I’m Abby Iversen. I am planning to go on the World Race which starts in September 2020. I currently attend Lansing Christian School. I enjoy playing volleyball and tennis. In my free time I hang out with friends. I like to help others when it is needed with tasks such as painting rooms, fixing houses, or cleaning. My work experience includes babysitting, lawn mowing, and volunteering at church.
I have gone on three big missions trips in my life. All of these trips taught me valuable lessons and allowed me to grow in my faith. The first missions trip I went on was with my family to Mississippi. We helped clear areas that were still in disrepair from Hurricane Katrina. During this trip I learned to help others in need. This trip also allowed me to work for God’s Kingdom at an early age. In the summer of 2017 I went on another missions trip to Tijuana, Mexico. On this trip my family and I built a house. During the Tijuana trip I saw impoverished people still content in their faith in God. People living in worse conditions than myself still had committed faith that was stronger than my own faith at the time. This trip taught me to be content in God’s wisdom and to trust Him even when it is difficult. My latest missions trip was to Thailand during the summer of 2018. My dad and I watched the children of people attending a christian conference. All of the people attending the conference were missionaries from China. They met in Thailand because it is illegal for large numbers of Christians to convene in China. The people at this conference attended annually and were like family to each other. All of the kids acted like cousins. During this trip I saw people who were dedicated to spreading the gospel in a place where they could be punished for their faith. However, they did not cower away from God’s calling. They were filled with contagious joy that could have only come from God. The Thailand trip taught me to be joyful and to do what God is calling no matter what the worldly consequences are.
I have recently been struggling with the idea of attending college. I had no motivation to even look into colleges and any thought of going filled me with stress. I felt like I was not prepared to attend college next year so I started looking into alternatives. With the help of one of the teachers at my school and the suggestion from someone at church I decided to apply to the World Race Gap Year. I filled out the application within two days of hearing about the program. This was a huge contrast to stressing about applying to colleges. I had total peace about The World Race Gap Year. I knew this was something God was calling me to. Before my interview I spent twenty minutes praying that God would send me where his will decided, not simply where I wanted to go. At the end of my interview I was told I made it in to the program. I was so excited! I was literally running all over my house as I called my family and friends. I am still trusting in God that he will provide the funds for me to go on the trip. I am excited to see what He has planned!
