Jennifer Brewer – Answering ‘The CALL’

BY RENEE HENDRIX –

Mena native Jennifer Brewer is one of those blessed individuals that surrendered to a calling on her life at a very young age.  She’s been afforded opportunities to serve on numerous international mission trips as well as serving her own local community and has recently embarked with a new CALL that can potentially change countless children and families, and hopefully, generations.  She will quickly tell you from a very young age, she felt the call upon her life to serve God, to love with a God “love” to the broken.

Brewer was born the the eldest of two to Keith Rose and Cheryl Shogren.  With her family owning Rose Aircraft for the last 50 years, Brewer stated that both she and her sister spent much time at the airport. Her parents later divorced and at the age of 4, her father married Lisa (Johnson). With the marriage of Lisa, Brewer gained another sister and later, a new baby brother. Several years in the future, two other siblings were added through adoption to the Rose family.

The Rose family endured the loss of the patriarch of their family after a very short but hard fought battle with cancer, but Brewer shared that it was during that difficult time along with a looming legal battle that she was able to witness her father’s submission of his life to the Lord.

The  family began attending Dallas Avenue Baptist Church. In 8^th grade, Brewer plugged in to a bible study with Victor Rowell that gave her the opportunity to take her first mission trip to Nicaragua in the summer.  Brewer states, “I saw true poverty for the first time.”  She said it genuinely broke her heart for the people she saw and at the same time, Brewer recalls what struck her most in a nation with so little was the love of God the people had. She said they would enter into worship not thinking of their lack. Brewer spoke of how she enjoyed “getting her hands dirty” to help with various construction projects. She admitted, as many do after returning from mission trips, that she experienced a period where she had to re-adjust to ‘normal living.’  Unknown to Brewer at the time, God was conditioning her heart for the path He had for her. Brewer has since been on 6 overseas mission trips, including Niagara, Mexico and Morocco. She feels these mission trips have forever changed her life.

Brewer attended college out of state after her high school graduation but later returned home where she volunteered for CMA (Christian Motorcyclist Association) and reconnected with a boy she had met years ago at the same Bible study that served as a pivotal point in her life, his name was Daniel Brewer.  It started as friends reconnecting and encouraging each other in their walks in the Lord, but later developed into love. They were married in August of 2002. They have since been blessed with Sophie, 10, Grace, 8, Ellie, 6 and little Caleb has just turn 2 years old. Brewer opted to be a stay at home mother with her children and proved to be a good decision especially with Caleb being born with club feet and the treatment he needed to receive. Brewer says, “I  love being a mom and a wife even as overwhelming as that can be at times.”

Brewer worked diligently during the aftermath of the F3 tornado of 2009, which devastated much of Mena. She worked with tornado recovery and Polk County Long Term Recovery Committee. Brewer said she was once again able to get her “hands dirty’. She went in initially just to cut up onions for the meals being delivered, and ended up being thrown in the logistics of helping families. She said she loved meeting other men and women from different denominations, coming together to lend a loving hand to their community. Brewer was grateful the Lord used her once again to reach out to the needy and was givien the opportunity to serve again.

In August of 2015, Brewer first learned from her cousin about the C.A.L.L. Then her parents attended the Governor’s Summit. They returned with heart breaking stories about children in foster care in the state of Arkansas. Brewer knew she wanted to be a part of such a worthy cause and make a difference. The C.A.L.L. is a state wide organization designed to recruit, train and support Christian foster homes.  After much prayer she became the County Coordinator for the C.A.L.L. in Polk County. The C.A.L.L. will be launch a Celebration on February 19^th at 6 pm at the National Guard Armory on Morrow Street and Brewer invites anyone with a heart for children to attend to learn more.

After 13 years of being married to her husband Daniel Brewer, she made the comment, ”I can’t imagine doing life with anyone else. I loved being married to him and feel like we are teammates in parenting and serving the Lord together.”

When asked what she enjoys most about living in Mena, Brewer said, “Living close to family is a true gift. Our children are blessed to be surrounded by all of their grandparents, great grandparents and many cousins here in Mena.”

Epitomizing the scripture she said holds as the cornerstone of her life, Micah 6:8 “He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with you God.” Jennifer Brewer has always strived to live her life according to God’s will and direction.

About Author

Jeri Pearson

Jeri is the News Director for Pulse Multi-Media and Editor of The Polk County Pulse. She has 10 years of experience in community focused journalism and has won multiple press association awards.

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