Let the Journey Begin!
Getting here, to the point where I would willingly give up everything I have ever known for some grand adventure, has definitely been a journey. I'm really a simple girl. I love my family and friends, I love my city, and I love my comfortable life. I've always thought missions were great, but I never dreamed I would be doing something like The World Race. I actually heard about it three years ago and thought "hmm… sounds cool but there is no way I'm doing that."
But here I am. I have been changed forever by a God who loves me fiercely and knows no limits. I serve a God who loves to push me past what I'm comfortable with, who challenges me at every turn to become the person I'm created to be and no longer settle for who I think I'm supposed to be. He puts things in front of me that he knows I will never be able to handle or conqueror by myself because he desperately wants me to surrender everything and fully lean on him. He challenges me to step outside of myself and see the bigger picture: HIS kingdom, HIS will, HIS plan.
And that is how I got here. This mission is exactly what God has been leading me towards for the past two years. This mission requires me to lean on him completely and put everything in His hands. There is no way I can raise this money without his provision, there is no way I can be away from family without his comfort, there is no way I can live out of a backpack for 11 months without his presence, and there is no way I can share the good news of Christ without his wisdom and guidance. And I am completely PUMPED to hand it all over to God and allow him to show off in my life!!!
This whole chapter of my life, which is the beginning of what I can only foresee as the biggest, hardest, and most rewarding journey of my entire life, seems UNREAL.
It is UNREAL to me that I'm going to be traveling the world for 11 months. And yet here I am looking up the weather conditions of all the places I'll be living in and shopping online for a back pack that I will be living out of.
It is UNREAL to me that I'm not going to be teaching in September, because that is what I have worked towards my whole life. And yet, I can longer picture it at this point in my life, which is how amazing my God is.
It is UNREAL to me that God would see me fit to bring his good news to his people. And yet he has called me to go and make disciples of all nations.
It seems UNREAL to me that I will be leaving my life behind. And yet I can't wait to start a new life, with new people and new adventures.
It is UNREAL to me that I would actually willingly sign up to doing something this extreme. And yet I did. But really, that was all God and had very little to do with me.
It is UNREAL to me that the God of the universe would care this deeply about me. And yet he does. He fights for me. He provides for me. He changes me. He pushes me.
This is REAL. God is REAL. His plan is REAL. The call is REAL.
And I am so humbled and excited to start this journey, to walk step by step with the Lord and see his kingdom furthered. I want to know him more and make his name known. To see all of the amazing places he created and meet his beautiful people. I cannot wait!! What an adventure this is going to be!
Until next time,
Kelsey
