Page 53 - Flathead Beacon // 11.27.13

52 | NOVEMBER 27, 2013 FLATHEADBEACON.COM

COMMUNITY LAKESIDE-SOMERS

Get to Know Rachel Burns

ico, the Dominican Republic and all over

the U.S. Now I get to work with people all
over the world every day – on the phone,
Skype, whatever it takes.
I’m also very active as a volunteer
ireighter with the Somers Volunteer
Fire Department and as an EMT, with
Lakeside QRU (Quick Response Unit).

Community is important to me: lo-
cal – but also international – communi-
Rachel Burns. ty. And volunteering is a big part of that.
PHOTO BY JAIX CHAIX So, you’ve been traveled all over,
why live here? Why stay in Lakeside/
By JAIX CHAIX
Somers?
RACHEL BURNS: Well, I gave up a
What brought you to Lakeside lot to be here: friends, family, my com-

and the Flathead Valley?
fort zone, all of that. But I’ve made my
RACHEL BURNS: I had a good- family here. And generally, people are
paying job in the commercial construc- a lot more open-minded, open-hearted
tion ield, and my family and friends in here. It’s a great place for ideas “and vi-
Washington. But I was at a crossroads. sions” to grow.
Somehow, I thought there was more to And that’s what I like to do: encour-
life than what I was doing – and some- age people every day. Lakeside seems to

thing more I wanted to do.
welcome divergent views and communi-
I had always been around ireighters ty-minded ideas, which leaves an open
and EMTs (Emergency Medical Techni- door for ideas of community events and
cians) in my family and I knew I wanted visions for the Lakeside/Somers com-
to be involved in that.
munity.
And I irst came out here for a ive- And I ind value in building and lead-
month YWAM (Youth With A Mission) ing by example, helping people encour-
international, interdenominational aging each other, whether personally or

ministry school.
in business. All I can say is don’t waste
After I inished the school, I got an your life – do what you want to do.
ofer to come back and be on full-time It sounds like that’s exactly what
volunteer staf with YWAM Mission you’redoing,no?
Builders International, working in vol- RACHEL BURNS: Yeah, growing up,
unteer development, connecting volun- I had good inluences encouraging me
teers with ministries worldwide every- every day – not tearing me down about
day. So I took a chance and left every-
the way to go about life.
thing behind: my friends, my family, my I mean, you never know how a sim-
job – pretty much everything about two ple smile can change someone’s day. I’m
years ago to be here in Lakeside.
here to lead by example, the best I can.
And now that you’re here, what So no regrets?
have you been up to?
RACHEL BURNS: I left a good-pay-
RACHEL BURNS: I work at YWAM ing job to be here, to serve others. And
Mission Builders International, working it just takes one person with a positive

worldwide everyday, connecting volun- attitude to make things happen, to be
teers with ministry opportunities just more positive, to think outside the box –
about anywhere around the globe. I’ve to achieve unity in that. So, why be nega-
also had the opportunity to travel the tive? Being negative leads to nowhere.
world: Spain, Argentina, Morocco, Mex-
I’m here doing what I love.