We were
asked to write a blog about how we were called to this mission trip. Here is my
story…
I have been raised by the best mother in the world and can
honestly say that she is responsible for where I am at today. Every week she would drive my brother and I
to church on Sunday mornings. The dedication
that she had was due to the fact that she wanted her kids to know Christ and
the tremendous love that the church gave.
When I was in the third grade my father was late for my brother’s
basketball game so we left without him and while driving we came across his
truck that had struck a tree. The night
of March 15, 1996 was the night that changed all of our lives when my father
passed away.
Fast forward three years and my mom remarried to a wonderful man
and we relocated to a new town. It was
here that we got involved in church and I went on my first mission trip to Lima, Peru. This was an amazing trip and I knew that I
wanted to travel and see the world for the rest of my life. Two years later it was in the youth group
that I came to know Christ (I can share that story with you sometime) July 27,
2004…the summer before my senior year. At
this point I knew that God wanted something else from me, something more than
just being a “good church member.” I
went on to graduate and just put those ideas on hold.
My dream had been to go to the University of Texas
and at the time I was very bitter because they accepted the top ten percent and
I was within five places of that mark…a matter of one or two grades! I opted in
to attend their sister school in Arlington
and would transfer the next year. The
reason I give these details up to this point is because my freshman year of
college changed everything.
While living in Arlington,
I had a great job, worked full time, attended school full time, and developed
this idea that I was going to make it and become rich. My whole personality
changed along with my goals in life and I was very stressed and unhappy. To add to the mix my step-dad left 2 days
after Christmas and left my mom broke and heart broken. Three months later my mom’s mom passed away
and I found out my mom had breast cancer.
I honestly could not think at this point and one night I was lying in bed
and God told me that I was not living for Him and when I did I would have
peace.
My mom called a few days later and convinced me to go with the church
to Peru
on a missions trip. I agreed and within days of being there God confirmed in me
that I wanted to be a missionary and live for Him the rest of my life. I got home turned in my resignation at work,
withdrew from school, applied to Bible college, and moved to Missouri.
Fast forward another three years and I have peace in my life,
learned so many great things, interned in the Philippines, made great Christian friends,
and heard of this thing called the World Race.
The last year I had know idea what I wanted or would be doing after
graduation. I had been reading the World
Race blogs for over two years and someone asked me why I did not just
apply. I did and the rest is history and
I can not wait until January 2010!
