Less than a year ago, I would have never imagined preparing for a trip like this and give God 11 months of my life to travel as a missionary to 11 different countries. During that time, I was finishing my senior year of college at Washington State University. My senior project had just won a competition among my peers, and I had my sights set on making it in my desired field. On the edge of completing college, my mind was set on working even harder towards the bright lights of an ambitious career. Looking back, I can see how narrow this perspective really was, as it left little room for thankfulness for what God had already done and the friendships I might have overlooked.
Before finals week, a good friend was so excited to tell me she had applied for this mission trip called the World Race. She told me about being in a very close community and living out of a backpack while traveling around the world. Out of nowhere and in an almost childlike excitement she asked, “Abby, do you want to do this with me?!” She clearly remembers me saying, “It would take an act of God for me to go on a trip like that!” Be careful what you say…
You see, in my mind, a trip like this totally interrupted with my idea of working hard to make it in my desired field. I was still happy for her to go on this trip, but I wrote it off as “her thing”, and I had “my thing”. Basically, after graduating with high hopes, it took all of eight weeks to realize that I desperately needed to be seeking the plan of God, and that really I had no idea what I really wanted, other than finding almost any job that would get me out of my parents’ house as soon as possible. I dearly love my parents, but maybe you can imagine this headstrong, ambitious college grad hunched over her computer in her old bedroom, frantically applying for jobs.
At the end of my rope, I took a break from job hunting and visited a friend who is like a wiser, older sister to me. I was headed out of town, looking forward to spending time with her and catching up on life with her. For a few days were working on packing up everything from her apartment as she was preparing for a mission trip to Ecuador. Somehow during that trip, my heart was more open to hear a different plan from the Holy Spirit. I was struck by her faith and example to trust God, even though she had no idea how her living situation would work out after coming home from her mission trip. I came home after that weekend much more open to God re-directing my life, and I felt a tug on my heart towards some kind of missions work away from my hometown. I looked into Youth With A Mission and the internship program at Dreamcenter in Los Angeles. But I had completely forgotten about my friend telling me about this World Race mission trip, up until this point. Soon I was watching video posts from World Racers, sobbing in front of my computer as I saw children with special needs held so closely and being so joyful in the moment. God’s love was moving across the world and tenderly meeting the hearts of the “least of these”. I was inspired to give up everything and pursue God for a year around the world, whether it meant climbing mountains, walking miles on end or sleeping under the stars. I was hungry for an adventure with God, and suddenly there was this deep trust for the right career at the right time.
Within weeks of visiting my friend out of town, I had decided to pursue the World Race and find work that would lead me to that goal. After months of looking for work, a job came almost out of nowhere. That summer, I learned that when I align myself to God’s will in surrender to Him, the provision always follows.
