Kristene O'Dell

My Story

For starters, I love my husband. He is loyal, kind, and quirky. Hands down, the best man I know. We have a blended family of six kids (most of which are grown). With that comes two more that married into our family, and we unashamedly brag about our four grandchildren.

I graduated college as the Valedictorian of my class with a 4.0-grade point average. My degree is in Biblical Studies with a focus on Evangelism. The majority of my evangelism classes were spent studying the revival/healing movements of the past. I am decidedly Pentecostal in my theology.

Being older, I have learned that it’s okay to be proud of your accomplishments. I worked really hard for that one. It’s important to see the rewards of life and not just the failures. Creatives sometimes have a difficult time celebrating their victories.

I’ve had plenty of failures, deep disappointments, betrayals, sorrows, and grief. I’ve also lived an adventurous life with joys, unexpected blessings, and meaningful relationships. All the things that strengthen a writer’s ability to relate to where people are; or to find the words that one wishes they knew how to say.

I am involved in mission’s work within predominately Buddhist nations – Thailand and Cambodia to be specific. My heart is in South East Asia, but I am also finding that I truly love my interactions with the Muslim world when I travel. I’m intrigued with different cultures and have found that particularly these three groups of people, are warm and hospitable.

Finally, I am one who is Kingdom-minded. I believe that Father is wanting to unleash a wave of creativity that will compassionately meet the deep need that we see around the world – both at home and abroad. Creativity takes on many forms – entrepreneurs, artists, musicians, scientists, etc… My goal is to form a group of Kingdom-minded writers that encourage one another, pray for one another, promote one another, and serve Jesus together. I offer myself as a writing coach for those who know they are called to write Kingdom-minded material but need an encouraging voice to see their project through.

I will offer writing retreats as mission’s trips into the South East Asian countries in which I am involved. What could God do with a company of writers who were committed to bringing change to those in need through using their creative gift? Your gift matters! Your compassionate heart and your God-given creativity can be joined together to make a difference. I would love to hear your ideas and pray with you. Feel free to email me at info@kristeneodell.com.