HEY THERE!
Whether you’re reading this because you think the World Race sounds like the Amazing Race, you want to support me as a missionary, or you’re interested in going on the World Race in the future, I want to say THANK YOU for stopping by!
Today is July 1st….
-39 days until the World Race Training Camp
-91 days until I launch on the World Race.
So… why now? Why start this journey so late in the game?
Well, well, well… though I may have just officially received my acceptance 4 days ago after 2 months of waiting, I have actually been praying about the World Race for over 2 years now!
I remember it so clearly– I was in my off-campus house during my senior year of college at Azusa Pacific University in February 2014. I remember one of my friends telling me about an opportunity to travel the world and serve as a missionary in different countries. I was enrolled in a course at the time called Christian Mission in the 21st Century, so it immediately caught my interest. I took my iPhone out, and wrote down a note in the notes section about The World Race. Though I may have written “travel diff countries each month,” I knew the harsh reality that it would be physically, spiritually, emotionally, and mentally exhausting.
After finding out I had been accepted for graduate school at Seattle University for the Student Development Administration, M.Ed. degree (SDA), I knew my interest for the World Race would have to be put on hold.
After spending a second summer working at Forest Home camp ministries, I moved to Seattle in August 2014 to start my Master’s program. My first year was really difficult for so many reasons (you’ll probably see a blog on it at some point!), but I grew SO much in my relationship with God. After failing time and time again, I surrendered my situations to Him and He redeemed me. He was waiting for me to come to a state of FULL dependence on Him– not living into my selfish desires, but to genuinely want to grow in my faith and relationship with Him! After I came out of my brokenness, He faithfully provided the support group I needed & had been praying for (shout out to the Fab 5 & my small group at Ballard Church!).
He was making ALL THINGS new.
Throughout that year, He had put the World Race on my heart and mind at so many random moments.
I see you, God.
He was planting seeds. He was in the business of softening my heart towards the idea of going on the World Race after graduating from Seattle University.
My friends knew the World Race had been on my heart as I had been actively praying about it and talking about it. God kept putting people in my life who had either been on the race, had considered going on the race, or knew of friends who had gone on the race. Sure enough, He put the desire on my best friend’s heart to go on the race (oh hey, Paige)!
God knew what He had to do to eliminate my skepticism of going on the World Race after graduating. I was worried about loans (real talk, am I right?!), the fear of not getting a full-time job right away, and what my friends, family, co-workers, and professors who had invested SO much time in me would think. That’s when He introduced Sha’terika Perkins in my life.
I was interning at Seattle Pacific University in the Office of Student Involvement and Leadership (OSIL) as a Graduate Orientation Intern during the summer of 2015. Sha’terika had just been hired at SPU in OSIL, and I heard that she graduated from the same Master’s program as I was in (SDA). I met her and asked her where she worked between graduating from the SDA program and her current role at SPU.
Sha’terika: “I was on the World Race, and then I worked at Adventures in Missions in Georgia & also interned at a church. Have you heard of it?”
Me: *drops to the floor* *eyes wide* *mouth wide open* “WHAT?! That’s the program I have been praying about!!!!“
K– sweet God. I see you. Sha’terika had been there & done that. She was living proof of the possibility of really going. Through God’s provision, she eliminated all of my worries and fears. Sha’terika was the walking testimony of possibility, and it was music to my ears. After many lunch dates, conversations, questions, and prayers, I realized my heart was beating faster and I was radiating after every time we talked about it. It was energizing, and I knew it’s what God wanted for me.
Fast forward to February 2016. I finished my Capstone class, and the pressure to get a full-time job was real.
And here’s the thing… I WANTED a full-time job.
I was ready to know what I was going to do with my life after graduate school. I was ready to settle down. I was ready to have a steady income, start paying off loans, and have vision insurance (but really…).
So I put the idea of the World Race off to the side.
If God was going to call me to the World Race, surely He would make it obvious and known.
