This here is one of my all time best friends in the whole wide world. We are cousins and have been together since diapers. Cassandra was born exactly 5 weeks before me and that time was the longest we had been apart until I left for college. We are constantly being asked if we are twins or sisters, it didn’t help that our moms dressed us in the same clothes until we were like 10 years old! Where one is the other is usually around somewhere. We went to school together, got in trouble together, went on, oh so many adventures together, graduated together, cried together, laughed together and now we are going on this trip! Not together.
Same time, yes. But different countries. We have had so many people question this decision. We have always talked about doing something huge like this. Of course, we were thinking more along the lines of the Amazing Race, but God works in mysterious ways! And it is a one word difference. No biggie. But people cannot understand why we made the choice to apply for different routes. Hopefully this blog can clear up some questions.
Cassandra had first mentioned trip as a possibility for her and had always had an interest in it. I did not. This trip was her baby and not mine. But as I mentioned before, while out in Pittsburgh, God really got in my face about it and I soon found myself exploring the website everyday imagining what it would be like in Africa, wondering what awesome things God was going to do through me. After I was done fighting God about it and accepted the calling to apply, I called Cassandra and she was like…”me too!!” This was perfect! God was sending us together!
We knew, even without talking about it, that we were going to choose different routes. We may be able to finish each others sentences but we are very different people. Cassandra chose her route with some European countries while I wanted to head to central America. Ultimately these were the routes we felt called to and neither of us wanted to switch for the other.
This trip is about stretching us. This trip is designed to strip away everything we cling to so we can spend these next months fully relying on God. We take comfort in so many different things and these things often become the things that distract us from God. This trip is about breaking that. Only then can God become the #1 focus in our lives and we can serve him with our whole hearts. Cassandra and I know, that if we were to go on the same trip, we would not grow and change as much as we would if we face this alone. Our ministry probably wouldn’t be as effective, our friendships we form probably wouldn’t be as deep. Things would be way more comfortable and way less scary with Cassandra by my side. And God would sometimes be pushed to the back seat. It has happened on other mission trips.
I would depend on her. She would be there and instead of crying out to God, I would cry to her. Instead of taking the time to form friendships of my own, I wouldn’t try as hard, I already have her friendship. Instead of telling God what is on my heart and how overjoyed I am, she would be the one hearing about the amazing day I had.
We want to fully experience God on this trip. His will and His mission. The joys and the struggles. That is why we are going on different trips.
But hey, fundraisers are so much more fun when you have a buddy!
