Graduate and get a job. Thats the whole point of going to college, right? Well, that was always my plan, but I’m learning that God has a different plan for my life. I have been volunteering for a youth ministry called Younglife for about four years, and I had a service trip planned for the summer following graduation. I figured it was my last chance to take an extended period of time off before I came home and dove into my career. Little did I know this was just the beginning of God’s adventurous plan for my future. While on this trip, the Lord clearly showed me that I am meant for more. He put a desire in my heart to pursue something bigger, to reach more people, and to break out of my comfort zone.
Upon returning home, I was lost. I knew the Lord was calling me to do something extraordinary, but I could not figure out what that was. In the meantime, I had to pay rent but had no job. I was feeling the pressure to ignore this calling and turn back to the plan that I had all along and start my career in business. I decided to give myself a few months to pray and try to figure out where God might be calling me, and I was immediately blessed with the opportunity to work two part-time jobs in the meantime. After a few months, I still had no plan. I was researching every international ministry opportunity I could find, but none of them seemed right, and I was starting to become very discouraged.
It is becoming clear to me that God speaks the clearest to me through other people. This is exactly what He did to reveal His plans for me. After months of searching and not finding anything, He spoke to me through a coworker of mine. She had been on this thing called the World Race a few years ago, and told me all about the life-changing experience she had. After hearing her story and researching everything about the program, I finally had found an opportunity I was excited about. The World Race is an eleven month mission trip to eleven different countries, spending one month in each. I was eager to see what routes were available and what countries I might be able to serve in, and that is when God’s timing was most evident. The new routes were being released in two days! Once they were released, one stood out to me. The Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia, Lesotho, Swaziland, South Africa, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, and Ecuador.
I have committed to following God’s plan for my life and I will be spending one month in each of these countries serving with local churches and ministries to help their communities and spread the love of Jesus Christ to everyone my team and I will meet. Although I am excited for the adventure to come, I am very nervous and scared to follow this calling. Committing almost a full year of my life to this trip is frightening, but I have chosen to be obedient to the Lord above everything else. I am thankful for the community surrounding me with support as I prepare for this adventure. I couldn’t do any of this without all of your love and support. Stay tuned, God is going to do some miraculous things!
