How I Was Called to the Mission Field

 

of how God has equipped me and lead me to this trip – step by step.

 

If you had asked me 10 years ago, what my life would be like today, I would have given you a very confident answer that I would be married with 2 kids in a very settled life.  Doing a missions trip would not have been a thought in my mind at that time, I wouldn’t have even known what a mission trip was back then. Funny how life doesn’t always work out the way YOU plan it.  Instead, God nurtured my relationship, helping me to build a foundational, solid relationship with Him. To do this, “my” plans, “my” dreams were stripped away.  As I grew in my walk with God, there wasn’t a defining moment where I knew I was called to Missions. It was a gradual, step by step revelation – only after I took each step of faith in obedience. 

 

Step1:   I went on my first Mission trip with my small group at my church to Calcutta, India. It was my first exposure to poverty and through that trip, I believe God opened my eyes to see through His eyes, and to love with His heart. I almost didn’t go on that trip.  When my group leader asked if I was interested to go on the Mission trip with them, the trip was not what I had in mind of what a missions trip should be like. My idea of a Mission trip at the time, had these requirements: 1) It would involve some form of physical labour 2) I wouldn’t know anyone on my team 3) It would be a substantial amount of time (at least 2 weeks or longer).  That trip was working with the church in Calcutta with a group of youth and running a 4 day training camp. It didn’t meet any of my requirements at all and I wasn’t thrilled to join them. But I did promise my leader that I would pray about it. An d as I did, God lead me to Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding, In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.  As I had meditated on these verses, I began to realize the trip was not about meeting my expectations. It was all about if i was willing to go – the opportunity was set before me. So I went and left it an open door. And it was through that trip, that my eyes were open to another world – a world where there isn’t plenty, a world where there isn’t clean running water, a world where if you stay long enough, you become decencitized to the begging that happens at every corner of every street.

Step 2: It was a strange feeling to see people living in poverty and contrasting it with the life I lived back home. After I came back from my trip, it was difficult to reconcile the 2 worlds. I had a yearning to see more of this other world and how people lived in other parts of the world. I didn’t want to be comfortable continuing to live in my world as I knew it. I also was aware that the feelings I had may have been the common emotions that short term mission trips have on people upon their return home.  As I prayed and looked for more opportunities, God lead and was very clear at convicting me to my next trip to Tanzania 5 months later and guess what??? The second trip met all 3 requirements of what I originally envisioned a Mission Trip to be. I went with World Vision to visit sponsored children and their families in the rural areas of Tanzania, as well as helping them to build and paint a school.  God continued to teach me how He provides hope to those in the midst of poverty, sadness, illness and hopelessness.  It was a profound lesson that left a HUGE impression in my heart, in my mind.

 

Step 3: As I came back from that trip, I continued to search for other opportunites and that was when I stumbled upon World Race. That was 3 years ago. I remember clearly reading the racer’s blogs and as I read each of their experiences, I would feel choked up, and tears would swell up because of the things that God was showing, teaching them to see and love.  Although I never met those people, I couldn’t explain how I could relate to what they were writing about and the emotions they felt. I think in hindsight, I now know that it was the common feeling of compassion, that bonds all of us World Racers together.  But the trip seemed too radical for me. Taking a year off seemed too unrealistic for me. Telling my family seemed too big of a task for me to deal with.  I didn’t apply.  But God doesn’t stop knocking. For the next 3 years, I would off and on, visit the site and read racers’ blogs. Each time, the same set of emotions would arise. But so would the same set of excuses.  Clearly, it was no coincidence that I had accidentally stumbled upon the World Race site.

 

So what changed? After a long time of resistance, and reflecting on how much He has grown and taught me, it was time to stand up for God.  It was time to act. It was time to  put the excuses to rest and deal with them head on as they came. I like to say that this is Action driven by God’s Compassion.  It was back to the basic question, was I willing when the opportunity is before me? A step of obedience was the step I needed to take. And so here I am, taking yet another step that God has lead me to.

 

Who knows where step 3 will take me or where step 4 will be??? But that’s what journeying with God is all about isn’t – taking it step by step and waiting for Him to show us the next step.