This is completely unrelated to everything else about this post, but I just wanted everyone to know that in the past 18 hours, I have removed three bees from inside my room. I was going to omit the part about me killing them first, but I didn’t want to lie in the first paragraph of my first blog post (or ever). This is a safe place, right? I’m allowed to be open and honest! That is probably the most terrifying thing about this to me (blogging, not killing bees). There is a certain part of me that was procrastinating (like everything else I do) writing my first blog post, because I wanted it to be perfect. I wanted to wait until I had all of the right words in the right order to help everyone understand why I feel called to go on this journey. It makes me think of a lyric from one of my favorite artists (any Sufjan fans out there?) “what’s the point of singing songs if they’ll never even hear you?” I want you all to know about my upcoming journey and the reasons why I feel called to go on the World Race. I think God has been working in my life for a long time to get me to this point, and I’m ready to sing about it (or just write, because my singing is closer to a yodel most days).
“June 25, 2015. Botswana. I have no idea why, but ‘Botswana’ recently popped into my mind. I know nothing about Botswana, except that it’s a country in Africa. No idea anything else, though. I’m wondering if God is putting it on my heart for a certain reason. It’s pretty random for me to be thinking about, if not.”
That was a journal entry I wrote this past summer while I was a camp counselor. I remember talking to my co-counselor about how it felt like I was supposed to be paying attention to this random whisper. I get words stuck in my mind all the time (one time it was “megalodon”…I love shark week? Jurassic Park is cool? I have no idea), but this felt different. “Botswana” felt intentional.
Fast forward to the beginning of my senior year of college. I was talking to another Resident Assistant about first impressions, and he told me I reminded him a lot of his older sister. Here is one of those moments of honesty, since we’re in a safe space and everything. I am a MASTER Facebook creeper. I pride myself in being able to find just about anyone, with very little information (except for Eric from Pizza Hut. If you’re out there, know I really did my best to try to find you). I immediately went back to my room and proceeded to creep through all of his sister’s pictures to see who this person was. As I was creeping, I was seeing all of these amazing pictures that were clearly not taken in the U.S. I read one of the comments that mentioned something about working with victims of human trafficking. Wait a second. Whatever this girl does for a living, that’s the kind of living I want. I asked my friend what his sister did, and turns out she had just spent a year on the World Race; she traveled to 11 countries in 11 consecutive months, all the while worshiping Jesus through acts of service and spreading the Gospel. I thought this was incredible. I had heard about the mission trip several years before, but now it was actually on my radar–this was something I could do.
I spent the next week or so perusing the World Race website, trying to learn everything about it before I convinced myself (and then my parents) that this was something that was A) what God wanted for me and B) was possible for me. Another moment of honesty for ya, I didn’t need that much convincing. As I was reading about the different routes to choose from, the first route I clicked on had Botswana listed as one of the 11 countries. Whoa whoa whoa, where did that come from?! One country out of 196 in the world, AND it was listed in only one of the 15 route to choose from. Wut. Honesty moment: I had no idea there were 196 countries in the world, I just Googled that. Did you know that the U.S. doesn’t officially recognize Taiwan as a country? I didn’t want to jump to conclusions, but seeing Botswana listed on the first route I looked at felt like a God thing.
I was still trying to figure out how to tell my parents that I felt God was calling me to be out of the country for almost an entire year. I saw Botswana being on the list as a pretty clear sign, but I didn’t think my parents would be quite as easily convinced. The morning after my Botswana discovery, Resident Assistants were scheduled to help the first year students move into the residence halls. As my friend Jenn and I goofed around while waiting for lost first years (and their parents) to ask us questions, a dad walked by, helping his daughter with her boxes. As soon as he was out of ear shot, I turned to Jenn. “Did you see what he was wearing?” He was wearing a World Race t-shirt. I suddenly got SO nervous, because I knew I had to talk to him. It was too random to let the opportunity pass. As it turned out, his niece was currently on the trip. I told him that I had been looking into it, and he said “well I think maybe this is God telling you to go.” Yeah, me too. After that, it’s like everything fell into place. I met with the sister of my friend who had gone on the Race. I spent two hours at a Starbucks asking her questions and hearing her stories and feeling alive with the idea that it could be me. It seemed like every week I wondered “God, is this really from You” the sermon at church would speak directly to what I needed to hear. In particular, one Sunday I wrote “you have a responsibility to go and share it. Live on purpose. Live into this mission.”
The past couple of years I have felt myself becoming less and less content. It might seem backwards, but I’ve become discontent with feeling comfortable. This is the point in my life where I feel God has been shaping me and drawing me nearer to Him, and it’s time for me to do something about it. Matthew 5:14-16 says “you are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” If I wait until the time is perfect (*cough cough* there’s my procrastination flaring up again), if I keep waiting for more signs to point that this is truly what God wants for me, I’ll miss the opportunity. I’ll miss the signs he has planted right at my feet, feelings that he has taken several years to plant in my heart. If you ask me why I am choosing to go on the World Race, the answer is simple. I do not want to be quiet about this offer of Joy. I have a responsibility to go and share it–to shout it, scream it from the mountains, and tell it to the masses that He is God.
This is where I need a little help from you fine people. As much as I would love to have an extra $16,000 in my bank account (and as much as I hate asking for money), I simply cannot do it alone (Chicago reference, anyone?). Here is my personal goal/challenge to anyone who reads this blog or would like to support me: I would like to have a minimum of $5,000 in my fundraising tab by April 30th, and $7,000 by May 7th. May 7th may seem like a random date, but this is the day I graduate from Capital University! This would be an absolutely wonderful graduation gift–I would be almost halfway to the $16,561 that I need in total. I already have $2,005 in my fundraising tab (thank you all SO much for helping me reach that amount in such a short amount of time). This goal means I would like to raise $2,995 in 12 days, and $4,995 in 19 days (not counting today). I KNOW this is doable, but I need your help! If 100 people each donate $30, I’ll reach my first goal. If 200 people participate, each person would only need to donate $15 to help me reach that first goal! Seriously, anything helps and I am so appreciative of any amount. All you need to do is click the “donate!” tab on the left of your screen, and it will take you to the appropriate page. The rest is up to you!
Thanks so much for reading about why I’m doing this and letting me have this “safe space.”
“You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last…” –John 15:16
