Have you ever thought about how to tell people that you are leaving the country for about a year?
Ever imagine the responses you would get from them?
Well surprisingly I did not. It’s quite humorous, though, because some people know how fitting this is for me and others, well, they think I am about to grab a partner and a camera crew and challenge myself on the Amazing Race. Although that does sound extremely appealing, I believe the World Race is a better fit for me.
The World Race is an 11-month Christian mission trip that travels to 11 countries around the world. I will be travelling to El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Cote D’Ivoire, Ghana, Nepal, India, Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines. One of the unique things about the World Race is that it is not only a mission trip but also an intensive discipleship program designed to launch my generation into our specific kingdom calling. Through the World Race, my team and I will serve in partnership with churches and ministries in local communities to preach the Gospel, plant churches, work in orphanages, minister to victims of human trafficking, and bring the restorative hope of the Father’s love to many tribes and nations.
I have always dreamed of traveling and sharing the vision and love of God in each place that I landed. I just simply never knew when that time was going to come, sooner or later.
God has a funny way of working things out and more times than not we don’t always see it the way that He does, well at first. I graduated from NC State University in 2016 with a degree in zoology and genetics. I had plans to take a year off and acquire “life experience,” I think that’s what adults call it, and then head back to graduate school to polish of my resume so I would be able to earn a job in my field. Well a few months into my year off I discovered that there was much more to my year off than I could have ever imagined. I discovered that MY plans are not always THE plans. And I am currently in the process of learning what it means to sacrifice your plans for the plans that you know are going to be much greater than anything you could ever dream of. Leaving the life that has been built up around me over the past few months is going to be one of the hardest things I could ever imagine doing. I have found an amazing church family (shout out to The Cove Church CV whoop!), an incredible equestrian family, and have been soaking up all the time living at home with my family. Talk about building a wall of comfort around you, that’s me.
Although leaving the comfort kingdom I have built up around me and jumping into a pool of unfamiliarity seems absolutely daunting, I feel such a large sense of security knowing that God has delicately equipped me with all I will ever need, His love. Because He first loved us he gave his one and only Son to take my place so that I could have eternal life. My life is already planned and I cannot take credit for any of the plans. So instead of using my time to plan out every detail that will happen 5 years from now, I am jumping all in and using my time to see God move in my life, your life and all the people I will meet along the World Race this next year. I am excited to see how the Lord will use my gifts and passions to glorify His kingdom. Most importantly though, I am excited to be grown, challenged and shaped as I desire to know Him more.
Thank you so so much for your prayer, love, and support!!
much love,
Kelley xo
~to the ends of the Earth~
