Hi there!
My name is Emily and I am currently a senior in Unionville High School. I’ve spent my whole life growing up in beautiful West Chester Pennsylvania. And next year I’ll be spending 9 months traveling the world to serve the Lord and spread his good word! I am scheduled to serve in Thailand, Guatemala and Malawi.Everyday will be a new challenge and adventure, where I’ll be working on different ministry assignments and spreading love to God’s people!
If you’ve clicked on this tab you probably want to know a few things about me. Let’s start with what I like to do in my free time. I love singing! I’ll sing any time, any place. I love the idea that music can connect people and I’m very excited to experience God’s worship in new ways on the field! I also really enjoy talking to people. I love a good conversation. I’m very interested in people’s stories, and I love listening to others speak about their passions. One of my passions is traveling. I’ve had the opportunity to travel internationally with my family. But unlike most parents, mine enjoy turning our relaxing family vacations into crazy adventures. From donkey cart rides in Mexico to African street markets in Paris, my parents know how to turn anything into an adventure. Because of this, I’ve always been instilled with this love of geography and learning about new cultures. I’ve grown up in a very very close knit Italian family with 2 older sisters, where my parents raised us to believe strongly in 3 things:
1. God is essential.
2. Family comes first (next to food of course…we really enjoy food).
3. Everyone has something amazing to offer if you just give them a chance.
A little back story on why I’m doing the race:
Because I was the youngest in my family, I matured at a pretty young age. This led to me feeling left out and alone at school. I had lots of friends but never really felt like I belonged. When high school came around, I let the pressure of being “normal” weigh on me. I hid my quirky side and held my tongue in class in order to please others. I was surrounded by people that judged me on what I looked like and not what I had to offer. I became deeply unhappy and turned into a person I never imagined myself being. This affected every relationship I had in my life, including my friendships, my relationship with my parents, and most importantly my relationship with Jesus.
During my sophomore year of high school, my oldest sister, Marie, moved home. I watched her become involved with her faith, which opened my eyes to the true meaning of God’s grace and the values of spiritual connection. She introduced my family to a new church, and we fell in love. The more I went, the more I felt God pulling me out of the darkness. I felt renewed. Every verse I read became more satisfying then the next. I witnessed Jesus restoring my life. I was happy again. My parents and I rekindled our relationship. And I made more friends at school, true friends, because I was allowing myself to be 100% me. But the most amazing thing that happened was that I found myself openly talking about Jesus every chance I got.
Where I had once before felt scared and unhappy, I now embraced joy and satisfaction.
I had always known that I wanted to take a gap year. But I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do. It wasn’t until my sister introduced me to the World Race Gap Year that I had an idea of what God might have in store for me. At first I was skeptical and so were my parents, but after 6 months of prayer-filled consideration, I applied. I can’t think of a better way to spend nine months then serving people and bringing his kingdom to those who need it most.
I’m so excited that I’ll be able to share my journey with you and take you along as God transforms my heart and others! I plan on taking lots of photos and videos that I will be sharing on my blog and other social media sites during my time on the field, so be sure to follow them in the links below! But, in order for me to go on this trip, I have to raise a total of $13,805. Not only will I need your prayers before and during this trip, but I also ask that you consider donating. Every dollar makes a difference! And I couldn’t be more grateful for all the love and support! You can make a donation by simply clicking the support button on my blog.
If you have any questions or simply want to talk to me about my trip, feel free to message me through my contact page!
God Bless,
Emily
*** if you would like to hear more about why I’m going on the race check out my newest post “Chosen”***
Instagram: emilycatherine16
Youtube: Emily Catherine
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