I couldn’t even focus on the words I was trying to pray.
I sat on that hard floor, only inches from a wall, and memories of the last 4 years started flooding my mind.
The dots were being connected. The puzzle pieces were coming together. The fog was clearing and I was starting to see with perfect clarity that I had been prepared for such a time as this.
But let me back up a bit.
In the summer of 2013, between graduating high-school and going off to college, I went on my first international mission trip with a small group from my hometown. We spent 10 days in Guatemala. During that short amount of time, God revealed in me a passion for the nations and for building His kingdom through international missions. It was also during this time that I heard about the World Race.
Before I even returned home, I decided I wanted to go to Uganda the next summer. (I don’t know why but I have always had a soft spot in my heart for Uganda.) That is what I decided I wanted to do. Of course, God had other plans. When nothing seemed to be working out, I slowly opened up to going to a Spanish-speaking country. Then I gave in to what I had been resisting- He was calling me back to Guatemala.
In the summer of 2014, I went back to Guatemala for two months on a college-age trip with Adventures in Missions. I had become interested (*obsessed) with World Race blogs, and I found that their organization also had a program called Passport, mission trips for college students. That summer absolutely changed my life. How I view myself as a daughter of the King and how I interact with God changed in a way that affects my life every day.
In the late spring of 2015, I was worshipping at church. I had a vision of snowy mountains and felt God telling me to lead a mission trip to Nepal. Throughout the next few months, there were countless confirmations of what God was leading me to do. Nepal popped up in the most random places and conversations. That fall, I started my application to lead a Passport trip and help others have the life-changing experience that I did. On the application, I picked the top two trips that I wanted to lead. Obviously the Nepal trip was my first choice. My second choice was a dual trip to Thailand and Cambodia.
The application process was rough. Things just kept going wrong. After 8 months, in the spring of 2016, I found out that I would not be leading the Passport trip. I was absolutely crushed. I was so confused to why God would so clearly tell me to lead a trip to Nepal when it wasn’t going to work out. For a couple weeks, I was doubting my ability to hear God and my calling to international missions. However, in His loving kindness, He scooped me up and mended my heart back together. I still didn’t understand, but that’s okay- I’m not going to understand everything.
About 6 months later, I was accepted to the World Race. My route (W-squad) goes to Nepal, Thailand, and Cambodia in months 2-4. I believed this was God’s way of honoring my desire to go to those countries.
We just had training camp for the World Race. Near the end of the week, a WR alum came up to me and asked me to meet in the training center in 20 minutes. I nodded my head even though I was slightly confused. I arrived in the training center with a group of others. After a few minutes, we were invited to be team leaders. (Reminder: I’m on a squad of 50 people that will all go to India together, but our teams of 7 people will split up to different ministries across the country.)
Y’ALL! Did you catch that?!? I was asked to lead a team to India, and then Nepal, and possibly even Thailand and Cambodia!! (It’s not a set amount of time before teams and leaders change, so I’m not certain how many countries I will lead my team to.)
They asked us to spread out around the room to pray about this opportunity. I couldn’t even focus on the words I was trying to pray. I sat on that hard floor, only inches from a wall, and memories of the last 4 years started flooding my mind. The dots were being connected. The puzzle pieces were coming together. The fog was clearing and I was starting to see with perfect clarity that I had been prepared for such a time as this. I had the right message but the wrong timing. I took what God was telling me to do and tried to fit it into my own timeline. Instead, He was leading me to this point. As I was realizing all of this, a line from a worship song echoed in my head- “All Your promises are yes and amen.” God’s faithfulness is good and oh so sweet.
So, that’s how God spent 4 years preparing me to be a team leader on the World Race. I am humbled, honored, and beyond excited for this opportunity. My next blog will introduce you all to my team of 6 beautiful ladies!
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