I have known about The World Race for 4 years now. I went on a trip with AIM after my sophomore year of college in 2009 to Nicaragua for a month. That's when I first heard about The World Race. I love traveling and telling people about Jesus so it just seemed PERFECT! However, it wasn't time.
In Nicaragua (picture on right) God gave me a love for the latino culture and a passion to learn Spanish to actually be able to TELL people about Jesus with words in their own language. 
I went back to finish school in December 2011 with an Elementary Ed degree and Spanish minor.
During my senior year and not knowing what to do after college I looked into the world race again, applied, and got accepted for the July 2012 trip. During the application process I was also applying to be a missionary teacher at an International Christian School in Bogotá, Colombia. Before I knew whether I was accepted to Colombia I had to make my decision for The World Race. After much prayer and wrestling/crying out to God I heard Him say, "There's something else." Then a peace came over me. Alright God, I thought, I'm trusting you that I'm still not supposed to go on The WR.
A couple months after declining the WR I found out that I was accepted to be the 5th grade homeroom teacher at a Christian School in Bogotá, Colombia for two years. I taught Language Arts & Social Studies (all in English). July 2012 came around and I made my way down to Colombia to live there for two years. I absolutely loved it! It was definitely hard being a first year teacher in foreign country and trying to learn a new language at the same time but God carried me through and I learned a TON about the culture & the language.
Then, February 2013 I was at my church in Bogotá and it was just another normal Sunday at church and we were singing "Cuanto Nos Ama" or "How He Loves" I heard a voice say, "Vamos a viajar juntos." (We're going to travel together). I started crying in awe of the Lord responding with, "Que?! Como? Cuando?! Donde?!?!" (What? How? When? Where?!) I was confused but in awe and I knew it was the Lord.
Patience.
So after a while I still couldn't get rid of the burning desire to minister in Spanish and work with the poor. (Which I wasn't doing either at the school)
The World Race popped into my head again so I decided to look at it. Before going to the website, knowing that there has NEVER been a Spanish route I told God, "Okay Lord…I will ONLY go if there's an ALL Spanish route. I'm finally getting a hold on the language and I don't want to lose what I've worked so hard on."
I went to the website to see the different routes and the July & September ones weren't Spanish. Right before I was about to get off and put that aside again I looked at the right column and there I saw in bright red letters "JANUARY 2014: NEW SPANISH ROUTE"
My jaw dropped.
These questions quickly filled my head to God,
"WHAT?!"
"I wasn't THAT serious…was I…!?"
"God, are you kidding me?!"
"But it starts in January! That's the middle of the school year! I'm supposed to teach here and live in Colombia for another year…"
"But what will people think?"
"What will my supports think? I told them two years in Colombia!"
"But I'm comfortable here! I love Colombia! You gave me so many great Colombian friends too!"
I freaked out to say the least.
I prayed about it for a month and during that time God kept reassuring me that this is what He wants me to do and I want to obey Him above everything else.
So in May 2013 I officially accepted The World Race Spanish Route, July 2, 2013 I left my dearly loved Colombia and came back to Nebraska where I'll be working in the cornfields and probably substitute teaching until January 2014 where voy a viajar con Cristo!! (I'm going to travel with Jesus) through South & Central America to learn to share His Truth & Love to the latino world….the very reason why I wanted to learn Spanish in the first place.
Isn't God great?! 🙂
Your love, Lord, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies. Psalm 36:5
