Why Go?
“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son
and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything
I have commanded you. And surely I am with
you always, to the very end of the age.”
– Matthew 28:19-20 NIV
Why go on mission trips? Why go on the World Race? It’s simple, because we have been called to. Through out my life, I have always been interested in mission work, but I didn’t know how God would lead me, when I’d go, or where I’d go. I just knew that I was meant to serve others.
A few years ago I met the CEO of the Christian Relief Fund, Milton Jones, while he and his wife were staying at a friends home. Over a few days, I listened to him give talks at colleges and Churches about CRF and their mission work. In private conversations we talked a lot about Kenya (a recent trip he was on), and I expressed that I had always wanted to go on a mission trip. He invited me, and my life changed. The week after I met him, my life seemed to fall apart. I spiraled into a deep depression and had massive anxiety. During this time, Milton encouraged me not to give up on fundraising for the mission trip. At that point, I could barely get myself out of bed for work and school. One day, I sat down and wrote a fundraising letter, and sent it to five Churches. What happened next was amazing. I was so bogged down in my depression, so I said a prayer for God’s will to be done, and sent them off. Within one month, to the day, I had ALL the funds I needed to go on the mission. Everyone was blown away by how quickly the money came, with only 5 letters, and a prayer for God to send me if it was His will for me to go.
That trip changed the course of my life. Before I left, I had a strong feeling that missions was the direction God wanted me to go, even though I was in the middle of my Master’s Degree….He was leading me down a new path. While visiting Kenya, I saw and felt things I never could have imagined. I have never seen pure faith the way I saw it there. I have never seen so much hope, experienced such open arms, pure love, pure joy, humbleness, heartbreak, sickness, miracles, and so much more. I left Kenya knowing that I would be back, and that God was going to use me as a vessel in the future for mission work. The following summer (last summer), I went back to Kenya, and down to Nicaragua on missions. What a blessing!
I completed my Master’s degree last June before I headed to Kenya and Nicaragua…..when I came back, I moved home and started subbing in the school district while I looked for a great job to start my new career. However, in my heart, I knew it wasn’t time to start my career, it was time to serve for a longer amount of time. At first I resisted, everyone was telling me it wasn’t practical to not start my career and start paying off the enormous student loans I accrued over the 7 years of college. It didn’t make sense to me either, and honestly I have no idea how that will work out, but I’m trusting God that He will provide a way. I had looked into a few different missions, and a friend had told me about the World Race. When I looked it up, I saw how much it cost. After just coming off of two years of fundraisers, I didn’t think I would be able to do it, so I simply pushed missions aside and started looking for work….until January. I felt a strong direction from God telling me that I needed to ‘go’. About that time, I got an email saying the new routes for 2015 had been released. When I checked them out, route 2 immediately spoke to me. I applied in February, and was accepted in March. During this time as I researched more and realized just how intense it would be, I freaked out at first and wondered if I could really do it….but I felt a peace over it. I knew God was in this, and he would give me the strength and everything I needed for the race!
I would be lying if I said I wasn’t scared about some things. I fear that something will happen to family, or my elderly dog that I am so attached to. I fear I will have an encounter with a snake (phobia of snakes). What if I don’t raise enough funds? Then I remind myself that fear isn’t of God. In order to follow where God is leading, I have to completely surrender to God, COMPLETELY! I know that God will provide for those who by faith surrender to Him. He knows our needs, He sees the things we do, and He is always with us. Slowly, I am starting to surrender these things, it’s very difficult, I’m a worrier and like to have control. I have to ask myself, ‘what are you holding back from God’, a question we should all ask. I can only hope to someday have the faith and surrender that Abraham showed when God asked him to sacrifice Issac, what faith!
When people ask me why I’m going, it’s a simple answer: Because God has called me to, and I will put my faith and trust in Him and follow where he leads (my fav song is ‘Oceans’). I will humble myself, serve others, and glorify the Lord. God has given me a HUGE loving heart, and I plan to love on everyone I meet, letting them know that someone cares about them…and even more than that, someone died for them!!! I will be a light for Christ. My faith and actions will work together, and many lives will be touched in the name of Jesus Christ. How exciting!
If you would like to support me in this mission, please visit the home page, or click on the ‘support me’ tab. Every donation helps, every prayer is a blessing, and everything is MUCH appreciated by me!
“Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying
“Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?”
And I said “Here I am. Send me!”
– Isaiah 6:8
