We were asked to write about how we were called to this mission trip.
Here’s my story…
I grew up with an extended family full of missionaries. My parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, parents cousins, parents aunts and uncles… So i grew up hearing stories of these awesome places they lived in and the things they were doing there. As long as i can remember i’ve dreamed of doing exactly that. They unknowingly sparked in me a passion for helping people and exploring the world. So for me i guess there never was a time when i suddenly realized that this was what i was supposed to do, its just always what i knew i would eventually do. But it took me a while to get everything right…
I was raised going to Sunday School, which led to Youth Group, Sunday mornings and Wednesday nights. Soon i was in Jr. High and i started feeling like something was missing, just going to Church was cutting it anymore. Something felt fake or hollow. I felt like the people around me were going so that others could see them there or so they wouldn’t feel guilty for not going. I knew it was wrong and i kind of lost faith in Church altogether. In High School i had drifted down my own path, God was always there pulling at me but i would ignore Him because i was having too much fun living my way. For the next couple years i would come crawling back to the Lord often, when things got rough, but as soon as they got better i would leave again.
The big turning point in my life would be when God spoke to me during my plane ride back home from a failed attempt at moving to Florida. He simply said “Its time to get your life right, and its time to come back to me.” So that is exactly what i started to do. ( It wasn’t easy and i definatly didn’t get it on my first try. But He changed something in me on that plane ride and i know im never going back to life i used to live.) When i got back it seemed like anytime i looked anywhere he was talking to me. He answered all the questions that i had. He showed me what i was missing before… Jesus! A personal relationship with Jesus. It has changed my life completely and God has shown me His reality in so many ways. Which brings me to how i found this trip…
I thought everything was going great and i knew God wanted me to get out and help people. So i went after that calling, but… i did it MY way. As you can imagine MY way was different than what God had in mind. I applied to the Peace Corps and other things like that and was denied from each. So finally being so discouraged from all my failure i said to the Lord in frustration..
“FINE! I QUIT! Im not gonna try anymore! I give it aaalllll to you! If you want me to stay here and live with my parents for the next five years FINE! I will! ………….you….. don’t… really want me to stay here for the next five years right…. im mean… iii waas just…. heh…. God?” Haha aaand so about two months later i was chillin on facebook and this little brown ad caught my eye. In retrospect i feel like i was kind of on autopilot, i just clicked on it and filled out the application without thinking much. I never thought i would be accepted, and when i was i knew that this was God’s plan. This is what he wants me to do, and I CANT WAIT TO GET STARTED!!!
