Today I woke up thinking about Life & how most people do it.
This May my friends who went the route of a 4 year college plan will be graduating. Looking into moving and getting a “grown-up” job OR getting accepted to law school, grad school, or will be getting married.
I on the other hand am a missionary.
I left what most people call a normal life in May of 09.
I left school. I left friends. I left family. I left all things familiar.
I knew I had a passion to love others such as “the least of these” you know widows and orphans that sort of thing. Honestly I didn’t know what I was getting myself into. I decided to go on a “rockstar missions trip” 11 countries in 11 months. It appealed to me because:
A. it wasn’t Tulsa, Ok.
B. I am a big fan of go big or go home type of things. when I’m in I’M IN.
C. I seeking after more (of what I had no idea)
So in May of 09 I met the fabulously crazy group of people I would be traveling the world with. Then after a short summer in August we set off to start the race in Ireland. After a few months in Europe moved to the middle east and by the time we hit Turkey in December I recall some of us saying okay Africa is right around the corner, then Africa came and went. By that time we were saying to ourselves okay if we can just get to Asia we will be home free. Asia was a whirlwind I fell in love with the people & culture. God completely blessed the friendships I gained being on the race. July of 2010 came way faster than any of us could have calculated.
After the race I was in California with family for a few days then off to Tulsa for 8 days before I headed to Egypt for a short term trip with a few people one of the being my Mom…I can’t say that I loved Egypt but it was fun seeing my Mom fall in love with the people (she is planning to move there for a year or 2 in the near future she is basically the COOLEST mom ever.)
So by this time it was August of 2010 and I had literally no idea what the hell I was doing. I had traveled the world at 21, how do you follow that? There were/are so many doors open to you. All the sudden I realized what a commit-a-phobe I had become I had no idea how long I would be at home…debating whether or not to move to San Antonio, TX, Gainesville, GA or to Cambodia and work with Remember Nhu. Yes it was that extreme.
At this point all of my friends are starting their Senior year of college…with what seemed like some sort of constancy in their lives or a plan at least. Here I am with the world literally opened up to me I just had to decide which way to walk…I knew forward motion was key, but lets be honest I got sucked into the comfortability of life in Tulsa with anything I wanted at my disposal….a phone, a car, running water, electricity.
In October I helped out at training camp in Georgia with a couple of my girlfriends from the race. I was so pumped to be back in that atmosphere world racers. I went with the intentions of figuring out what I would be doing in the next season of life. Nearly all of us who went to training camp were looking for direction. All the sudden you see potential in everything. Yes Africa can be saved with clean water & blood. Thailand doesn’t have to be a sex tourism hot spot. Romanian Gypsies will no longer be discriminated against.
All this to say I landed on G42 Leadership Academy in Spain. A commitment of 6 months of intense learning practical ways to have a business/ministry that reflects the love of God. Hearing from teachers who have literally done it all. Documentaries, Entrepreneurship, Micro-financing in Uganda you name it we’ve been blessed to hear what works and what doesn’t.
All in all it is the exact training that I was craving. I’ve realized my gifts and been able to appreciate them in a new way. I know I was made to be a helper/ encourager. I can see the potential in each person and the vision/dream God has given them. I’ve been able to learn what tribe really means. The fact that we are made to be with each other serving along side each other and spreading the love & joy that only comes from the big guy.
Well now that I am at the half-way point of my time here in Spain I know what direction I am going. I want to be a part of young people’s growth….I want to walk out some hard stuff with them all the while serving. Watching their hearts come alive. This is why I have just applied to lead a Real Life team this coming fall. Real Life is a trip designed for 18-22 year olds each trip is different in a number of countries and each trip has a different focus (slums, sex-trafficking, medical, English teaching). The trip I hope to lead is an all girls Team to Cambodia to work with women and children who have previously been trafficked or who are stuck in the trade currently. I literally cannot wait to see these young women come alive & see just what their hearts beat for. I’m about to see some miracles through these girls…I want to help them in whatever way humanly possible to get them dreaming big.
GAH. I can’t wait.