Sure enough, my prayer since the beginning of my job search was:
“God, I pray that you would make it abundantly clear where you want me. I pray that you would open and shut doors as you would. I trust that you know what you’re doing. I’m going to do the work and apply to places, and I trust that you’ll have me where you want me.“
LOL AND WHAT DID GOD DO? HE ANSWERED THAT PRAYER. HE MADE IT SO OBVIOUS THAT HE DIDN’T WANT ME IN A FULL-TIME JOB AFTER GRADUATION.
It wasn’t easy. It actually sucked a lot. I took things really personally, and the waiting was hard. The enemy was whispering lies in my ear about my abilities, my worth, my intelligence, and my character. And I listened to all of it. Ugh.
As I looked at all of my fellow classmates secure jobs, (SHOUT OUT TO SUSDA ’16– LOVE YOU ALL AND CONGRATS!!) I couldn’t help but let comparison get the best of me. As I smiled and congratulated my peers, the thought in the back of my head was always screaming: Why not me? When is it going to be my turn?
God’s ways don’t always make sense. He does what He needs to do. He knows us SO well and knows what will work for us to catch our attention. LOVE YOUR SENSE OF HUMOR, GOD.
With His counter-cultural ways in mind, I kept thinking: Hmm… maybe I should apply to the World Race? Nope… I want a full-time job because that makes the most sense. As the rejection letters kept coming in, I kept hearing Him say: When are you going to trust me?
So finally it was a Friday night. I was alone at my house in Seattle because all of my roommates were out-of-town.
After an overwhelming day, I sat alone in my dark living room and audibly heard God say: “When are you going to stop pushing me off? Do you trust me?“
He was absolutely right. I had been pushing Him off. I had my own plan and my own way on how I was going about things. I lost my obedience to His voice during those few months, and that night I finally took the hint.
Immediately, I started to weep. I knew what I had to do. I needed to apply for the World Race. And so I did just that. I stayed up past midnight filling out the application and submitted it. I applied to the World Race.
But I had A LOT of ground to cover with God. I had to build my trust and dependence upon Him once again. After waiting and waiting for 2 months to move forward with the various processes of my application, interview, follow-up applications, and more interviews… I was FINALLY accepted on Monday, June 27th, 2016. I was SO ready to know a month ago (let’s be real… fundraising), but God’s timing is perfect. I increased my prayer life, depended on Him more, was quicker to spend time with Him, and confess things to Him. On the Friday I was supposed to find out, I wrote a letter to myself to prepare my heart if I didn’t get accepted, as well as a letter to myself to prepare my heart if I did get accepted. It was in that moment I experienced total peace. I trusted God knew what He was doing. I didn’t have to worry. If I was accepted on Friday, I wouldn’t have realized the weight and reality of His provision. I’m so grateful I didn’t get the call on Friday. Also, I’m 100% positive that there are so many things I don’t know why He timed things the way He did. Maybe I’ll learn why in the future or maybe I’ll never learn at all… but I’m okay with that. I trust Him.
Aaaaaaaaaand….. NOW I’M HERE! FULLY ACCEPTED & BARELY FUNDRAISED (here’s where you come in– read the next blog post), I’M READY TO SEE ALL THAT GOD HAS IN STORE FOR THIS NEW SEASON OF LIFE!
I’m stepping into obedience because God’s ways are better than mine.
HE>i
Why should I trust my flawed, limited perspective when the God of the Universe– who personally knows my heart & ALL of Creation– is trying to get my attention about a new perspective?
He’s a good, good Father, y’all.
He knows what He is doing, and I am surrendering my plans to Him in full faith that this is what He wants me to do!
What’s God calling you to step into? Will you trust Him?
Will you join me in my ministry?
Read the next blog post for ways you can support me!
If you would like to donate ASAP (please do!), click the DONATE to Kelsey HERE!!! button to the left!
Or click here to donate 🙂 https://www.adventures.org/give/donate.asp?giveto=worldrace&desc=Kelsey%20Nerland&appeal_id=NERLANDKELSEY
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I want my blog to be interactive and I DELIGHT in hearing the various ways God is working in your mind, soul, body, and heart!
Peace & Grace,
Kels
