Just a few short months ago…. I was led to a passage in Hosea that I feel God used to speak to my soul and it was a tangible turning point for my life. I would love to share His words with you now! Hosea 2:6 reads: “ Therefore I will block her path with thornbushes; I will wall her in so that she cannot find her way. She will chase after her lovers but not catch them; she will look for them but not find them.” I was this woman in Hosea. I was running after all of the other “lovers”, after all of the things and people that I was putting before God. Me, myself, and I had life totally planned out. But ever true to His word, God blocked my path with these “thornbushes.” He stripped me of all of the things that I had been chasing after for so long, that I thought I desperately wanted. By God getting me alone and taking off the blinders, I was able to realize how empty my life had become. But thankfully our God is merciful and He pursues our hearts, even in such brokenness. In Hosea 2:14 He promises, “ Therefore I am now going to allure her; I will lead her into the desert and speak tenderly to her.” God has been faithful, He has allured me and I have fallen more deeply in love with Him than I ever thought possible. I now believe that he is quite literally calling me to the desert…in Kenya, Africa (and 10 other countries as well).
I am so grateful for this calling that God has laid upon my heart and for the opportunity to serve as a missionary (in the World Race program) with an organization called Adventures in Missions. The World Race is an 11-month Christian mission trip to 11 different countries. The countries on the route for the World Race are: Ireland, Ukraine, Russia, Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, India, Nepal, Cambodia, and Malaysia. My team and I will become enabled to be the body of Christ, to really be His hands and feet. We will have the ability to partner with local churches, hospitals, orphanages, and even have the opportunity to minister to women and children in bondage and prostitution due to human trafficking. The World Race will bring hope and renewal to local communities and allow unreached tribes and nations to experience the Father’s love.
God loved us so much that he sacrificed His only son, so that we may be forgiven and may have eternal life. God blessed us with the presence of the Holy Spirit so that we may be in constant relationship with Him. I love that God pursues us and desires a relationship with us and I know that he created us in his image and yearns for us to seek Him as our sufficiency. I can really grasp a picture of God's heart in Jeremiah 24:7, "I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the Lord. They will be my people, and I will be their God, for they will return to me with all of their heart." And in John 17:3 the Bible states, "Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God." Relationship is everything to God it is the core and foundation of the Gospel. The World Race is an awesome opportunity to form valuable and lasting relationships. It is through these relationships and in truly serving God's people that the Gospel will be brought to life.
I am beyond thrilled to see how God will move in my life and change my heart through this World Race mission trip. I am so excited to see God’s promises come to pass and to share the hope of the Gospel through really loving and serving “the least of these”. And I can't thank you enough for prayers, encouragement and support!
Watch the video!!
