From The Editor: The Journey

By: Kristin Mudge

We do not always get to see God work miracles in front of our eyes, but upon closer inspection we can often see His hands at work. This is especially true in my experience. If I look closely, I can see His fingerprints in every part of my life.

I grew up a "PK", or pastor's kid, in the United Methodist Church. Being the middle of five children, I quickly learned to value silence and solitude–rare commodities in our household of seven. I was a voracious reader; I read every spare moment of the day, and often far too late into the night. That love of reading led to a love of literature and grammar. I became the go-to person among my family and friends to read and edit homework and papers, and I even edited my husband's PhD dissertation.

Following high school, I attended Asbury University to study media communications with an emphasis in film studies and a minor in music. I loved every moment of my time living and learning in Wilmore, Kentucky. At the end of my education, I felt fully prepared to step directly into the world of production.

Instead of going straight for a position in the film or TV industries, I married Ian Mudge, this incredibly loving and intelligent man who wore a uniform to church on Sundays. He introduced me to The Salvation Army where I soon became involved in music ministry.

When Ian graduated, we had no idea what the next step was for our lives. We packed up all our belongings and drove to Texas to be music instructors at Camp Hoblitzelle for the summer, taking a leap of faith that we would figure out where we would go by the end of camp. Ian got accepted to a graduate school program for psychology in Odessa, TX, so at the end of the summer we moved out west where we quickly became involved in the corps. When Ian did a spot for the local news promoting The Army, he mentioned to the news team that I had my degree in media and had worked as a camera assistant at the London 2012 Olympics.

I spent the next eight months deep in the news cycle, first producing the weekend news shows, then moving up to producing the six o'clock evening news every weekday. When Ian graduated with his master's degree, I left the fast-paced and high-energy world of news as we followed God's leading to move to Dallas.

I was hired into the Texas divisional youth department for event planning, administrative support, and graphic design. After working for several years, I transferred to the women's department to do the same functions with a new demographic. Following my son's birth in 2021, I decided to take an extended leave to be home with him.

Then we felt God calling us to Atlanta. We sold our house, flew across the country, and trusted that God knew what He was doing in our lives.

Now here I am, utilizing everything I have learned so far, from my love of reading and grammar to my studies in media communications and storytelling, to my experience of news production, and through my years of ministering with The Salvation Army from the corps to divisional levels. I am incredibly humbled and blessed to follow in illustrious footsteps, walking the path set before me by a God who has had a plan for my life from the very spark of my existence. What a journey it has been, and what a journey we have still ahead of us!