Surprisingly, I've never been on a missions trip before. I've been to a few places in the world, but never on an official missions trip. I've often thought about it, and even browsed around the internet looking for some, but never actually gone.
In fact, I wasn't planning on going on a missions trip but I met up with my friend's mom in our hometown Wal-Mart parking lot and she urged me to find a volunteer trip for her daughter to go on. So, I did my due diligence to her and got on the computer, scouring the net for some kind of trip that would entice her. And then I stumbled upon something called The World Race.
11 months, 11 countries.
"Why have I never heard of this before?" I took one look at the website and immediately got emotional. Tears started welling up in my eyes as I hoped that maybe this would be what was next for me in life. I forgot all about my friend (she ended up getting into a pharmacy program on the west coast, so no one gets to feel bad for her) and focused my attention on this bizarre new find. I thought about it, prayed about it, and finally decided to apply.
I got accepted a couple months ago and I've been thinking about this trip steadily since then. I'm not sure what God's going to show me on this trip. I'm not sure how it's going to affect my life afterwards. I'm terribly nervous, highly excited. It's so foreign and adventurous and nauseating to think about.
Early last January I had a vision. I'm not sure if I created it or if God gave it to me or how it came to be in my head but it's this serene picture of Jesus and I. We're walking down a dirt trail towards the sun. I'm not sure if it's rising or setting. We're making our way through the field and headed towards a forest-y area. The coolest part about this scene is that we both have backpacks on. And since seeing this, I've reminded myself of his great plan for me by just saying the word "backpack!" in my head. We're both on an adventure, enjoying each other's company, not concerned with what isn't right in front of us. It's perfectly peaceful, perfectly joyful. It brings a smile to my face when I think that a year after receiving this picture I'll literally be strapping on a backpack and making my way down many dirt paths, resting in the knowledge that He's right beside me-along for the journey.
