We were asked to write a blog about how we were called to the world race mission trip. Here is my story…
As graduation is approaching in December, I’m in the final stretch of my undergraduate college career at Florida Atlantic University. With the realization that my overly involved and demanding art degree will soon cease its beckoning, decision mode had kicked in for post college life. I had a few options to weigh, but before I get ahead of myself, let me fill you in on a few details about God’s direction in my life thus far…
Growing up I was heavily involved in music and I thought that a music career would be my destiny. So naturally, when I graduated high school, next on my list was obtaining a music degree. I got my associates and was looking around for a school to finish up my BA but God pulled me into a year-long internship at my church in our music ministry instead. It was a challenging and trying year, and surprisingly by the end of it God uncovered a passion for art and photography in me that prior to that moment was relatively unknown. I started getting to work on my art degree and have been exploring the art world ever since. It’s amazing to me just how much God created me to do the art thing and how it simply…fits.
God has given me vision to do ministry though art and everyday I’m seeing how that vision is taking shape and manifesting itself into my life.
So.
The choice of what to do next in my life is now filtered through the question, “how does God want to use me, stretch me, teach me etc. for ministry with art?”
Last summer I had the opportunity to study abroad in the Netherlands for a month and I took the opportunity while in Europe to find a few missionaries/churches/organization that could use my photography and graphic arts to aid their ministry. It was one of the most stretching trips I’ve ever made, but 2 months on my own traveling through Europe with God and my camera was eye opening. I became so much more aware of culture and how the approach to ministry can shift greatly depending on whom you’re reaching out to.
When I first started looking into the World Race, it struck me as an incredible experience to expand my ability to create and affect people through art. Practically doing ministry around the world in 11 countries has the potential to be completely invaluable to the way I carry out God’s vision for my art. I’m so excited to learn how to help people, minister to them, share with them, cry with them, celebrate with them…and fathom the little things that make us all individually who we are. Because these things are the same things that go into expressing life through art, and it’s the thing that gives opportunity for God to come in and speak through it.
So the World Race for me is mostly about preparing for a life surrendered to God in the field of art.
Also, being able to go on this trip throws opportunity my way to do the type of stuff we hear and dream about when a missionary visits us in Sunday school at 5 years old and we hope that some day we can do that too.
The bible can be so simple.
Love people.
The bible can be complicated too.
