Anyone who receives you receives me, and he who receives me receives the One who sent me. . . . And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward (Mt. 10:40, 42)You might have seen her playing the keyboard with the Clear River worship team on Sunday mornings. This is Samantha McDaniel and she is getting ready to go to Youth With A Mission in Colorado.
Sam took a few minutes to talk to
CRM about her upcoming Discipleship Training School with YWAM, her walk with Christ, why she chose to go into missions work, and what she hopes to see God do through her. Readers will learn that Sam hopes to
be an instrument, not just play one.
CRM: How did you come to faith in Christ?
It is a complicated story, kind of two parts. I first came to faith when I was 11, it was my mom's third marriage at the time. And it happened - long story short - my next door neighbor invited me and my brothers to church and that's when I learned about Jesus and I that's when I decided to come to Christ at that point.
After my mom's divorce from her third husband, I kind of strayed away during middle and high school. I didn't get into any trouble, per se, but I wasn't walking in faith until I came to college my junior year. And at that time, it is an interesting story, was when my family started going to Clear River. Meanwhile, I was far way at college and I started walking with Christ again, in different organizations on campus. I was in a Christian sorority, Sigma Alpha Omega, and they helped me a lot with reestablishing my faith.
CRM: And what college was that?
Elon University.
CRM: Was the sorority Christian or was it just a sorority with a lot of Christians in it?
It was a Christian sorority
CRM: So that was about the time Cheryl and Bob [Calvillo] started to come to Clear River?
Um-hmm.
CRM: So even though you weren't coming to Clear River you came back to faith in Christ at the same time?
Yes.
CRM: And what were you studying what at Elon University?
I was - my first three years I was a music education major. Ever since 8th grade I wanted to be a band director and that was the only thing I wanted to be and up until my senior year [in college] it got to the point where it was either I literally had to drop out of school, or switch majors. So I dropped the education portion at that point and just graduated with a degree in music instead.
CRM: So you were studying theory, composition, arranging and all that kind of stuff?
Yes.
CRM: How did you start playing music?
I really wanted to play saxophone. I started late; normally you start in sixth grade. I didn't start playing clarinet until I was in 8th grade. And my band director said "you have to start on clarinet" because there are some schools of thought that you have to start on clarinet and then switch to saxophone. I thought if I became really good on clarinet he would let me switch. Well I became too good and he wouldn't let me switch. And I tried switching in high school. Actually I marched saxophone in my 10th grade year. Actually my band director said "I need you on clarinet."
CRM: Really?
Yeah, it was something I picked up pretty quickly and it came pretty natural to me.
CRM: They are both reed instruments?
Yeah, and the fingerings are pretty similar.
CRM: Now does it help having a musician for a mom?
It does! I am working at Music and Arts center right now in Manassas, I have come across parents who aren't musicians and they don't understand why their child is playing a musical instrument. And they don't understand why they have to go to these concerts. And it is a burden to them. But to my mom it wasn't a burden at all, she absolutely loved it that we were all - my brothers and I - were all involved in music and played instruments. Matthew was a violinist and plays guitar now, Christopher was a percussionist, and he sings. And even my little sister Candice played flute, so she has been to at least hundreds of band concerts between the four of us. So she....
CRM: She likes it. She is a musician herself. Now she is a classically trained musician, right?
Yeah, she played violin for 30 years. But there is some time there when she wasn't playing because she became a mom. But she has been playing for a long time.
CRM: So now, how long have you been at Clear River?
Eight months.
CRM: I know you were kind of drafted to play the keyboard, but that is not your primary instrument.
No. Clarinet is.
CRM: So when did you first think about going into missions work? Is this something you thought about at Elon or is this something recent?
It has always been in the back of my mind. When I first came to Christ when I was 11, it was a Southern Baptist Church and the Southern Baptists had a kind of equivalent to girls and boy scouts called Royal Ambassadors and Girls in Action. I was in Girls in Actions otherwise known as GAs. And we learned about Missions at that point. We talked about Burkina Faso, Lottie Moon ... and at that time, I was pretty intrigued at that point. And that is probably when the interest started. But when I walked away from my faith, it just never really occurred to me. I know that I have always wanted to travel and I have always wanted to help people and I wanted to do something in music. And it wasn't until recently that I discovered avenues to use those ways to minister to people.
CRM: A decision like this obviously involves a lot of prayer. What has God been showing you about the direction you'e going in? What do you see? I' not saying you have to have an angelic visitation, but how are things lining up?
I think I am definitely called into music ministry. In what shape or form I don't know yet. I think He has definitely called me to additional training through YWAM even though I have a degree in music, because there is more to worship than the technical stuff. I mean I have the technical stuff down but I don't know how to communicate ideas or God's ideas through music. How to relate to that. It is the heart of music that I need to learn. But I definitely feel that God has called me to music ministry. Absolutely.
CRM: Do you have any idea what you would be studying at YWAM?
