Alright, so let’s see how this all works.
I guess the best way to start my very first blog post is to introduce myself! My name is Shelby Inloes and I am 21 years old. I will graduate from the University of Southern Mississippi in December 2015 with a degree in Kinesiotherapy and a minor in Psychology. As of know, I’m not exactly sure how I am going to use my degree! That’s a scary thought, but I try and live in the present and not stress about the future.
I have a wonderful family that raised me to be an adventurous and independent woman (okay, young adult). The love of my life is currently my dog Zoey. She is the craziest dog out there, but that’s what makes her so special (currently rolling on the floor and obnoxiously squeaks her toy while I type). My roommates Tommi and Sarah-Bailey are some of my best friends and support me through thick and thin.
I tend to keep myself pretty busy, mostly because I don’t know what to do with free time. I work two jobs, one at a gymnastics gym called Jump’In Gymnastics where I coach girls 5-12 years old and the other at a local restaurant called Crescent City Grill. I very much enjoy having two very different jobs because it keeps it interesting!
My journey in Christ is rather new. I always considered myself a Christian but never truly knew what that meant. I still don’t have everything figured out – but that’s not the point. It doesn’t take years to become a devout Christ follower to know what Gods plan is for you. Sometimes He will take you by surprise and lead you in a path you never could have imagined. That’s how He came into my life and I could not be happier.
My roommate Tommi also works with me at the restaurant. One night, she got into deep conversation with one of her tables. Little did she know that one table of people could change our lives so much! They told her that their son had gone on this mission trip called the World Race. I looked up what all it was about that night as I was falling asleep. It seemed SO COOL. But I didn’t know much about ministry or the bible, plus… the price tag. The next morning Tommi and I talked about it again and how we couldn’t really get it off our mind. After praying about it night after night and crying to God several times, I knew I could not let this opportunity pass me by.
As soon as I decided I wanted to do this, I applied and got accepted to the January route 4 World Race! Whirlwind of emotions – from excited, happy, hopeful, terrified, scared, and worried and everything in between. I will never really figure out all these emotions until this journey is over! My main priority now is to gain the information I need and to begin fundraising for my trip. As mentioned earlier, I am an independent person. Asking for money is not easy for me. The fundraising alone will test me in ways I have never been tested before. I just pray that God will provide the things I need in order to go in January. This is not something I will be able to do on my own. It will take hundreds of people, many hours of fundraising, and some work of God to get this done. All I can do is my best and put my trust into Him!
Please subscribe to my blog to keep up with what’s going on in my life! If you feel compelled to donate to my trip, please do so by clicking the support link on the left side of the page! More blogs to come!
– I don’t like to proof read, so, forgive me if there are mistakes. Shout out to Tommi C. for taking awesome pictures for me too!
