One of the questions I’ve been asked over and over since telling everyone about the World Race is how did I find out about it…
So today I wanted to take some time to share with you just that, how I found out about the World Race and why I signed up for this crazy adventure. And what better time to do that than on a rainy, gloomy day as I sip on a hot cup of coffee while the baby I nanny for is napping? Yes, I can’t think of a better time either.
Before I tell you why I applied for this trip though, I think I need to rewind back to my high school days.
I can remember it as if it were yesterday. I was at Acquire the Fire in Tulsa with thousands of other teens. I actually had just given my life to Christ the day before (Praise God!). You see, I grew up in the church. I’ve always believed in God and I always considered myself to be a Christian. But something happened that weekend. I realized there was more to being a Christ follower than just saying that I believed in God and going to church every week. I learned that weekend what it meant to have a relationship with Christ. I learned that Jesus wanted more of me. And I wanted more of Him. It was a pretty spectacular and life changing day.
The very next day there was a speaker from Global Expeditions. He shared with us about different mission trips they had to offer and shared stories of what God had been doing in these different places that they minister in. And that is when it came. God put a calling to missions on my heart that weekend. I still to this day do not know what that entails in my life but I know that He is calling me to GO. And He has specifically put on my heart this huge desire to go overseas. To love on people all over the world, sharing with them about Jesus. What an amazing weekend that was! One that I will never forget.
That desire, that calling God placed on my heart my freshman year of high school, has never left.
Fast forward to the year 2009. It was a big year for me. I was finally moving out of my parent’s house, away from Chanute, going to a place where I knew nobody. I was beyond excited about this move. For someone who likes new things and new experiences, this was very appealing to me.
I arrive in the big city of Topeka, KS to to continue my college education (I was a transfer from a community college in my hometown) at Washburn University. From the very get go it was amazing. I immediately made new friends. My roommate was more amazing than I could have ever hoped for. I started going to what is called Christian Challenge where some very special friendships began, ones that I still have today. Friendships that would challenge me to go deeper in my walk with the Lord. Friendships that would encourage me in more ways than I could count. And from those dear friends, other friendships began with people I would never have met! God is crazy awesome like that.
Anyways, going on with the story…
The Lord used one of those friends, the very first person I met at Washburn University to be exact, to lead me to the World Race. My friend Meghann, knowing how interested I was in missions, invited me to go to a missions conference with her called Urbana in St. Louis, MO. One of the coolest things about Urbana is they have a huge room full of mission organizations and ministries from all over the world (it’s a dream place for anyone who is interested at all in missions) allowing you to talk with representatives from that organization and gather information telling you what their ministry is all about.
Meghann and I were walking around this big, and somewhat overwhelming room, taking it all in when she asked if I had heard of the World Race. I hadn’t. She briefly told me about it. All I remember her saying is, “It’s a mission trip where you go to 11 countries in 11 months.” That was all I needed to hear. For someone who loves adventure and missions, this was like music to my ears. We made our way to their booth where I was able to talk to people who had been on the World Race themselves. I don’t even remember what they said, I just know that in the deepest part of my heart, I knew I was supposed to go on this trip someday.
Fast forward to this year, 2013.
Up until this year, the World Race has always been a possibility. It’s always been a dream. It had never been a reality though. Yes I still wanted to go, but the timing wasn’t right. I felt like God wanted me here.
In the last few months though it was different.
I follow the World Race on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. (You can too!) They kept posting that they had an announcement coming sometime in August. I had a pretty good feeling it was going to be the routes for July of 2014 and I was right! So I kept praying about it asking God if I should do it. Should I finally apply for the World Race?
You know those times when you ask God something and He makes His answer undeniably obvious? Well this was not one of those times. But He also wasn’t giving me any no’s. Not a single one. I just felt in my heart that this was what He wanted me to do. He was silently giving me the go ahead. He probably knew that He wouldn’t have to do much convincing to get me to apply!
The day the new routes were posted, I was all over it. I was going through them trying to decide which amazing route I should choose. And the one that kept standing out to me for whatever reason was July 2014 Route 1. So I did it. I applied for the World Race. I interviewed 3 days later, and 2 weeks after that I was accepted!
And now here I am.
It’s been so cool watching this story unfold already. The support I am receiving from all of you has been overwhelmingly wonderful!! I am so grateful to have such amazing people to share this great adventure with.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart for what you have already done for me as I begin this journey, and for what you will continue to do for me. I cannot say thank you enough.
Here is an awesome video the World Race put together. It might help you get inside my head and understand why I want to do something like this! 🙂
