My Blog is finally up… this journey just got a lot more real!
India, Nepal, Thailand, Unspecified Asian Country (more on that later), Cambodia, Vietnam, Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya, Latvia, Estonia/Lithuania… Wow what a list! Now try saying it 10 times fast 😉
From July 2012 through June 2013, those are the 11 countries I will be living in (approximately one per month). Yes, I will be out of the US for almost one whole year. It took me a while to wrap my head around this fact. It means I will be celebrating Christmas away from my family (most likely in Vietnam), and my 25th birthday away from friends (most likely I'll be in Latvia). So why am I going on this adventure? For that answer, I need to share a bit of my testimony.
I was fortunate to grow up in a Christian home. Even though my parents were raised in Christian homes, neither of them had a close relationship with God when they got married. When my sister and I were toddlers, we were blessed to move into a neighborhood where a few of our neighbors went to Mariners Church. They invited my family, and Mariners became the church I grew up in.
At age 5, I accepted Christ as my savior while at a weekly church group called AWANAS. Looking back, I don't quite think I understood what that meant, because I remember praying "THE prayer" each week when they asked the kids in my group "Who wants to accept Jesus into their hearts?" 🙂
Through studying the Bible, asking a lot of questions, going to group therapy sessions for kids, and prayer, I finally decided that God was the real deal and I made the decision in 6th grade to get baptized. I wanted to be obedient to God, and I wanted to show the world that I believed in Him.
Since that point, my relationship has looked a lot like the mountains… plenty of highs and lows. But not once have I doubted His existence like I did when I was young.
My lows have often been a result of attacks from the enemy (satan), or from my own selfishness. Having a relationship with God is like having a relationship with people in the sense that relationships take work. They require time spent with one another. A majority of the low points in my walk have been a result of me being dumb enough to think I can do this life on my own, or that I don't have time for God.
But God is faithful. He is patient. He is good. And He loves us unconditionally. His arms are always open to His children.
And that's why I am going on the World Race.
I have been loved – now I want to bring love.
I’ve been invited – I want to share the invitation.
I have been changed – to bring change.
Some of you might be asking: "Why not stay local? Doesn't Los Angeles need God?"
Of course LA needs God. As someone who has lived in LA for the past 5.5 years, I am well aware I live in a broken city. But don't worry, there are lots of Christians here who are being used by God to reach the people of "Lost" Angeles. There are churches like Bel Air Presbyterian and Reality LA and organizations like The Dream Center that are doing amazing things in God's name.
I am going on the World Race, because that is where I feel called right now. Here are a few ways I am I feeling called to this particular adventure:
– Three years ago, my sister shared with me the book, "Not For Sale," which is all about the horrors of human trafficking and what people are doing to stop it. Since then I have been wanting to work with these victims and help them find hop. I haven't found a n opportunity, until now. India, Cambodia, Thailand, & Nepal have alarming amounts of human trafficking. After reading "Not For Sale," my heart has been drawn especially to Cambodia. I am super excited to finally get to go there. I can't wait to see what God has in store.
– I like adventure. A lot. For years, I have had a feeling that, at some point in my life, God and I would go on a really big adventure that involved lots of traveling and "roughing it." This past December, I began journaling. During these times of journaling and prayers, I felt like God was telling me the adventure I had dreamed about was drawing near.
– After several years of desiring to do a long-term missions trip, July is the perfect time to go. My commitment to my job ends in May. My commitment to the junior high group I volunteer with ends in June. And my apartment lease is up June 30. With all of my current commitments coming to a close, July is the perfect time to go do something bold.
Thank you and God Bless!
