Hello friends & welcome to my blog!
I have no experience with blogging, so bear with me as I develop a voice and tone for sharing my story. Thank you in advance for taking the time to read this and getting to know the why behind this trip/decision.
First of all “What in the world is the World Race?” well I’m glad you asked! The short and sweet answer is: “The World Race is an 11 country, 11 month mission trip to share the love of Christ by serving others around the world.” The longer and extended answer is: I don’t think I will fully find out until I’m actually on the mission field. So stay tuned for all that I will discover and learn as I step out my comfort zone and into this faith filled purpose driven adventure.
Ok, next up “Why do you want to go on this 11 month mission trip around the world?” It’s hard to put into words but the simplest way I can describe it is that I feel called by God to go. I’ll give you a little back story: Almost two years ago I called off my wedding and my life was turned upside down but at the same time now suddenly wide open to new and exciting opportunities! Back then I was in a lot of pain and had to go through a period of healing and self-discovery to figure out what would be the next step for me. Initially I remember wanting to run away and start fresh somewhere new. I wanted to go somewhere where no one knew me or my story or my pain. At that time I somehow came across the World Race and thought it would be the perfect answer to my thoughts & troubles, so I began an application and set my mind to leave the country for a year! Back then my brother (who I care for) was still in high school and realistically both emotionally and spiritually this mission trip honestly did not make sense. Looking back I think I was looking for and needed an idea or an outlet to work through my situation. As the weeks and months went by I began healing and finding my new normal. I decided to throw myself into serving at church and making friends. I decided to start my own life group and began working out and reading more, and slowly but surely my life began to turn around for the better. I had left the thought of the World Race a distant thing in the past.
Fast forward about a year and I have a spunky Minnesota missionary named Natalie, who had just moved to OKC join my singles life group. We quickly became friends and I became fascinated by her zeal and faith in Jesus and her love and belief in missions. A couple of months go by and one day this wonderful friend tags me on a World Race application link on Facebook and says she thinks I’d be perfect for it! I smiled and thought “I’ve already applied to this a year ago,” but in reality I had never submitted that application. So after talking to her and my Life Group about it I decided to actually go through with the full application this time around. It honestly felt like it was a Holy coincidence that she would bring this up a year after I had originally thought about going. The major difference this time around was that my life and my heart were in a much better place and that the Lord had used the past year to grow me spiritually as well.
When I decided to apply I was very clear that I was ONLY applying and not actually COMMITTING to go. Well after completing the application and getting accepted I was now confronted with the question of whether or not I was actually going to do this thing! I had been so dead set on leaving the first time I considered it, but now that it was becoming more of reality I wasn’t quite so sure. Would I really be able to leave everything behind? My house, my job, my new friends, my family, the church I love so much, my comfort & sense of security control, and so much more. I started to become fearful and so I prayed. I prayed about it for weeks and asked the Lord to give me clear direction and an answer (which He doesn’t always do but I prayed for it anyway) to the question “Should I stay or should I go?” After over a month of prayer, fasting, and discussing it with close friends and family it was overwhelmingly clear that the Lord was calling me to “GO!”
So, now you may be wondering “Are you scared?”
The honest answer is YES and no! Of course I’m scared, I’m scared of the unknown. I am an “A type,” ESTJ, planner, control freak, and it drives me a little crazy not to know or have all the answers. A couple of weeks ago I heard a message from Pastor Steven Furtick (my favorite preacher) that really spoke to me. In it he said “to really follow Christ and come into our calling requires us coming out of our comfort zone.” WOW! I don’t think I can explain it any better than that. I was really convicted by this message because I felt that God was saying to that there would be “No certainty. No contract. Just follow me & I will show you as you go!” Amen! I don’t believe that God calls us to do something outside of our competency but He does call us out of our comfort in order to stretch and to grow us into the people we are meant to be. The sermon also spoke about the greatest enemy of faith not being fear but rather familiarity because it can keep you stuck in a place God is calling you out of. After almost two years of calling off my wedding, I now see that God called me out of that relationship and that comfort because He had something new and better for my life. And while I don’t know what the future holds, I do know WHO holds my future. In trusting Him and His perfect will for my life there is NO fear.
So, “What will you be doing everyday anyway?”
That’s another great question and one I can’t answer so easily. I don’t know what the World Race will look like on a daily basis since every ministry and country will be so different. What I do know is that I’m willing to go and love and serve people whatever that may look like. One day it may be caring for children in an orphanage, another it may be praying over the sick, it could be helping to build a school or a church, it may be administrative work, it could be going door to door simply sharing the gospel and asking people how we can serve them. I don’t know what it will be but all I know is that I’m hungry for more from this life than my personal comfort. I want to know God more intimately and experience His presence on a deeper level. I want my heart to break for the things that break His heart and I want to love like He loves! I want to look back on my life someday and feel that my life had purpose and meaning, that it wasn’t all about me but more about Him and loving others. I pray that this trip will be all that and more.
In closing, I just want to be totally transparent and honest in saying that I definitely do not “have it all together” or claim to know all the answers. I do not consider myself a highly spiritual person or claim to be bible scholar. I have so much to learn and to grow when it comes to life and knowing and serving God. But what I do know without a shadow of a doubt is that God has completely changed my life for the better. I know that God loves ME and I know he loves YOU, He loved us so much that He sent His only son (Jesus Christ) to die on the cross (and defeat death with his resurrection) for the forgiveness of our sins. I know I do not deserve this love but He gives it to me anyway. I believe this with my whole heart and I’m overwhelmingly grateful from the mistakes and past He’s rescued me from; that my only response is surrender. I’m willing to leave my life behind to follow Him and to share that truth with others in a broken and hurting world that desperately needs His light and love.
Great! “So what can I do to support you?”
The greatest thing you can do for me is to keep me in your prayers as I prepare to go on this mission! I desperately need all the prayers, love, and support I can get. This is BIG step of faith for me and I need my community constantly lifting me up in prayer as I prepare and once I’m on the mission field as well. Second, would you consider praying about supporting me financially? Any donations made here, on my blog page, will go directly to the cost of my trip and expenses for the year. I could never thank you enough for even just considering investing in me to go on this mission trip!
P.s. It would mean the world to me if you would subscribe to and share my blog with others as a way of partnering with me and following me on this adventure!
In His Love,
Aislinn.
The World Race is a ministry of Adventures In Missions, an established 501(c) (3) non-profit missions organization. All donations are tax deductible and go directly to helping me be fully funded. Thank you and God bless you!
