Hey Everybody! I’m excited to announce that starting in August 2016, I will be taking part in an international mission trip called the World Race. As you begin reading this, I’m going to guess that a few questions probably come to mind (and rightly so!):
- What is the World Race?
- Where/when am I going?
- Why have I decided to do this crazy thing?
First things first – what is the World Race?
The World Race is an 11-month Christian mission trip to 11 different countries around the world. During our time on the World Race, my squad (about 40-50 people broken into smaller teams of 6-7) will serve in partnership with a variety of churches and ministries in local communities to preach the Gospel, plant churches, work in orphanages, teach English, minister to women and children trapped in prostitution or sex trafficking, and bring the restorative hope of God’s love to many tribes and nations.
Second – where will I be going?
There are different routes that you can choose from. I’ve selected Route 2, which departs August 2016. The countries I will be going to are: (1) Lesotho (2) Swaziland (3) South Africa (4) Vietnam (5) Cambodia (6) Thailand (7) Nicaragua (8) Costa Rica (9) Jamaica (10) Haiti (11) Dominican Republic
Third – the WHY?
Ten(ish) months ago, I was in church and the pastor was speaking about identifying and using your gifts to better serve God. He touched on a multitude of serving opportunities and among these was international mission work. Now, prior to this moment the idea had never really crossed my mind…not seriously at least! However, as I began thinking about it, the thought of serving abroad was exciting. Through this message, God moved me to start researching mission opportunities in Africa, but as I browsed through countless sites I began to feel unsure of how to go about taking such a large step. I also felt 1 Corinthians 7:17 weighing on me – “Nevertheless, each person should live as a believer in whatever situation the Lord has assigned to them, just as God has called them.” While I was eager to pursue this new endeavor, I didn’t feel that it was time for me to leave just yet.
About nine months passed and I was sitting at a coffee shop when I felt the urge to start researching missions again. It was at this time that I stumbled across the World Race for the very first time! On August 9th I discovered the World Race. Two weeks later I applied and did an online interview. On August 31st I was accepted. Following my acceptance, I prayed and sought advice from a handful of friends and family. I wanted to make sure that I was making the right decision, but in the end it seemed undeniable that God had presented this opportunity for me to go based on the series of highly unlikely “coincidences” that occurred during the process. On September 11th I officially accepted my offer. I cannot even put into words the exhilaration that I felt in this moment. It was so surreal! It’s wild to think that in less than a year I will be embarking on the adventure of a lifetime. I have no doubt that it will be beautiful, inspiring, challenging, heart wrenching, and life transforming…. strangely, I am looking forward to giving up my comfortable life in the States to live as Jesus and his disciples did.
In his book Live, Love, Lead, Hillsong Church’s founding pastor (Brian Houston) says this: “Living fully, loving completely, leading boldly – these are the hallmarks of Jesus’ time on earth…Jesus lived fully present in each moment every day. He gave his attention, his heart, and his energy to those around him who needed him.” My goal is to live in this same way during my time on the race. I have been a Christian my entire life, but I have never been very vocal about my faith. I’m not sure if it’s because I was shy about it, or if it was because I was afraid of the ever-present threat of rejection – but at this point, I can’t contain the joy that my relationship with the Lord brings to my life. I want to bring this feeling to others, to bring hope to those in need, and to be a part of the remarkable things God is doing around the world! He has blessed me with so much in my life, and it’s my turn to use what he has given me to bless others. I don’t know what my life will look like following the race, but I do know that there is no better time than right now to live “all in” for my Lord and savior!
Friends, family, and everyone else who is reading this!
I invite you all to join me on this amazing journey. First and foremost, I would like to ask for your prayer support as I prepare for the World Race. Secondly, if you feel you are able, please consider being a financial supporter. In order to leave fully funded, I will need to raise $16,961. This money will be used to cover the cost of travel, food, and board over the course of the year. Whether you can give a one-time donation, or commit to being a monthly donor, any amount is immensely appreciated and will go toward funding my mission! If you would like to donate, go ahead and click the “Support Me” icon in the top right corner of my page.
Please feel free to share my blog with others who might be interested in following this experience!
Thanks so much for your time! Love always,
Em Q.
