When I was in middle school, I received a magazine called Brio. It was a Christian magazine for teen girls that included anything from articles about bands to tips for dressing fashionably but also modestly to advice about relationships. It also included articles about a mission trip that the organization led every year. The one I remember most vividly was about a trip to Peru. The group performed skits and ministered in the streets…and washed children’s hair. This article was the first time I had every felt a pull towards missions and serving in other countries. That one simple act that I took for granted everyday stuck out to me. It was at that moment that I decided I wanted to go on a mission trip.
Fast forward through high school and my first year of college to my sophomore year. In all that time I had never lost that desire to go on an overseas mission trip. I had gone on mission trips in the states and served locally. I had decided to become a nurse because I wanted a job where I could serve others every day. But I had not gone out of the country. And that spark that lit in my heart way back in eighth grade would not go away. Instead, it continued to grow. One night in the library, I made the choice that I was going to apply for a mission trip. So I did. That summer, I spent a week serving in Nicaragua. We painted a school and hosted a Bible school for 3 days and participated in church services. We also spent time with the family we lived with talking and participating in daily tasks. It was a trip that changed my life.
Since that trip, the call to missions has continued to grow. A week wasn’t enough. I wanted to serve overseas for a longer period of time. But first, I had to finish college. Then, I had to get some job experience, because initially I planned on going the medical missions route.
Here we are, a year and a half after graduating from college, and I am a nurse. Someone told me about the World Race (which was actually a reminder, but that’s not important). I considered it because it sounded awesome, but also terrifying. Anyone who knows me knows it’s WAYYY outside my comfort zone. So, I kind of pushed it to the back of my mind. But, I kept hearing about it randomly, and I knew couldn’t ignore it. So, I didn’t. I took the first step, probably the hardest, and applied. Here we are a few months later, and it’s happening. I was accepted to go on the World Race in August 2017! It’s not just a dream anymore. It’s reality. A reality that’s thrilling and exciting, but also very scary. I know that God wouldn’t have me here if there wasn’t a reason for it, so I keep pushing past the fear. I push so I can be part of something bigger than myself. Something that allows me to tell people in ELEVEN different countries about Jesus and hopefully bring them hope that they can’t find anywhere else.
