Thank you so much!!! I am thanking all of you; family, friends, and strangers for your amazing support in helping make my life what it is today and for the support I know you are going to give whether through finances, prayer, moral support, or all of the above! I can’t express how much I appreciate it all. I couldn’t do this without you.
I am in awe and wonder at how good and how wonderful God is. This time next year I will be on the journey of a lifetime (not just physically but spiritually) going to Guatemala, Swaziland, Thailand, and Malaysia! I can hardly believe it!
Since this is my first blog, I’ll share with you why I decided I want to leave my very comfortable home and go out into the world without anyone I know, without any missions experience, or without any specific idea of what I’ll be doing.
I heard about the World Race Gap Year when one of my best friends and neighbor for many years, Henry Inglesby, did the Race three years ago. I thought it sounded awesome but I didn’t think it’d be a fit for me. Going out into the unknown and frightening world for nine months to share God’s love. Nope, not for me. I didn’t think much of it since then…
…until the end of August, 2016. For some reason I couldn’t explain The World Race was on my heart. I had just finished my third session of work crew, marking little over a year since I had really started pursuing a personal and dedicated relationship with my God.
Growing up out here I always felt blessed by God with so much! I have an amazing family who loves and supports me and a spectacular community of Jesus followers. While we are not wealthy, I feel rich in so many other ways.
Why did He bless me so much more than others? I pondered on Romans 9:18: “Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden.” And by no means have I found out why some can have so much and others so little. But what I did realize was that God had me here to prepare me for His good work. He had blessed me with so much so that I would fall more and more in love with Him and would be compelled to go and show His love to others.
Despite this realization of why God had me here, taking a gap year seemed crazy! Anything to do with a gap year, especially one that required so much effort and energy for no extrinsic reward seemed foolish to say the least. And not to mention frightening. My thoughts were a jumble of reasons and excuses to God why I couldn’t go.
“I have to go to college so I can get a degree, so I can get a career, so I can afford a house and a family, so I can have a good life.”
“I’ve never really even been a camping person.”
“Having to raise $15,800 is crazy – that would be impossible!”
“It’s a mission trip. I’d have to share the Gospel with complete strangers! Uuuumm. No thank you. I’m not outgoing and I can’t speak well even in front of people I know!”
“God, I think you’ve got the wrong guy.”
But really, I was just afraid… afraid of stepping out into something unknown and uncomfortable. I loved serving Jesus but most of those services had been in ways that were familiar to me. My fear kept me from submitting to God’s will. As the year wore on and summer turned to Fall the feeling that The World Race is where God wanted me only became stronger. So strong that I couldn’t deny that it was from God and not just my crazy idea.
I waited months to see if God would change His mind and find someone “more suited” for the task. Finally, midway through winter I relented to God’s will and told Him I would do it. I would do all that I could in courage and faith to go on the Race. Which wasn’t much except for waiting and praying until I had the chance to apply this September.
Since I made that decision I have felt so much more at peace about going on the Race. The fear of unknown is still there. But I am glad to know I won’t have to face any fear without God by my side and that makes even the biggest fear less daunting. I trust and have faith in Him.
And now after only being accepted about a week ago it’s hard to explain how I feel. I’m nervous and excited. But more so, I feel swept off my feet. Who am I that the Lord would call me!? This is so crazy!!!
The future is still unknown. Very much so! Honestly, I couldn’t give you any specifics of what I’ll be doing in these countries other than sharing God’s love. But I’m ready to leap out in bravery and faith. And afterward I have no idea what will be next. But I’m filled with joy, excitement, and hope for the future knowing that this is God’s plan for me. And as long as I stay obedient to Him in the present He will provide for the future.
I know there are going to be a lot of challenges this upcoming year. I’ll have to go outside of my comfort zone a lot just to raise the support I need to go. I’ll have to let go of my desires completely and submit to Him so that I will be ready to receive whatever He has for me. God is going to use these next two years to grow me in incredible ways. He will show me my strengths, gifts, and abilities so that I will more clearly be able to see how I can best serve Him for the rest of my life!
Please keep me and all of my future teammates in your prayers. God bless!
