Who am I:
My name is John Rebba. I am from a
little town called Vernon Hills, IL. I am 27 years young (that’s right young).
Although having grown up in a mission-oriented family, there has been a
lot of Christ-led experiences that have increased my heart for missions and
ministry. I went to Calvin College, a small Christian Liberal Arts
College, in Grand Rapids, MI. I had a wonderful time there and graduated
with a degree in Religion and a minor in Missions. Missions is an
essential part of who I am. I have a heart for ministry because of my
family’s heritage in ministry. My father is the director of IREF (India
Rural Evangelical Fellowship), a Christian ministry in Andhra
Pradesh, India that provides educational and medical services while preaching
the Gospel of Jesus Christ. IREF was started by my great grandfather and
grandfather as they traveled on foot from village to village preaching the
Gospel. I’m slowly becoming more involved with the ministry
administratively and through preaching at churches and retreats.
How I got here:
In the spring of 2010, I was
getting frustrated with the way life was going. i.e. no where. So as I
was talking to a friend of mine about this, he encouraged me to check out the
World Race. The conversation stopped there and less than a minute later
we were on the computer navigating through the site. He said, ” just
by judging the conversations we’ve had in the past and who you are, this would
be a great thing for you to do.” The second I looked at it, a little
smile crept on my face knowing that this was something that was worth checking
out further and to make a long story a lot shorter: after months of prayer
and sought after guidance and direction here I am on the January 2011 trip.
Why am I doing the World Race:
One of my goals is to apply what I
learn on this trip to the work I do when I eventually join my family in serving
the Lord at IREF. I’m sick of all the news coverage of celebrities and their
drama rather than the real issues of the world; poverty, natural disasters,
health issues, etc. Why has society become so disenfranchised with real
worldwide issues? Hopefully as World Race participants we can be Christ’s
hands and feet in our locations and the world in general. Ultimately our
goal in doing the World Race should be to answer the call Christ gave us
through the Great Commission and spread the light of the Gospel. To see
the transformation of the communities we impact through bring about and seeing
God’s Kingdom manifest itself in the world.
For those who don’t know me as well, you’ll see how all this
plays out in this missionary adventure. And for those who do know me…enjoy
the ride.
India, Nepal, Romania, Moldova, South Africa, Swaziland, Mozambique, Thailand, Cambodia, Australia, Malaysia
