“Hey now… hey noooow, this is what dreeeeeeaams are maaade ooof.”
As I begin this blog this is the only line I could think of to write first. It kinda represents this next season. It kinda doesn’t. How about we talk about it?
I HAVE AN ANNOUNCEMENT!!
As of recently I was asked to go back onto the field and squad lead gap year.
You may be asking yourself… “Wait… is that the 9 month one you already did?”
And to that I would say
“Yes”.
I have always wanted to be a missionary and to have my life be used radically by the father in the missions field. My dream has never really had a set destination yet, but it’s been a dream the Lord has allowed me to live out to the fullest. The missions field overseas is such a blessing the Lord keeps calling me into deeper and deeper… but this position was something I hadn’t completely had on my radar until recently! After some intense prayer I said yes and walked boldly into this path.
Honestly coming to the decision to say Yes to this role was really difficult for me. There are so many amazing amazing amazing things happening in my life right now back at home and it would be super amazing and comfortable to just stay and be here for a season or two or forever.
And honestly this kinda sucks. It sucks to leave GOOD THINGS for something that isn’t completely clear yet. It’s hard to say yes to something that doesn’t seem quite right quite yet. It is really difficult to take steps towards something that wasn’t in the plan completely.
And even more honestly there’s been times I’ve doubted my decision to say YES.
But guess what? Holy crap the Lord truly is always good and he called me to OBEY and so I will OBEY!
God calls us to deny ourselves and follow him. To follow his promptings and his asks of us. Wether its within our job already, or to go across the world. When I gave my life up to God to become a follower of Christ, I said yes to being a FOLLOWER of Christ. Not only when it felt perfect or when it made sense, but also whenever God calls regardless of the situation.
So that leads me to right now… even though this is completely different than what I originally planned for, God called me to obey and wow wow wow the more I take steps in this direction, the more of God’s clarity is revealed.
Isn’t it weird how that works? Sometimes we have to TAKE THE STEP before God gives us the clarity and peace.
Woah.
And that’s exactly what’s happening. The more I pray and the more I plan and the more I walk in boldness towards Squad Leading Gap Year the more I realize I am so thankful God chose me. He chose me to guide and shepherd a group full of passion and zeal. I am already so overwhelmed with love and gratitude. I am already so full of excitement as I watch these humans grow into deeper love of the Father.
My role this coming year is to come alongside and point them back to the Lord. I will be bouncing from team to team alongside my co-leader Cal to disciple and pour into each racer. I will be guiding them and pushing them to dive deep into who the Fathers says they are and into walking out the gifts he has given them. There will be 40ish racers and it’s going to be insanely crazy but good.
When I went on my Gap Year I not only grew in the gifts the Lord had equipped me with to use on the missions field, he also gave me a passion to pour out and to disciple other people. I got to step into that within Leading in the Philippines this past semester, and I will get to keep pushing into that this next school year too on Gap Year.
My heart for this season is to radically love the locals I minister to in Thailand, Malaysia, India, and Costa Rica. My heart for this season is to pour into the racers first and foremost. My heart for this season is to also walk so boldly in obedience and to truly just surrender this season to the Lord and be open to his paths for me.
I leave the beginning of September and honestly even writing that doesn’t seem super real. Honestly this life I am living doesn’t seem super real. When I was little I never thought God could make my life this radical and this good and this beautiful.
There are a lot of things I am leaving behind in surrender and I have peace about that. The Lord has spoken peace over a lot of the things I am walking away from, or walking into this next season with. Some things will have to look different. Some things will be different. Some things won’t change at all. Most things I can’t predict yet. I am in awe of how in the midst of all of that the Lord has still spoken peace and spoken courage into my soul.
“Oh child know that I am good and know that I wouldn’t put things into your path without a grand purpose. I will use all of you and your surrounding for my glory”
I feel that being spoken over me as I leave coming up here shortly. There doesn’t have to be fear or worry when I truly rest in the fact that God isn’t worried. Gods plans are radical and life breathing. Gods plans are GOOD. Gods plans can only bring glory.
I rest in trust and I rest in confidence. And even when I don’t truly believe those words I continue to speak them over myself because it’s truth.
I am so excited for the journey to come. I have already been to training camp and I have already met their faces. I am already so in love with the journey the Lord is calling me into and allowing me to step into. It’s an honor and a blessing I can’t really describe. It’s humbling and eye opening that this is something I would be asked to step into.
This is so good because God is so so so at the center of it. I am squad leading Gap Year because the Lord has called me to be bold and to allow myself to be used by him radically.
I am praying a MIGHTY current of blessings into this journey and I would love to ask you all to consider joining me in this journey too. I will be fundraising $3800 and I will also be needing a lot of prayer. If you are someone who feels led or called to donate, you can do so at the top of this blog! Just press the donate button and you can either do a monthly donation, or a one time! If you are someone who cannot donate financially, please be praying Gods MIGHTY hand into this new chapter.
If you have any questions, comments, or anything at all… please either comment below or message me separately at [email protected]. I would love to hear yalls thoughts or to answer any questions you may have!
Thank you for being someone who has continued on this journey with me for quite some time. I am truly in awe of the support and the love I have received from close friends, family, and my community. You all mean the world to me and I couldn’t do this without you. I am so thankful and so appreciative. In awe of the Lords HEAVY AND STEADY hand!
Thank you for sticking to the end and I pray a mighty blessing over you as you end this blog. Thank you again. WOW.
