Let’s be real, going to 11 different countries is not only really exciting, but it’s also kind of scary. Anything could happen, and you can’t plan for everything that comes your way. People may think I’m naïve for saying yes to this opportunity so quickly, but it took A LOT of prayer, careful consideration, and arguing with God to finally get me to this point (if you want to read more on why I’m doing this, check out my first blog). Applying for the World Race was strangely the most freeing thing I could have done; it felt like I had finally “stuck it” to fear. The amount of confirmation I received gave me so much peace about it.
But then I had to tell my parents… and they were not too thrilled at first. Obviously, the idea of me being gone for 11 months is hard to wrap your head around, and they probably didn’t realize it, but everything they said in response was rooted in fear.
“You know you don’t have to go out of the country to do missions.”
“Why don’t you do AmeriCorps or Peace Corps instead?”
“You could die in another country.”
“You’re never going to be able to raise the money.”
My dad even tried to tell me about missionaries trapped in Haiti to try to scare me out of going. Now, I love my parents to death. They are the most amazing people, but when they said those things I didn’t see them talking, I saw the fear talking. The fear that had gripped me tight my whole life was trying to take hold again. But I wasn’t having any of it. I was prepared for this current I would be swimming against, and that was just the beginning.
The truth is, nothing is guaranteed. Even if I stayed in America, I could just as easily die in a random shooting at the mall. I don’t know how long I’m going to be on this earth, but I want to make the most of the time I have left. There’s no point in running from God and His plans for me like Jonah did. I’m trying to avoid the whole getting swallowed by a big fish situation. And even if these places seem more dangerous than others, my God is bigger than anything that comes against me. Sorry fear, there’s no room for you in my life.
What I consider to be the actual most dangerous place is a place of hesitation, a place of indecisiveness, a place of lukewarmness, where one foot is in and the other is out. And so long as I align my will with God’s and follow wholeheartedly, I will be out of the danger zone. I’ve never felt safer.
If you would like to support me on this journey, you can do so in a few different ways!
- Pray for me! (I’ll need all the prayers I can get)
- Donate! (Every little bit helps)
- Subscribe to my blog! (Follow along with my journey)
- Spread the word! (share my blogs on Facebook and tell your friends)
Be sure to check out my first blog if you missed it! I love you guys! Thank you for all of your amazing support so far!
-Catherine Choquette 🙂
