We were asked to write a blog about how we were called to this mission trip. Here is my story…
Well, I am now completing my internship in the field of social work and then I will graduate in May! So, this is a huge time for me to look at what the next step after college will be. In trying to decide about that big decision there were a million different things going through my head. I had been doing a lot of researching and praying about what is next. I had been going back and forth between getting a job in the field of social work or doing ministry through some sort of mission trip or going to Graduate school. The primary mission of the social work profession is to enhance human well-being and help meet the basic human needs of all people, with particular attention to the needs and empowerment of people who are vulnerable, oppressed, and living in poverty. For me, social work is a great fit in the professional world and has helped train me significantly on how to better assist people and help meet their needs. There are also plenty of job opportunities out there in the social work field and the opportunity to help a lot of people. In considereing all the options, I found myself to be very overwhelmed by all the problems in the world and the needs. There are children being abused, children without food, human trafficking, genocide, and the list goes on. I found myself becoming very focused on the problems and the immediate needs of all those people. i found myself wanting to go and work as hard and as fast as I could to help stop all of those terrible things in the world. I also found myself very quickly being discouraged and overwhelmed. And don’t get me wrong, wanting to help people is not a bad thing, but I was getting tunnel vision and missing the whole main point, the hope, strength, and purpose of life…GOD!!!
Yes, it would be amazing if I had the ability to feed all the children in the world tomorrow and if I could stop all child abuse in the world, but the most important thing I can ever do for someone is to share with them the love of God, the true living water and only way. God is the one who has the power to help all the people in the world. There are needs of people all around and if God allows me the opportunity to meet those needs I will be more than happy to help. But it is so important for me to keep in the forefront of my mind and heart, that the reason I am helping them is to share God’s love with them. I want to share hope and joy my heart has. I want to share the reason that I even have the desire to help, which is our Lord! My heart is that God would use me in whatever capacity he sees fit to best further His Kingdom!
So, at that time I felt God leading me towards doing some sort of ministry or missions and seeing where God led me in that area. I started searching the internet for some sort of missions trip I could go on that was longer than just a two week deal. That is when I found the World Race. It was exactly what I was looking for. It put into words what my heart felt for people and exactly what I wanted to do. It was as though the words came out of my mouth and immediately onto the page I was reading. I immediately felt my heart stir about this. So, I prayed about it for a few weeks, then I applied. Then I continued to pray until I had an absolute peace that this is exactly where God wants me to spend the next year of my life. And I couldn’t be more thrilled.
I am so excited for the opportunity God has placed before me. God has given me the opportunity to use my education in social work, but mainly to use the most important knowledge of our Saviour! I pray that God uses this trip to work in ways bigger than I could ever imagine! I look forward to this time and all that God has in for me, our team, and all the people we will come into contact with!
