Nikki grew up in Roscoe, IL along with her two brothers, four sisters, and many other people the “Reid Halfway House” (as they lovingly called their home) provided lodging to over the years. Although she grew up in a Christian home, she did not come to a personal relationship with the Lord until her late 20’s. Being the eldest girl of seven children and the favorite aunt to 27 nieces and nephew (plus, four great nieces and nephews), it is no surprise her heart immediately turned to children’s ministry.
Nikki’s heart for Rock House Kids began when she first learned of us early on in 2021. She came across RHK when googling for kids outreach programs in the inner city. After reading about our mission, she set her mind to getting involved by having in-home collection drives, posting on Facebook, and promoting our mission by telling everyone she knew and encouraging them to get involved. Sensing God moving on her heart to become even more involved towards the end of 2022, when our position for an Outreach Coordinator posted in the RHK newsletter, she knew this was where God wanted her to be.
In her spare time, Nikki loves to spend time with her nieces and nephews, read, cook, swim, and go on adventures with the love of her life, Isaac. They enjoy adventures ranging from driving three hours just to try a specific restaurant, to bike riding and kayaking in Rock Cut State Park. The “never a dull moment” adventures of “invading nieces and nephews” to have cooking classes with Aunt Nikki (or “Nina” as is her to title to them), to traipsing around Hawaii or Mexico, to their upcoming travels on a food-cation to the Italian countryside and helping on a Biblical archeological dig near Jerusalem.
From Nikki: My favorite Bible story is of Gideon. I love how this story so perfectly illustrates how God often calls us. Gideon called himself the lowest man of the lowest family in his tribe, but the angel of God found him hiding food for his tribe and called him a “mighty man of valor”. God did not need the strongest or the most able, He only required a heart for His people and faith that God would come through. God tells Gideon later that He wants the army whittled down so that His glory can be shown. The Bible says the armies against then were innumerable and God ended up leaving Gideon with only 300 men of faith. God wanted to prove His faithfulness to His people. The Bible says faith as small as a mustard seed can move mountains. Why? Because it is not the size of our faith that matters, but WHOM we have that faith in.