This is my very first blog post (ever!) and I can’t think of a best way to kick off the New Year than to share my heart with you and where my dream to be overseas serving began.
If you haven’t already heard or seen, I’ll be heading on a great adventure this coming August! Less than 8 short months away. If you’ve been wondering what the World Race is all about and why I’m leaving America for 11 months, you’ve come to the right place.
The World Race is a non-for-profit organization that sends teams of young adults all around the world, to 11 different countries, to spread the good news of Christ. That may be done by going to orphanages, preaching in villages, spending time with widows, doing construction, teaching English, or many other avenues. What it’s really all about is being the hands and feet of Jesus.
As long as I can remember, my heart has always beat for missions and to serve overseas. My mom can tell you about the many times I expressed this longing to her even as a child. We would go to church conferences or worship services and they’d show videos of missions trips and what the kingdom of God was doing in distant lands and I knew that’s where I wanted to be one day. God was already planting a seed that He would one day use.
As the years passed I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do. Do I get a degree in missions, in teaching, social work? I really was torn about what to do. I had gotten the opportunity of going with my church on a week-long mission trip to Rio Bravo, Guatemala and I loved every minute of it. I didn’t want to leave, but I knew I also had to decide what I would do with my schooling.
After getting my AA degree, I ended up finishing my last two years at Palm Beach Atlantic University, and I settled on doing social work. Out of the many elective classes available to me, I chose a Missions Intro class. That missions intro class made me reflect on God’s calling for my life. I knew what God was calling me to do, trust Him. I changed my major within the first few weeks of the class to Cross-Cultural Studies. In other words, a Missions degree, which I graduated with in 2010.
After graduation the doors didn’t seem to open for me to go overseas. I got involved leading the kid’s ministry at my church and also helping lead worship, but somewhere deep down I knew I also was called to missions, I just didn’t know when.
During this time I had been praying for God to open the doors and give me peace about going overseas. Somewhere along the way I stumbled across the World Race. It sounded like an incredible opportunity and a great way to see what the mission field was all about. I saved it as a bookmark on my computer and waited and prayed. It’s been six years, but the time has finally come!
I want to encourage you for this new year to be anticipating what God is going to bring around that you’ve been waiting and praying for. This past January I would have never thought I’d be leaving to go on an 11-month mission trip, but here I am. God is faithful, trust His timing. It’s never too late to be used for His glory, it’s just the beginning…
Here I am. Send me.
HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!
