Colliding with the Call: When Following God Takes You to the Wilderness

I’ve surrendered to following God’s will, but this is not what I expected. Where’s the peace? The joy? The fruit? Did I somehow miss the call, God?

Sound familiar? If you’ve followed God for any number of years, you’ve likely been thrust into a wilderness of doubt and disappointment along the way. Is this an accident? A byproduct of your sin? The mere effect of living in this broken world? Or is it possible that it’s an intentional journey? Would a loving God actually lead you to a place of struggle?

Those were Corella’s questions, too, as she found herself in a literal and spiritual wilderness after answering the call to become a missionary teacher in remote Alaska. In Colliding with the Call, she shares with authenticity as she invites you into her journey and the transformation of heart that happened as God revealed glimpses of His purpose for those seven dark years. With tenderness and conviction she examines the reality of the wilderness in the life of the believer and the scriptural truths that offer hope in the midst of disappointment.

Corella’s story of undoing and rebirth in the wilderness just might be your story, too, if you dare to let God take you there.

Born and raised in northern Idaho, Corella's love for books and writing developed at an early age as her imagination was her only playmate for miles. After high school, she ventured off to St. Paul, MN where she earned a degree from the University of Northwestern and first heard the call to be a missionary teacher. She married her high school sweetheart, Troy Roberts, and they moved to teach in a village of about fifty people in bush Alaska. After seven years, during which time they almost gave up on missions entirely, God saw fit to rekindle their desire to teach in unreached parts of the world, and they moved to Chiang Rai, Thailand. They have two spunky children who love sloths and hamsters, they eat cheap Thai food to their hearts' content, and they support the amazing community of missionaries there through teaching and organizing community events. Recently, God has invited Corella to return to her passion for writing, and she loves using her experiences to encourage others to connect deeply with God. You can find her on Facebook, Instagram, or wandering their local market in search of mangosteen and lychee fruit.