It wasn’t until my life-changing experience at Urbana ’12 that I finally acknowledged God’s calling for me. Urbana is a mission conference done through InterVarsity Christian Fellowship. Before this conference, my plan was to apply for a staff worker position with Intervarsity. This was the main reason I went to Urbana. I never expected my life to change so radically during and after the conference. I had experienced true worship, the power of prayer, and God’s love for people of all nations and cultures.
It’s hard to explain this experience. It was even more difficult to explain it when I got home. I was on fire with passion for Jesus and serving others. I had even made a long-term commitment to serve others cross-culturally. Coming back to a school that seemed so dead was the hardest part. I was excited to love students on campus and begin new things with our InterVarsity chapter, but as the months went by and the semester passed, that fire started to dwindle. I still acknowledged God’s call, but it was so difficult to truly live by that vision, when everything around me seemed so unaffected by my passion. So I decided that I would go forward with applying for staff with InterVarsity my senior year.
Then, fall semester happened. It was going great at first. God was doing amazing things. New groups were being reached on campus, meaningful relationships were being built, and InterVarsity was becoming what I had always envisioned. But quickly things got rough. I mean rough. I’m not a crier, and there was a period of 3 weeks where I cried every single day. I was so distraught because I was passionate about loving others in the name of Jesus, but no one else, including leaders, seemed passionate. I was excited about finally reaching new people, but I seemed to be one of the only ones expressing this excitement. I finally got so discouraged and frustrated that I stepped away from InterVarsity and the possibility of going on staff.
Before stepping away from InterVarsity, I looked into the Word Race, but figured it wasn’t for me because I would be going on staff. Well, God had some other plans. After taking a step back, the World Race kept popping up. Even one of my best friends started looking into going when she gradates. I visited the website again and read blogs for the first time. After reading the first blog, I knew that this was what God had planned for me. It may have taken me a while to realize it, but God really showed me that He was calling me to the World Race. To abandon my comfortable life in the states for something He had for me a long time ago. I may have acknowledged my call to missions at Urbana, but I had a much different idea about what that would mean. God has shown me that His vision is much greater than my own. I am so excited to experience what God has had planned all along and to just love people wherever they are!
In God’s Love,
Emily
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