Letting Go of the Boat

In early 2023, a quiet but undeniable shift began in Windell and Kassie’s lives. At first, it was easy to explain away. They were preparing for their first child and had just moved into a new home. Life felt full, unfamiliar, and at times overwhelming. They assumed it was just the natural transition into a new season.

But something deeper was stirring, a shift in their spiritual journey that would forever impact the way they saw life.

They found themselves drawn more intentionally into gardening, canning, and stewarding their land. While working in the garden one day, Kassie felt a thought settle in her mind: “Sin is like these weeds. It multiplies, grows, and will eventually choke out the plant, making it unfruitful.” These moments of insight came randomly, while cooking, washing dishes, or tending the garden. Windell experienced similar thoughts while working on the farm.

For a while, neither of them said anything about it to each other. Life already felt overwhelming, and it was hard to put into words what was happening. But over time, the pattern became clear. God was getting their attention and slowing them down enough to hear Him.

With that recognition came clarity: God was calling them into ministry.

They didn’t yet know what that meant or where it would lead. But they were certain they could not respond halfway. If God was calling, their answer had to be wholehearted.

So they began to let go. They sold what they didn’t need, paid off debt, and started making space in their lives to follow wherever God would lead.

One of the last things they listed for sale was their bass boat. Fishing had been what they enjoyed most, but in obedience, they put it up for sale. When no reasonable offers came in, Windell began to wonder if they should just keep it. But then he remembered their prayer that God would send the right people to buy their belongings. He told Kassie that no matter the price of the next offer, they would take it.

When the person who bought their boat asked why they were selling it, Windell and Kassie had the opportunity to share their call to ministry. The buyer mentioned that he attended church with a man named Clint Bowman and suggested they meet him.

Not long after, they found themselves sitting across from Clint, African Affinity Leader for Global Gates, sharing the burdens they had been carrying, the perspective shifts they couldn’t explain, and the growing conviction that their lives were meant for something more.

Clint’s response was simple and direct: this is what it looks like to be called into missions. For the first time, everything began to make sense.

By December 2025, Windell and Kassie officially completed their onboarding with Global Gates as Prayer Coordinators and Associate Missionaries serving the African Affinity. What once felt confusing had become a clear purpose. What once felt isolating had become a shared calling alongside other Global Gates missionaries.

Their story is a reminder that God is at work, leading ordinary people to step into His calling.

And it is also a reminder that no one walks this journey alone.

Through faithful giving to the Global Gates Impact Fund, partners like you make stories like this possible. Your generosity helps remove barriers, provide training, and support the onboarding of new missionaries.

As we look toward our Impact 2027 goal of seeing 20 new missionaries, Windell and Kassie’s story is just one example of what God is already doing, and what we believe He will continue to do.