We were asked to write a blog about how we were called to this mission trip.
Here is my story…
Here is my story…
Well, lets just say that it is amazing how God works! I see that God has prepped me for this trip long before a couple months ago when I applied. Although I was saved when I was young, back in 2004 was when being a Christian began to have a whole new meaning to me. It’s crazy when you see this huge God and all of a sudden He’s getting on a personal level with you, its like woah! I had no clue what God had in mind (I still feel left out of the loop from time to time…but that’s where the whole faith deal plays in…BIG TIME).
So, I knew God wanted me to be serving and in ministry but not till 2006 when I found my way up to Liberty University to finish my degree did God really lay missions on my heart. It may have been no more than a few weeks into the school year when Missions Emphasis Week began. You know when a preacher, speaker, or whoever is up there is giving a message and there are a thousand people in the room, but this person’s words seemed to be targeted right at you? Well, it was one of those situations. I knew that day that God had a plan for me that involved missions and I began to get super excited about it! At the end of that school year I went on my first missions trip to the Republic of Georgia and fell in love with the people there!
So fast forward to 2009 when I found out about this trip through my best friend, Patty, who is also going on the January 2010 team. I thought it was an awesome opportunity but the huge lump of money that she had to earn intimidated me to the point that I just pushed this idea out of my head. I ended up not getting an internship overseas that I really thought was going to work out. That was the third closed door that I had towards missions in the past year and I got super discouraged. This whole summer has been crazy as I was trying to figure out what God wanted me to do, and I think I wasted a lot of the time worrying and waiting for who knows what.
Anyways, So I had this awesome interview with a Christian chiropractor who was all in to nutrition (right up my alley) and they gave me till the upcoming Monday to accept or decline the job. The day before I had to tell them, me and Patty went to the beach and she was telling me that she really thinks I would regret it if I didn’t go on this trip. We are both really adventurous and love missions and stuff like this. We talked, prayed, read scripture on the beach and by the end of the day I felt God had moved my heart to apply and take this risk. I turned down this job opportunity and began working on my application for The World Race. Although it has been challenging, each day I wake up with a greater peace in knowing that I am right where God wants me to be. I am so excited to sacrifice, to serve, to give a part of my life to others so that they may know this Jesus that I love so much. I don’t know how all the pieces are going to fall in to place, but the not knowing part is building my faith to prepare me for what lies ahead!
“For when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be strong in character and ready for anything.” – James 1:4 NLT
Patty and I…Future World Racers!!!
Patty and I…Future World Racers!!!
