As the summer days started to dwindle down my senior year was quickly approaching. It was the very first day of senior year and in my Research Methods class we were doing the whole “get to know you thing” like you normally do on the first day. My teacher introduced herself and then decided we would each go around the room and say are name and answer a question. The question that we had to respond to was, “what college do you plan on attending next year?” Whoah, whoah, whoah. This was the very first day of school in my second class and we were ALREADY talking about colleges?! I wasn’t even sure what class I had to go to next hour and we were already talking about next years plans?! It was at this moment when I realized I needed to really start coming up with a plan. But that’s where I went wrong… It wasn’t MY plan at all.
Let’s take it back to the glorious summer of 2013. During the very first week of June a team and I from my church went to La Esperanza, Guatemala on a week long missions trip. Now, everyone who has gone on a missions trip KNOWS that they definitely life changing and a huge eye opener. That same thing happened to me as well as everyone else on my team.
When we got back to the states I remember walking into the Houston airport thinking, great I’m in America again… I didn’t ever want to leave the people I met in Guatemala. The people I met in Guatemala changed my outlook on life. Whether they were three years old or seventy years old the amount of JOY that came out of them was absolutely incredible. And the best (kinda) part is, that they had close to nothing at all, but they were the most joyful people I had ever been around. I knew that I wanted to do something like this again. Whether it was going back to Guatemala or going and serving somewhere else. I just wanted to serve.
A couple days after we had been home it was a Wednesday night which meant I had youth group. While we were there my small group leader, Rocio, pulled me aside to talk to her individually about how my missions trip had gone. I began telling her that I wanted to go back so badly or go on a trip like that again very soon. Rocio, being the awesome person that she is, started telling me about an 11 month missions trip through AIM that she went on with only a backpack to hold all of her belongings. I laughed. But, immediately I felt God tugging on my heart and I knew I needed to do it.
As soon as I got home that I night I immediately grabbed my computer and looked up Adventures in Missions. I began reading blogs, creeping through peoples pictures, and watching tons of vlogs. A dream began to form inside of me. I clicked on The World Race and was soon let down because I saw that you had to be twenty-one to participate. But quickly discovered the Gap Year through a friend of mine, Grace, who is on the field now with The World Race- Gap Year. I started to stalk Grace’s Facebook page and blog. Reading every post, looking at all of her pictures. This thing intrigued me.
Fast forward now to the beginning of senior year. About half way through the first semester I thought I had a pretty solid plan for the next couple years.. I planned to go to Calvary Chapel Bible College for a semester then go study abroad in Costa Rica or Israel.. sounds like a good plan, right? I thought so too. But God had other plans. I kept on putting off applying for some reason and every time I would get on to apply I would get distracted and find myself back on the Adventures in Missions page creeping. I knew I needed to pursue this dream of mine of going on the Gap Year!
After praying about it, seeking counsel and deciding that I was not going to let the price tag of something stop me from pursuing a dream of mine… I decided that I was going to apply and if I got accepted I knew that this was part of God’s plan and I needed to go after it, no hesitation. About a month went by and after the long and “treacherous” interviewing process, I found out I was accepted as I was walking the halls of my school. I was walking down one of our Spanish hallways during my open campus while nervously talking to the sweet lady from AIM on the phone when she said, “I would like to formally accept you into the Gap Year 2014 squad!” I began to gallop/sprint/wiggle-run down the hallway trying to sound really calm and put together on the phone, but in the inside I was screaming with joy! This was actually happening! I finally had a for sure plan for next year that I was absolutely thrilled about. It’s a great feeling knowing that you are where the Lord wants you!
The day I found out I was accepted! PRAISE THE LAWD.
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“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.”
JEREMIAH 29:11
I’m SO thankful everyday that I’m not in control of my own life.
