So first I have to admit that I have no earthly idea what I'm doing when it comes to preparing for this trip. There are so many things to be done i.e. RAISING $16,000! I'm scared to death and trying not to stress out about it. It's like letter, phone calls, emails, fundraising, meetings…where to start??? On one hand I know that if this is what the Lord is calling me to do then he will definitely provide. But then fear creeps in with those two little letters….IF. Then you start wondering, is this what He's calling me to do???
It's crazy because I've had so many "God moments" confirming my decision to go on this trip. A "God moment" is when something happens that just HAS to be God. It's more than just a major coincidence and if you're paying attention you can recognize when you're in the middle of one. I love "God moments" because it always makes me feel like I'm right where I'm supposed to be, smack dab in the middle of God's will. One of these moments happened a few weeks ago.
My grandma died. She wasn't sick so it was a huge surprise but she loved and served the Lord with all of her heart so my family celebrated her homegoing knowing that she's now resting in the arms of Jesus. But that's not the "God moment." My aunt who's a minister who also serves as a missionary came in town along with the rest of my family for the funeral. She and some members of her church had just come back from Kenya about a month or so prior. As my family gathered in my grandmother's home I began to tell her about the World Race and how I'd be serving as a missionary overseas. She seemed somewhat shocked but interested as I told her about the countries I'd be serving in and how excited about what the Lord's goint to do there. The "God moment" happened at the most unexpected place and time, at the wake the next day.
My aunt comes over and tells me that she wants to introduce me to someone. She brings me over to a woman who's just sitting there looking at me. She tells the woman THIS IS KELLI. I'm standing there like yep, hey, I'm Kelli. lol This woman then begins to tell me about what a man in Kenya told her.
A prophet in Kenya told her that a girl in my aunt's family named Kelli would be traveling the world and doing great work for the Lord. The man told her that the Lord had brought the name Kelli to him. The woman then turned to my aunt while they were in Kenya asking if she knew of any girl named Kelli. My aunt told her that she didn't, then looked at her and said that she had one niece named Kelli. The woman telling the story then looked at me and said, "You have to go." At this point I'm crying and a little freaked out. What do you say after hearing something like that?!?! How could anyone in Kenya know that I was about to travel the world??? I had only told my parents and a few close friends not to mention that their trip was before I even knew for sure I'd be going. Besides, I've never even left the country. The words of Jeremiah 29:11 immediately came to my mind. "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future…" As the news of my trip spread, many of my family members from Rhode Island, Maryland, Washington D.C., and South Carolina who were there agreed to financially support me for my trip. I left that wake wondering if ALL OF THIS WAS IN GOD'S PLAN. From my grandmothers passing which led to my family coming from around the country and me getting support from some of the unlikeliest of places. Not to mention the woman telling me about the man in Kenya. When God's got a plan He's got a plan! And He is always in control!
