Hi, my name is Shayla Tangen, and on January 1st, 2024, I began my Feed the Need Missions internship. A few years ago, my family felt called to move to Texas, where my dad, Sean Tangen, took on the role of Program Director with Feed the Need. Since then, my whole family has been involved with the organization. My boss and his wife, Jonah and Christy Beyer, have embraced me and my family with open arms. Working with them has been such a joy. Jonah’s passion for building relationships and expanding God’s Kingdom makes him the best boss I ever could have hoped for (I had to butter him up a little!).
At the beginning of my internship, I was seventeen years old and knee-deep, all things college-prep/senior year of High school. Not long after starting, I was taught that every workday is started with time focused on God. It didn’t matter how busy we were; a day started in the Word was a right one. The tool we use for spiritual growth is called a Thred Journal. If you check out the blog on our 2024 Fired Up Conference, you can read more about it!
It came to Jonah’s attention that I didn’t have a study Bible, and a week later, he surprised me with a beautiful, leather-covered, 25-pound study Bible. The thing is an absolute beast, and I love it so much! The fact that someone cared about me and my spiritual growth enough to buy me such a grand piece of art meant a great deal to me, and it set the tone for the rest of my year.
The Feed the Need family has poured into me earnestly, consistently, faithfully, and fervently. I am surrounded by God-fearing adults who want to see me succeed. I recognize how blessed I am and how rare that is in today’s workplace. I have been pushed far outside my comfort zone. That seventeen-year-old Shayla wouldn’t recognize me today.
I have learned that praying out loud isn’t only for people who are naturally comfortable praying in public or have a massive vocabulary of conspicuous Bible lingo. It’s for anybody who has a voice. Don’t get me wrong, I still panic when I’m voluntold to pray, but it doesn’t matter what other people think of me when I’m talking to God. I no longer feel inadequate to share knowledge about the Bible, and I don’t get embarrassed when I am unable to answer somebody’s question.
I have spent a lot of time praying for my next steps in the organization and am excited about the new role I’ll be playing in the mission. Thanks to a workplace focused on Jesus, I’ve experienced growth in every area of my life, not just at work. I’ve learned that being a daughter of the Most High is an incredible honor, and I’ve come to accept that God loves me just the way I am.