My Dream to go to Africa…..
Growing up in church, you hear the question asked a lot; “Would you be willing to go to the depths of Africa to share the Gospel, if God called you?” We struggle to surrender with this. (for good reason!) But even as a child, my hand was always up, with no reservations, or hesitations. This is what I thought I was made for. My Dream. And the further in deepest darkest Africa, the better.
And guess what? Two years ago, I went to Africa! I spent months in the little country of Malawi, Africa. Something that had been a dream of mine since I was little. To live in the African bush, like the locals. No running water. No electricity…not most peoples dream. but is was mine.
I lived like this, taught orphans English and gave out meals, made balloon animals for entire villages, prayed for the sick…It was life changing. I saw God work, I loved the fatherless, I took bucket baths and ate mice.
But then, like most Americans who want to change the world, I ran out of money. My visa was denied, and I had to come home, feeling defeated.
My dream was crushed.
I didn’t know what to do now, I felt guilt and loss for not being able to stay longer. I know God used me while I was there, but I didn’t know what my next steps should be. People asked about me going back, and would expect me to give a date. But I didn’t have a date, or an answer. I felt no specific calling on what I should go back to Africa and to do.
Aimlessly, I dived back into American life to pursue the “American Dream,” since I felt like my Africa dream was over. I worked hard on this new dream. I moved out and got my first apartment with no roomates (that was a big deal), I worked a few jobs until I landed one I LOVE. And turned my minivan into a camper to travel around the good ole USA. If that’s not the American dream, then I don’t know what is. 🙂
But here’s the thing. I DON’T WANT the American dream. I want a dream bigger then something I could dream up. A dream even bigger then my Africa one.
I want God to dream for me.
To show me what HE can do through me. I couldn’t dream up going to 11 countries in 1 year, I thought I would settle with my one dream of serving in Africa and call it quits.
God’s dreams are radical, aren’t they? He is showing me day to day that the World Race is His dream for me. An impossible, amazing, scary, dangerous dream to share His hope and grace to the world. I have to raise $17,000, Backpack around 11 countries, sleep in a tent, give up my job, sweat, leave my family, be in dangerous places, spiders, snakes…
….What kind of dream is this?! It’s His Dream for Chelsy.
And I couldn’t be more excited.
“So let go of your plan, be caught by My hand
I’ll show you what I can do
When I dream for you. I have a dream for you.”
