPOTLIGHT - Laurel Burrough

Laurel Burrough
20 West Aarsby Road
Cochrane, AB T4C 1L4
CANADA
lburrough@ccsb.ca

Laurel Burrough was serving as a journeyman with the International Mission Board in southeast Asia when missionary Dwight Huffman sent an email asking if she would be willing to serve in the town of Cochrane. The address he gave identified the location as “CA.” She was indeed interested; sunny California could certainly fit in her plans. The only problem was she couldn't find Cochrane -- or another city he mentioned, Calgary -- on her map. It was about that time that a friend pointed out that maybe the CA referred not to California, but Canada -- quite a few degrees colder to the north. 

Laurel laughs about the miscommunication now. Not only did she find Cochrane on the map, now she’s living in the town, and serving as a US/C2 missionary serving with Dwight Huffman in church planting in Alberta, Northwest Territories and Yukon Territory. 

Laurel grew up in Fort Myers, Fla., and was raised in a dedicated Southern Baptist family. “My parents were strong Christians,” said Laurel, “and I grew up in Mission Friends and GAs, and learned all about our missionaries. I had a desire to be the next Lottie Moon, but I didn’t want to go to China. I was afraid I would die there like Lottie did!”

Later moving to Atlanta, Laurel continued her exploration of missions by going on mission trips with her youth group. When she went to college at Union University in Jackson, Tenn., she never thought twice of “sacrificing” a spring break to do missions. During her senior year, a mission conference in Austin, Texas, prompted her to consider the Journeyman and US/C2 programs. Both allow a college graduate to do missions for two years. She applied to both mission boards, but was offered a position first with the IMB in India, though she admits that her first choice would have been to stay in the states. “I felt, though, that God was calling me to India and if I didn’t go I would be going against His will.” 

Laurel’s mother met Dwight Huffman at Union University when Dwight was on a college exploration trip with his daughter, and Laurel’s mom was working on the campus. “Dwight told my mom all about Canada. She told him I had gone there during a youth mission trip and that though I was now serving as an IMB missionary I would be returning to the states soon. She told him she thought I’d love to serve in Canada.” 

The now-infamous email connected Dwight and Laurel, and a few months later, Laurel was pursuing a US/C2 missionary position in church planting there. “I visited with Dwight in Cochrane and really caught the vision of ministry here,” said Laurel. God is doing great things.” 

While she is Dwight’s assistant in the work, much of her time is spent on the field with college students. She helps coordinate the ministry efforts of Crossover, a 6-week ministry opportunity open for students and their leaders to "walk with God and hang out with lost people" throughout Alberta and the Northwest Territories. “It has been exciting to help the students prepare for their time in Canada,” said Laurel. “Some of them have never left the United States for ministry opportunities. To see these students come here from the United States and other parts of Canada to join God where He is at work in various communities and then to watch these students go back to their hometowns and schools with a renewed vision and fervor to share their faith helps motivate me to continue doing what God has called me up here to do.

“Knowing that there are so few believers in our ministry area—spread out over great distances and oftentimes isolated from other believers—helps me stay focused and know I’m where God needs me to be,” said Laurel. Laurel’s US/C2 term ends in August 2004. While she does not know what ministry direction God will lead her to pursue at that time, she says she’ll be happy if it includes Canada. 

Pray for Laurel:

• Pray for the 30+ students and leaders who will participate this summer in Crossover 2003. 

• Pray for Laurel as she looks for ways to share her faith with people in her community and throughout the ministry area.

• Pray for the Christian women in the ministry area who are leading Bible studies and ministering within their communities. Many of these women do not have much Christian support from their families, friends, or communities.

• Pray that the Lord will use Laurel to encourage these women in their walk.

• Pray for the believers within the ministry area. Many are isolated by great distances; and support, encouragement, and spiritual growth is limited. Pray that people all around the world will begin to pray for and seek ways to encourage the people within this ministry area.

• On June 5, Laurel is scheduled to have her gall bladder removed, please pray that the procedure will be effective and that she will have a speedy recovery with little side effects.
  

MISSIONARY SPOTLIGHT ARCHIVE

Copyright 2004 North American Mission Board, SBC