This is the first official blog post for my adventure on the World Race and I am so eager to share testimonies and stories with my friends, family, and blog followers about my life as Christ follower, and my life as a World Racer. As most of you know, yesterday, December 18th 2014, Dustin got down on one knee and asked me to marry him, and of course I said yes. This was one of the few moments I have experienced in life when I knew everything was about to change. As soon as I saw him pull the little blue box out, I could feel the shift of events in my life, everything I was planning up to that point was about to be altered. It’s funny though because I had similar thoughts when I got my acceptance onto the World Race, thoughts that told me everything was going to change. So now I am faced with the decision to get married, or to go on this incredible missions trip, but why does it have to be a choice?
I applied for the race because I wasn’t happy with the “status quo” that so many people fell into just because they thought that was the only option. For instance college- almost everyone I know has gone to college, gotten a degree, gotten a full time job, eventually they get married, and so on. But why? Why did you choose that path? At the age of 21 I am not ready to look back in 20 years and ask myself that question. Those emotions led me to apply. Let’s start my 20’s with an 11 month mission trip to 11 different countries, and spread the love of Jesus to the nations, before I decide to make any decision about my “adult” life. I thought I had everything figured out.
The next thing I knew he was down on one knee, in front of a beautiful waterfall, holding my hand and extending a ring out to me. His promise of forever. Everything was about to change- there’s that feeling again. So what do I do know? I am faced with two of the biggest opportunities that have ever been given to me- marriage or missions?
When I woke up this morning I was overwhelmed with the joy from yesterdays events, but more importantly I felt so much comfort about all the thoughts that had been running through my head since the night before. Dustin led me to Christ three years ago, prayed for me during my application process for the World Race, and essentially told me after we got engaged, that not going on the World Race or pushing my launch date back was not an option. Marriage or missions is never a choice that I will have to make because the man that I love, loves God more than he loves me, and he is so eager to encourage me to follow this calling, even when I can’t encourage myself. I am getting married and I am going on the World Race, because God has called and equipped me to do both.
