I really enjoy movies. It is definitely one of my biggest hobbies. I discovered a documentary on Netflix called Beware of Christians. The film is about four recently graduated college students from Dallas (hometown shout out) that leave the United States for a tour across Europe to discover what it really means to be a follower of Jesus. What they find is that the secular Europeans they encounter are hardly that much different than their fellow Americans whom many identify as being Christians. A woman they interview gives a great answer, “The only way I can tell which of my friends are Christians is by seeing who is busy every Sunday morning. That comment made me step back and reevaluate my own walk with Jesus.
Entering my senior year of college I really struggled with my future plans and wondering what God’s was calling me to do for the rest of my life. The plan had been to go to law school, but I really was starting to have major hesitations about that. Slowly through prayer, Scripture, and the Holy Spirit working in others I knew the Lord was calling me to go on a mission trip. How long, with who, and where to were some of the big questions I faced, and while those are important questions to answer I was trying to answer them on my own. However, God was still in charge and thankfully made his presence known. On my Facebook news feed one of my friends had liked a photo or status from the World Race Facebook page. The name the World Race really intrigued me so I decided to check it out. The Facebook page led to the website which led to me staying up all night watching videos and reading blogs of the spectacular adventures the current racers were having. I was hooked and knew this was where God was calling me to.
One of my biggest strengths is patience. I try not to rush to conclusions or make decisions without the help of prayer and advice. However, one of my biggest weaknesses is indecisiveness as sometimes I just don’t pull the trigger on stuff God is calling me to do. I started the application, talked about it to many of my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, had it basically completed, then spent the next two months without hitting the submit button. The AIM staff would call and I would come up with some excuse on why I hadn’t submitted my application. Looking back I can really see the attempts by the enemy on trying to make me not go on the Race. I started comparing myself to others as many of the racers it seemed had already gone on international mission trip, I had not. Would I be qualified? What about my future plans? What about my grandmother with Alzheimer’s? What if I get sick? Satan threw all that at me.
Then I remembered one of the closing statements from one of the guys from Beware of Christians about what it really means to follow Jesus.
“You’re going to bear fruit that’s gonna help other people, and you’re going to live your life differently. It’s not about America’s view on Christianity and going to Church and do this and you’re a Christian…that’s not it, that’s not it at all. It’s going to be the hardest thing you ever do. You’re giving up your life, like your handing your life over to God. You aren’t just doing what you want to do and picking out parts of the Bible that you want to follow, you are completely surrendering and humbling yourself for God, and changing your life and it’s the best decision you will ever make.” Alex Carroll
I had never heard the Holy Spirit speak through someone to me this clearly before. I went to my application page and hit submit.
Thus my World Race journey began. Eleven different countries in eleven months.
Philippians Malaysia Thailand Cambodia
Uganda Rwanda South Sudan
Ukraine Romania Nepal India
I am beyond excited to take part in this journey with V Squad and be ambassadors of Christ to the least of these.
2nd Corinthians 5:20
We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us.
In case you are curious about Beware of Christians here is a trailer
