The number 11 has become more significant to me in the past few months than it ever was before. In a few weeks, I will be leaving to travel to Gainesville, GA for an 11-day training camp for my 11 month, 11 country missions trip. To celebrate the number 11, I want to share with y’all 11 emotions/feelings/thoughts I have about my upcoming journey.
1. Excited – If you know me you know I love adventure and traveling and learning and experiencing new things. This 11-month journey that will take me to 11 different countries really is a dream come true. Another one of my great passions perhaps my greatest passion, is Jesus. So not only does this trip fuel my adventurous side but it also allows me to share Jesus with everyone I encounter. So, to say the least, I’M EXCITED!!
2. Nervous- Normally adventure doesn’t make me nervous, but this adventure is far greater than any I have ever encountered, and therefore I am nervous. I am nervous to meet the people I will be traveling with. In two short weeks, I go to training camp where I will meet the 55 people (my squad) that will be my community for the next several months. That makes me nervous, but in a good way. I’m also nervous about the countries and the travel and everything else that comes with leaving your normal life for that length of time. One thing I think I am most nervous about is sharing the God’s word. One of my favorite quotes is, “Jesus doesn’t call the qualified, he qualifies the called.” I in no way feel qualified to do this, however, Jesus is amazing! Jesus has given me such a peace and reassurance through this journey already, so I know he will have me through it all.
3. Uncomfortable – This is a feeling I haven’t fully grasped yet. I know that at training camp and launch, as well as throughout my journey, I will come to know an entirely different definition of comfort. I will be pushed and possibly even pulled outside of my comfort zone. I am anxious to see what this looks like and excited to learn. To me Jesus is worth leaving the comfort of my home and material amenities.
4. Sad- I LOVE MY FAMILY! I am so sad to leave them. To be honest this was one of my biggest fears when pursing the race. I didn’t want to be away from my family for that long. Of course, I prayed about it and sought God, and he was faithful to give me such peace. Although I am extremely sad to leave my family for a year, God has reassured me that he will be with me as well as my family all along this journey.
5.Stressed- Okay, for one moment I’m going to be a privileged American. HOW in the world am I supposed to fit my life into a 65L BACKPACK?? I have openly admitted to my squad that I am a hoarder and have attempted to fit every possibly item I can into my backpack. I hope that through this journey Jesus changes this about me. However, I do feel as though it is genetic. The women in my family are notorious over packers and well, we just can’t help it. I have to say I am a little stressed about packing and being able to fit everything I think I need into my pack.
6. Determined- While I was still attending UF and Greenhouse Church in Gainesville, FL, I participated in a Gospel Sharing Workshop. During this workshop, we learned strategies to share God’s word with people that have never heard of Jesus, people that are unsure, and even some believers that just don’t know how to have a relationship with Jesus. I LOVED IT!! During this time, we also learned how you can take these strategies and plant little churches in homes and communities. We make disciples that go and make disciples. We had a vision called the #noplaceleft movement. The goal of this movement is to share God’s word so much that there is literally no one left to share it with. Through this workshop Jesus challenged me to take this with me on the race. Jesus and I made a goal that I have shared with my squad and we are going to plant a home church full of disciples in every country we go to! We are going to share God’s word and love then teach others how to go and share it themselves. I am determined to, with my squad and Jesus, achieve this goal.
7.Ready- I am ready to go. Like tomorrow! NOT Ready- I want more time to spend with my family. Mixed emotions are a normal for me!
8. Scared- I am scared of bugs and not having coffee. I am scared that something may happen while we are abroad. I am scared to miss out on things back home. I am scared to go and scared to NOT go. The amazing thing about fear is that it is NOT of God. I am no longer a slave to fear, because I am a child of God. He has me now and he will still have me when I may encounter things that bring me fear.
9. Blessed- When I began this journey I was told that I would be challenged to see my life through a new lens. I have! Through fundraising and sharing this opportunity with those around me, I have been able to truly see how blessed I am. I am blessed to have family and friends that love and support me through it all. I am blessed by the opportunity to openly pray to and worship God. I am blessed abundantly and I couldn’t be more appreciative of that.
10. Thankful- I am extremely thankful to all of YOU, for supporting me through this time. Thank you to everyone who has supported me financially and thank you to everyone who has been praying for me. Prayer is so powerful!!
11. Hopeful- I am hopeful that I will grow closer to God on this journey. I am hopeful that I will create new and amazing friends, not only with my squad but also with the many people I will meet along the way. I am hopeful to see Jesus’ name shared throughout the globe. I am hopeful that I will see lives changed, people baptized, orphans loved on, children fed, women told that they are worth so much and have a purpose in life. I am hopeful to see the beauty of God’s love and grace shared with as many as we possibly can.
To top off all of the 11’s present in my life, I have raised just over $11,000 for my journey. I need $17,617 total. I have made it my personal goal to be FULLY FUNDED by August. I launch August 5. Please prayerfully consider joining my team.
I love and appreciate you all so much!
Thank you
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