The following summer I went on a similar trip to Honduras to help build the foundation of a new church while ministering to locals in various ways. After returning from those trips and experiencing the ways God moves in an international context, I knew I was hooked forever. Being able to interact with people from different cultures, experiencing the greater body of Christ, and serving those who are less fortunate while being served by them in inexplicable ways simply grew my heart for this work and left me longing for more.
I was blessed with another opportunity to serve overseas during my sophomore summer in college when I traveled to Cairo, Egypt with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship’s Global Urban Trek program. The goal was to minister to the “poorest of the poor” in an urban setting, build relationships with these beautiful people, and live in simplicity and solidarity with them and their experiences. We primarily went to serve Sudanese refugees who had been forcibly removed from their homes and were left searching for a place amongst people who wanted nothing to do with them. We taught English to both children and adults throughout the summer, ministered to local churches, learned as much Arabic as possible, attempted to understand the horrific situations these people found themselves in, built relationships, and were challenged to find joy in the suffering as we showed them as much of Christ’s love as possible.
God revealed Himself to me in some new and profound ways throughout the trip, and I left with a strong sense that He wanted me to return to Cairo at some point in the future (therefore I’m extremely pumped that I’ll be going back on The World Race!) I experienced instances of supernatural joy when the situations I found myself in were less than favorable; I had a vivid vision, twice, while the pastor of a Sudanese church laid hands on me and prayed; I felt an indescribable bond with people I had just met and a city completely foreign to me; my emotions were heightened as God enabled me to truly live in solidarity with these people; I experienced intensified periods of pain, sadness, and bliss alongside those I was ministering to; I witnessed the living God at work in countless ways and was humbled at the prospect that He wanted to use me in His kingdom work. I feel like I could talk about my experiences in Cairo forever, but that’s just a small sampling of what God did in and through me during my time there.
When I got back from this trip I remember hiking with my Uncle Bill (an amazing man with the gift of prophecy and the pastor of a church in San Diego), and telling him about some of my experiences there. He told me that I needed to pay attention to the supernatural work of God while I was in that context, “That doesn’t just happen everyday, Jenny.” He then quoted a scripture verse that really resonated with me; it was Psalm 16:11: “You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.” He expressed that he thought I was called to go back to Africa and that I should just pray about the timing. He said God had “made known to me the path of life” by giving me this passion and this call, He had “filled me with joy in His presence” through multiple occurrences in Cairo (and life in general), and that He would continually be giving me “eternal pleasures at His right hand.” I couldn’t disagree with him; after all, one of the strongest emotions I experienced during my time in Egypt was the gift of joy even in the midst of suffering. It didn’t always make sense to me, but that’s how I knew it was from the Spirit and not of myself (when we rely on Him for our supply, the cup always overflows! Praise God!)
So hearing all of this from my uncle truly excited me (since he’s been such a significant spiritual mentor in my life and a man I immensely respect and honor), and yet I still felt a little hesitant about the whole thing. Does God really want me to go back there? How can I be sure? What if it was just one good experience and that’s it? God knows our hearts because He intimately formed each and every one of them. Therefore, he knew my stubbornness and hesitation and decided to make the call even clearer. So clear that I couldn’t help but say, “YES!”
After that I couldn’t wait to explore more of the world and see where my place was in all of it. I was later blessed with the ability to study abroad with a program called Semester at Sea during my junior year in college; we circumnavigated the globe in about four months and ported in: the Bahamas, Puerto Rico, Brazil, South Africa, Mauritius, India, Malaysia, Vietnam, Hong Kong, mainland China, Japan, Hawaii, and ended up in San Diego. It was definitely an amazing experience, and we were able to participate in service work in various cities and countries throughout the trip. We volunteered at Mother Teresa’s Home for Disabled Children in India for a day, which was one of the most difficult yet eye-opening experiences of my life.
We also had an opportunity to serve in Africa (yay!); some of my friends and I met up with a Christian Youth Empowerment Organization in Cape Town, South Africa called Africa Jam while we were there. We organized township tours and service projects and were able to meet and interact with the youth and staff of this incredible organization. They are a multi-faceted group, but they primarily use the arts (music, drama, and dance) to minister to at-risk youth in the townships; they also attempt to bridge racial gaps formed by the apartheid, foster education and after-school programs, and ultimately tell kids about the love of Jesus! My roommate and I fell in love with the organization and decided to return to Cape Town the following January to volunteer with their summer camps during our month off of school. This experience was yet another confirmation that international service is in my blood. Again, I could talk about the ways God was at work and moving throughout this entire camp, but I’ll highlight one experience in particular that really hit me.
