Well it is officially the year 2017 and that is crazy. As a kid I remember hearing and thinking that I graduate in 2017 but it always seemed so far away but it snuck up on me like a wild fire and its here now and so the time has come to step into the real world. In little less than five months I will graduate high school with that being said the famous question pops up ALL the time, “what are your plans after high school and where are you going to collage?” Well I am here to answer those questions. I will be going on the World Race Gap year, this is a nine month mission trip to five different countries. I will leave in September of this year and I will be gong to Columbia, Ecuador, Cambodia, Thailand and Albania. During this time I will have the opportunity to work along side many people who are in search of the same thing that I am and that is the kingdom of God. I have gotten a few different responses to this, some I liked hearing and others not so much. Some asked why. Why would you go to these dangerous countries for nine months, you need to go to collage and get an education, it’s too much money how will you possibly raise that much money. Then my answer to them would be I simply have faith in my Lord that He will provide every need I have for I have been called so I will be obedient and Go. Other responses however were a little different such as ” That is such an awesome thing, I am so proud of you” and my answer to them is simply I am just being obedient to the Lord, for he has called me so I will go.
Now that it is a new year I cant help but to reflect back on 2016. It brought me many tears, many bad but also lots and lots of good tears. It was definitely a year of big change that has influenced my life in huge ways that I could have never imagined. As I sat in a worship service a couple of days ago the song You Came by Bethel was played, I had never heard this song before then but when I did here it tears started streaming down my face. This was the year that He came for me and showed me a love that I had never felt before. The line in this song where it says, “you said death’s only sleeping with one word my heart was beating I rose up from my grave my fear was turned to faith.” This speaks to me in many ways, he reminds me that when I felt so close to giving up and felt dead on the inside, he came and woke me up with one word and that word was LOVE. After being trampled over time and time again, feeling inadequate and insecure for so long which caused me to hate myself. He began to show me a greater love and joyfulness that only He can give, there is nothing on this earth that could measure up to this love. My whole world has been changed and it changed at the perfect time because God is so good and he is never late nor early.
This all leads me to the race. I’m not going to lie and say that missions has always been a part of my life in fact its a very new part, actually I’ve never been out of the country although I am willing to take a leap of faith and trust the Lord on this one. He showed me the World Race through my friend who is currently on this trip, when I found out and learned more about the race it was something that had grabbed my attention so strongly that it was a roaming thought almost everyday for months. This was something that I knew I almost was looking for but I wasn’t searching for it at all. Missions was never a thought in my mind before, I always thought that you had to be so called “qualified”, well that’s not the truth because ” God doesn’t call the qualified, he qualifies the called” (sorry if you know me, you know I have probably said that a bunch but I love it) That quote is what made me pursue this even after so much doubt. I believe now that if God has called you to something He will provide and give you the strength, courage, and boldness you need. After much praying, over analyzing and more praying He finally spoke to me in a whisper the word GO and then a final confirmation. During this time of surrendering and saying okay to going across the world to teach the gospel required me to give up my pride and my comfort for the next year.
The Lord has taught me so much in these last couple of months preparing for the race. Although I know this will require much strength, patience, boldness and FAITH, I am very excited to see what all God has planned for me in this new season. I am so stoked that I get this amazing opportunity to serve my God while traveling the world and teaching His people more about Jesus Christ. While serving may look like teaching English, doing home visits, doing physical labor or just ministering to the people and many other things I will be able to develop a heart full of compassion for His people all around the world. So I say he has came for me, shown me so much love and now I must Go and share that love.
This journey is not just mine, I am so happy that I get the opportunity to share this journey with you all. Please be in prayer for my squad and I as we prepare for this trip financially and spiritually so that we may fully love these people. Thank you so much for the love and support, May God bless you and your family!
Hebrews 11:1 ” Faith the confidence that we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see”
