A March 2013 spirit-led conversation shared with her dentist while getting her six-month routine cleaning planted the seed to the ministry the Holy Spirit would lead her to birth on May 28, 2013. Committed to serve as a vessel of compassion, instruction, love and truth for Jesus Christ, learn more about Voices Against the Grain founder, Nicole D. Hayes, in the Q & A below. 

Nicole D. Hayes, Founder, Voices Against the Grain

Where are you from?  Topeka, KS

When is your birthday? June 14 (Flag Day/ U.S. Army Birthday)

How did you come to join the Voices Against the Grain team?  Founded the ministry in May 2013.

What is your favorite childhood memory? So many! Most involved how my younger brother Bryan and I would scheme to get out of trouble with mom and dad! Some of the schemes worked and some didn’t.  A scheme that worked: playing Nintendo Super Mario Brothers after school while we were grounded and then quickly putting it up  when mom got home. We had a long gravel driveway which gave us time to see the car coming! A scheme that didn’t work: My grandma had made fresh blueberry muffins. She, my mom and dad left to run a quick errand while my brother and I stared hungrily at the muffins. Overtaken by temptation, instead of eating a whole muffin, we picked the edges of each one. When parents and grandma returned, my grandma saw the pinched off muffins and screamed to our mom, “Get the kids! There must be a rat in the kitchen!” To calm my grandma down, my brother and I had to tell her there was no rat nibbling on the muffins. We were the “rats.”   😦

As a Christian, what is your understanding of why God allows trials/ temptations to come into our lives? To purify, perfect us, to make us more like Jesus so we may also equip, empower and encourage others on their journey.

What do you do in your spare time? Read, enjoy time w/friends and family, dancing!

What is your favorite bible verse?  Jeremiah 29:11, because I know He has a great future designed for me! A close second is Proverbs 3:5-6.

What does having a relationship/walk with God mean to you? EVERYTHING! He is at the forefront of all that I do. He has proven His faithfulness to me over and over. I love Him with all that I have and desire for others to know His love too.

What is your favorite food? Avocados, Mexican food, TAMALES and breakfast any time of day!

If you had a superpower what would it be? To warp through time (past or future).

Is there anything else we should know about you? My colleagues nickname me “The General” because I am a leader who gets things DONE!

Learn more about Nicole D. Hayes here.