Today I am internet-announcing my commitment to spend a year before medical school doing mission work with the World Race!
World Race (WR) is a program within an organization called Adventures in Missions. Teams are sent out to do ministry in 11 countries over the 11 months of the mission (mine starts in July). The ultimate goal through our work in the field is for God to be glorified, for His people to be loved, and for racers (missionary participants) to grow bold in discipleship. My team will be supporting local ministries and projects in each country. As a racer, this could mean teaching English, working with youth in camps and projects, encouraging permanent missionaries, caring for orphans, working with women trapped in prostitution, and teaching the Gospel.
<<The countries projected for my route are Albania, Romania, Malawi, Zambia, Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia and Chile.>>
I am ecstatic that this will be the next year of my life. It was a long, tearful, prayerful journey to reach this point, but there was so much peace felt at the end. Now, I have many visions of how this next year plays into my story and allows me to part of others’. For one, I think I will see a lot that influences and informs my future involvement in public health. I hope to meet people that expose what type of medicine I am most passionate about and where I might later practice it. More importantly, I want to connect with people. I want to serve in some way that offers them relief and points them to a greater hope. But the best part is that even if I am wrong about all of this, I still rest in confident assuredness that God will use me on the World Race in a way He deems worthy. He graciously ushered me into it and I trust He will faithfully guide me through it.
I also rest assured I am going to be changed during WR. One reason I felt led to choose WR was to spend a year in constant, intentional discipleship, which may very well change how I do ministry for the rest of life. I have so much to learn and so many ways in which to be molded! I don’t know exactly what will result, but I believe it is a huge part of how God will use this year.
I am about 4% prepared for what’s happening in a couple of months, practically speaking. But impractically speaking, I am 100% ready!! At this point, I want to thank you for being interested in my journey, and entreat you to remain a part of it. I would so appreciate your support in prayer, finances, email encouragement, or by subscribing and sharing my blog on social media. If you do want to be part of my financial support team, thank you! The link on the left (Support Me!) will take you to the site to make online card or bank draft gifts.
I’ll leave you with this, because this psalmist has perfectly captured the state of my joyful heart these days.
“Be at rest once more, O my soul, for the Lord has been good to you.”
(Psalm 116:7)
Thank you for letting my story be a part of your day!
Jenna