I know the first portion the DTS doesn't have a music concentration, the
DTS I am going to. But it's a time apart to really get to know God and to fellowship with other believers and learn how to reach out to others as well. So I am very excited about that.
CRM: So it's more of a spiritual formation?
Yes.
CRM: That's got to be both very exciting and scary.
Yeah, Yeah, definitely.
CRM: So this is not going to be the first time you have lived on your own, because of your college experience.
No it won't because I spent four years away in college. It doesn't mean I won't miss my family, but ....
CRM: What pastoral direction have you been given. Have you talked to Jeff at all about this move?
I haven't talked to Jeff recently. I did talk to him quite a few months ago, probably back in August, September around there about this decision. And the one question he asked was "what is it that you really want to do?" And I said perform in music and at that time he encouraged me to audition for orchestras and get involved with my clarinet playing. But I just didn't feel that that was what I was really called to do. Though, playing in orchestras that is a pretty cool thing. I just don't see myself doing that.
CRM: So you have the technical knowledge and you are going for the spiritual formation. Where -- a part of YWAM is also missions focus like going to a foreign country. Do you speak any foreign languages?
No (laughs). I do not.
CRM: Do you anticipate getting some language training?
I would love to learn (laughs). Especially Spanish. I took one year of German in High school and two years of French so I know a little bit of both but beyond that - like I didn't take any foreign languages in college. We didn't have to.
CRM: If you were to go somewhere like Thailand or wherever, language training would probably be part of it.
Exactly.
CRM: What is the expense of this? You are going for DTS in Colorado?
Right. The Lecture series is $3,195. The Outreach portion, they offer an outreach to Mexico that is $1,200. They also do an outreach to Thailand and at least one other outreach, but it won't be more than probably $3,300. And after that I plan to go to the school of worship in Montana this fall. And the lecture series for that is $3,280 and I am unaware of the outreach expenses for that.
CRM: That covers everything?
Yes, that covers room and board, food, all the necessities.
CRM: Is there something we haven't talked about; anything on your heart?
Not really. Just right now I am trying to build my support team. This is something I feel God has called me to do long term not just a trip to Thailand or anything like that. I think when some people hear of someone going out to do mission work, they mistakenly think that "oh they are going on a fun little trip." But it's more than that. It's about reaching out to people. It is about ministering to people who don't know Christ. And that to me is a really scary thing that there is a whole group of people out there who have never heard about Jesus Christ. And they won't know about His salvation until someone ministers to them. So it is more than just a trip. It is more than just going back to school. It is a serious thing. It is something that God has commanded us to do.
CRM: "Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel unto every creature..."
Exactly.
CRM: Do you find people when you tell them what you are going to do they go "Isn't that nice!" and then they just kind of brush you off?
I have had some people react like that. Some of my college friends, some who do know Christ some who don't know Christ have reacted that way. Even some of my family members, like one of my uncles was like "that's pretty cool." And it's really hard to communicate to them how it is really more than what it is on the surface.
CRM: It's not a pleasure cruise.
Exactly.
CRM: Have you read any books on missions?
I have read Is that Really You God, by Loren Cunningham. I have read A Beautiful Way by Dan Baum (?) - he is a YWAMER out of Colorado. I have read some articles on YWAM's website as well. They have a lot of articles on there.
CRM: As a single woman, going into missions work, that has got to be a little intimidating. You get some people who are "oh well maybe you will meet your husband when you go here" or something like that. There are a lot of well-meaning people in the Church, who say stuff like that.
Right it is interesting that you say that because I go to book club every Thursday morning. And we are reading Captivating (By John and Stasi Eldredge). And when I first mentioned YWAM, Zibby Ling was like "Oh, Fiona [Bracy] met her husband at YWAM!" And I was just kind of like "That's not my intentions." And Fiona was like "yeah, it wasn't my intention either."
But I have had a few people say "oh you'll meet your husband at DTS." And that's not really a concern of mine. It's not really that intimidating going in as a single woman. I think it would be more intimidating if I went in with a family to take care of. Going in as a single woman, I only have myself to worry about. I don't have a husband to tend to I don't have children to take care of. Yeah, I have parents at home and I have brothers and sisters but it is not like I do a lot of care-giving through them. So I definitely believe that my singleness is part of my calling right now.
CRM: When Bartimeus came to Jesus, the Lord asked him "What do you want me to do for you?" How would you answer that question?
Gosh, I'm not sure. I just draw a blank on that.
CRM: How can we at Clear River pray for you and partner with you?
Well, pray for my support team that I am building. I still have student loans from school and I haven't tried to defer them yet. The school I would be going to, the University of the Nations, is not considered accredited, so I am not sure what the deferment policies are. Also pray for the formation of my support team. It's a partnership of praying for me and for the people I am ministering to.
Read more!
This map (from the CIA's World Factbook) shows the country of Uganda, Africa that missionary Phil Leber talked about on Sunday, February 19, 2006 at Clear River. 
