Apryl Ortiz has been in ministry for many years, and she and her husband, Ozzie, have even founded their own ministry organization, Strength Dignity Life. Recently, however, Apryl had the opportunity to say “yes” to God in a new form of ministry – one she’d never imagined herself doing before.

Shortly after launching Strength Dignity Life, Apryl says she felt God was calling her to speak. “Immediately I thought, oh, I’m called to be a conference speaker or something like that, right? That’s all I knew.” But then she was approached by two different radio stations. “They’d actually heard about our ministry and said, ‘Hey, would you be interested in doing a radio program?’ To which I said heck no,” she laughs. “I didn’t even do the stereotypical Christian answer of, ‘Hey, I’m going to pray about it.’ I’m like, ‘I can tell you right now, bro. It’s no. Done.’”

God had other plans, however. Apryl later met Mingo at the Urban Youth Workers Institute Conference, and Mingo also asked if she would ever do her own radio show or podcast. At this point, she started to reconsider the path the Lord might be calling her towards, and so she started praying about it. “I was like, ‘Lord, I signed up to serve you. I want to live for you with all my heart, mind, strength. I want to go 100%. So wherever you call me to go, I will go,’” Apryl recalls. “I did not know going meant to the radio station. Absolutely not.”

Nevertheless, it turns out that was exactly where God called her to be. She chose a radio station that aligned with the mission of Strength Dignity Life, and she now has a radio program at 95.3fm The Edge.

And it’s been a big commitment. Apryl is dedicated to showing up every week and creating content not just for the sake of content, but to truly make an impact and share God’s message. “Every week, that has been my heart’s desire,” she says. “It’s like, ‘Lord, you’ve given me this tool, this opportunity. I want to make the most of what you’ve given to me.’ This is my time, talent, treasure right here that I’m laying out, so I want to be able to do that.”

As some listeners might know, it’s not easy to land a radio show. How did Apryl get this opportunity? The answer is through volunteering and service.

It turns out the radio station staff had already known Apryl, thanks to the time she had dedicated in the past to volunteering there. As a single mom of three at the time, she knew she couldn’t support them financially, but she wanted to give of her time and help the station spread the Word of God. So she went to the station and offered her help, and they asked her to do some interviews for them. “I was like, ‘Sure, if that’s what’s needed. I’ll do whatever. I’ll clean the toilet if you want me to,’” she laughs.

Apryl’s story illustrates how important it is to be willing to serve. Because she was willing to do whatever God asked of her and to humbly serve others first, multiple opportunities opened up for her.

“This is a consistent message we try to tell emerging leaders,” Mingo says. “First I have to serve. Before I speak, before I get my break, before I get to share the message that I want to share, service comes first… That’s so important for people. They think that the first step is the stage step, and there are 50 steps before you get a microphone in your hand.”