There are many people who have extraordinary stories about how they were called to the mission field; mine however is not one of those. God didn't audibly speak to me, He didn't reach down to my computer and pull up the World Race website, etc… Instead He called me to it through a slow process.
Growing up I always had a heart of wanting to help people. Throughout the years it developed into a desire to help the less fortunate people around the world. During the summer before my senior year (before I was a Christian) I went a week long mission trip Guatemala with some friends. It changed my life; although I still wasn't a Christian, I knew that my life would no longer be about getting the things I wanted out of it, but rather dedicated to helping people obtain a better life. Somewhere in the background however there was still that hint of selfishness in my life of desiring as comfortable a life possible for myself.
My intent was to become a specialized surgeon after years of schooling and then somehow find a job that would allow me to take off of work three months out of every year to do mission work performing surgeries in third world countries at no cost to the patient. God however had other plans.
I became a Christian January of 2010, my senior year in high school. After that I went to college as a Pre-Med/Biology Major in order to pursue becoming a surgeon. Little did I know, that was the last thing that would end up happening. During and after my first term of college I realized how much I hated the sciences (which you kind of need to go to Med school). Not only that, but I realized I didn't have any idea what I wanted to do with my life. The reason for this being because I was trying to follow what I thought I wanted with my life, rather than what God wanted for my life.
At the end of my first year of college, in which my grades suffered greatly, I withdrew from school and took advantage of an opportunity I had to attend a Torchbearer's Bible school in Costa for four months. I jumped on it! After completing that phenomenal experience I thought I would give college another try this last semester (Spring 2012). Yet again I was wrong, and God led me in the direction of the World Race.
While at the University of Wisconsin- Eau Claire, I attended a PURE group for men at Valleybrooke church. The group was for anybody struggling with any kind of addiction or sin, mostly dealing with sexual sin. Needless to say, it rocked my world! One day I met with Pastor Grant Schultz who was leading the study and wrote the book for it. I confessed all of my sexual sin ever comitted in my life and I felt that last bit of my old self before I knew Christ lift off of me. A couple days later, I just prayed to God to show me what He wants for my life no matter what that means my life will look like. I no longer cared about whether I had a successful job, a marriage, kids, or anything at all; I gave my life over to God completely, because I know that when I hang on to it, it only leads to sorrow and failure.
I never really expected an answer to that prayer anytime soon, but God rocked my world later that same day. He showed me the World Race through watching a video which linked to the World Race website, and I knew instantly it was the next step for my life. I prayed about it and just thanked Him over and over again for leading me to it. After sometime I applied and got accepted to the program.
I can't wait for the trip to begin! I'm so excited to meet everyone one I will be working with along with the people around the world whom I will meet. I know God is going to work in miraculous way over this next year and I can't wait to be a part of it.
After the World Race, I don't what God has in store for me, missions or whatever else. All I know is that everyday I need to offer my life up in worship to Him and He will take care of me.
Romans 12:1
"Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God–this is your true and proper worship."
