Wow! Is this happening?! Sometimes I still have to pinch myself when I realize what an incredible journey I’m about to embark on. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the World Race, it’s an amazing program through Adventures in Missions that is not only passionate about spreading the love of Christ throughout the entire world, but also transforming and discipling the racers who join their teams.
Welcome to my blog! This is where you’ll be able to read about my time in Thailand, Cambodia, Guatemala, Honduras, and Ethiopia. However, until I leave in September, I’ll be keeping you all updated on my preparations and other things God puts on my heart. I want to start this blog by telling you how God called me to this mission trip.
Up until this past summer, my plans following graduation were the same as most people I know: college. However, God had something different in mind…and it wasn’t anything I would ever have guessed. The story actually begins with my mom, who suggested a gap year to me a couple years ago. I immediately dismissed the idea; a gap year certainly wasn’t popular and I didn’t want to be that one person who took a year off between high school and college. Besides, I was excited for college. Fast forward to two summers ago. The summer of 2015 was my first year going on a mission trip to Dresden, Germany. While I was there, I began to hear about the “year of missions” some of my German friends had gone on, or were about to go on, following high school. Though I thought it was cool, I never imagined myself doing anything similar. This past summer, I returned to Dresden, and the same thing happened. But this time, throughout the entire week, I heard God whispering, “This is something you need to look into.” So when I got home, I looked up “Christian gap year programs.” The World Race was the first thing that I found, and I was instantly in love with the entire program. The Lord completely changed my heart; I went from skeptical and hard-hearted, to overflowing with excitement and joy at the possibility of getting to spend 9 months serving in 5 different third-world countries.
The same day I found World Race online, I realized I would be seeing an old family-friend who had done the World Race two years previously (the only person I knew who had ever done it). If that isn’t crazy enough, I saw her 8 hours from home in Michigan…AND it was the first time I’d talked to her in probably four-ish years. This still blows me away. God made it obvious right away that World Race was going to become much more than a possibility.
Since then, God has shown me countless times through other people, His word, and the confirmation of the Holy Spirit that this is no doubt where He’s calling me. When I first started to seriously consider the possibility of applying for World Race at the beginning of the semester, I was not expecting a positive reaction from anyone. I was sure everyone was going to think I was crazy. However, every single person I told (not exaggerating) lit up and was full of enthusiasm when I told them about the World Race and my desire to apply. I tried to play it cool, but on the inside, I was usually in shock. I had the same reaction when I got a similar response from my parents. They agreed that this was something they could see me doing, and they wanted to do everything in their power to help me along the way. They’ve been my biggest support system throughout this entire process, and I would not be doing this without their love and constant enthusiasm and encouragement.
Matthew 10:6-8 says, “Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.” When I read this verse, I immediately knew I was being called to live it out. Seeing pictures of the beautiful faces the people World Race serve across the globe made my zeal even stronger. The words came to life, and once again God confirmed that this where I’m meant to be.
The more I researched everything I could find about the World Race, and the more I spoke to Godly influences in my life, and the more I read Scripture and pursued God, the more confidence and peace I felt.
There was no other conclusion I could draw: God was telling me to go.
And so I obeyed.
