Hello again!
If you were to tell me that after I graduate high school I would be going on a 9 month mission trip, I definitely would not have believed you because I’ve always dreamt of going to college. I pretty much thought I knew what I was going to do, go to University Of Tennessee Chattanooga and dorm with a couple of my close friends in my college years. Sounded great to me, all I had to do was figure out what I wanted to major in… As the end of my senior year approached, it became apparent to me that attending college straight out of high school wasn’t for me. But I also had no idea what else I would do. I didn’t want to go aimlessly to college as so many have before me! I started to panic because all my friends knew where they were going to go and what they were going to study, and I still was clueless.
Please do not miss understand my intentions, I do plan on attending college when I return, (I have deferred my acceptance to UTC) but God started to place on my heart to take a gap year and serve him in missions first. When God lays something on your heart and opens doors for us to go through, He has a way of making it happen. Early in my junior year of high school, my brother Quinton had traveled to Scotland with YWAM (Youth With a Mission), and had been wanting me to do a DTS (discipleship training school) like him through YWAM, which seemed cool, but at the time I was still hooked on college.
Last summer I had noticed that one of my friends, Helen Abernethy, had been posting some really cool pictures of her traveling on Instagram. I had asked her what she was doing and why she was traveling so much. Helen shared with me about The World Race and how she has had a great experience that has been very eye opening. I started researching it and immediately fell in love with the idea. I shared with my parents about The World Race and at first they were a little skeptical, but once they did their own research and we discussed it, they quickly realized this was for me!
For so long I had my plans like all my friends, attending college right out of high school! Having the traditional experience of moving away from family, a meal plan, meeting new people and having to go to classes throughout the week, but… Proverbs 16:9 says “The mind of man plans his way, But God determines his steps.” Although, I will be moving away from my family and meeting and serving new people, it will be in a very different way than I expected. I am so excited to see what God has determined for me this year.
Thank you for your support:)
Bella Sanicola