There was a boy in the small group I was leading named Wara; he was a teenager and a well-respected leader in his community, but also a typical “tough guy” from the streets of Cape Town. God specifically put him on my heart to be praying for this one day towards the end of the camp, so I did. That night, after the speaker gave his message and asked if anyone wanted to receive Jesus into their life for the first time, I saw Wara get up and walk to the front of the room. I instantly broke down and began weeping, because I knew God had put this precious boy on my heart for this very reason. I went up to pray with him, congratulate him, and tell him just how proud of him I was. The next day I talked and prayed with Wara one-on-one; we prayed both in English and Xhosa (his native language) and the beauty of the whole scene moved me to tears. He later told me this was the first time he had prayed in ten years, and that he simply felt different by having Jesus in his heart; he felt alive, free, and was crying, shouting, and praising God with me right there on the grass as we held hands and talked to Jesus. It was incredible. Later that day I felt God directing me to talk to other youth at the camp who were in desperate need, and I went to them and prayed with them as well. I felt like the Spirit was completely directing and guiding me to certain individuals and using me as a vessel to pour out His hope, peace, and love. On top of that, I heard God’s voice clearly telling me, “This is exactly where I want you to be.” It was a pretty powerful stream of experiences to say the least; I felt like I was smack dab in the middle of God’s will… and honestly, there’s no other place I’d rather be.
So as you can see, missions have always been something I’m deeply interested and invested in… and I long to step deeper into. After I graduated from the University of San Diego last May (2008), I was actually planning on spending a year in South Africa and doing service there while interning with Africa Jam (the organization I worked with during my time in Cape Town). However, for a few different reasons I felt like God was telling me to wait, and I had to respect and honor His timing above my own.
I ended up moving to Boston instead and I’ve been working with inner-city kids at an after school program for the last year. God has been using me as a light, tool, and witness to speak into their lives and although I never thought I would end up here, I know God’s plan is bigger and grander than my own. I feel like this is training ground for me and that God is truly strengthening, maturing, and preparing me for what He has in the future.
It reminds me of the verse in Acts 1:7-8 when Jesus tells the disciples, “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” We don’t always understand God’s timing… but that’s ok. He does, and He loves us, and He ultimately knows best. On top of that, He was telling the disciples that they would be His witnesses at home first (Jerusalem), and then move out to the surrounding and more difficult areas (Judea and Samaria), and finally to the ends of the earth! God uses us in our families, our jobs, with our co-workers and in our hometowns as training ground before he sends us out to be His disciples and witnesses to the nations. I feel like that’s exactly what He’s doing with me right now, and I’m so thankful that He’s being patient with me, taking the time to hone my gifts, talents, and abilities, so therefore I will be even more effective for Him in the world when the time comes! He is so good!
I am so grateful for my job and relationships I’ve built with my kids and co-workers, but more recently I have been feeling a nudge to return to the international mission field. I had been praying intentionally about where God wanted me next and trying to sift through all the different potential opportunities and organizations; but God was faithful and kept bringing The World Race to mind in various ways. I checked out the itineraries posted back in April and wasn’t totally drawn to any of them in particular, so I decided to pray about the next race route that was coming out in June. I prayed that I would be intensely drawn to the country list when I saw it and that if I was, that would be confirmation that I should go on the race, or at least apply. When I finally saw the June itinerary an extreme peace came over me. I thought to myself, “Yes. This is it. It’s perfect.” I feel specifically called back to some of the places and have always felt a strong pull to others, so I know God’s hand is in this entire process. It is not a coincidence. Praise Him!
I am so stoked about The World Race and I can’t even predict what God is going to do in and through me during these eleven months, but that’s all part of the adventure! I remember thinking when I got back from Semester at Sea that a similar trip would be perfect if it was a little longer and Christian missions based… and that’s exactly what The World Race is! I had no idea this program existed a few months ago but in the recent words of my mother, “It sounds like this program was made for you.” Who knows what’s gonna happen… but I’m stepping into the adventure that is a life lived by the Spirit and trying to follow God’s call… and that’s exactly where I want to be. 🙂
I apologize this was so long!! I just wanted to give you all the full breadth and depth of my story so you can truly get a picture of who I am and where I’m coming from. If you didn’t wear glasses before reading this, you might need them now. But fear not! Jesus can heal you. 😉
