It’s time to share the story of why I ORIGINALLY chose this route.
God has shown me time and time again that this is not the only reason I am here on this route, but He used a 12 year dream to push me to be here.
The summer before my 7th grade year I went on my first mission trip. I went to Refuge Ranch in Mexico. It was my first exposure to missions. I saw poverty outside of what I thought was poverty and I learned about a new culture and found my love for Latin America. That is not what this story is about, it’s just important to know I went on a mission trip the summer before my 7th grade year.
Fast Forward.
In my 7th grade Social Studies class we chose a country to study all year and do all of our projects on. My brother’s girlfriend at the time had studied India so she encouraged me to do the same. I liked the idea of it, but I also really liked the fact that the research was pretty much done for me already! She also would help me with any of the projects I needed help on, so I had to choose it!
During my studying of India I learned about the religion there. I learned that unlike Mexico, where people knew Jesus and God, they most likely had no idea who Jesus was.
In the midst of learning all of this I went to my first Battle Cry, a huge Christian conference. The conference was held in a very large stadium full of people. During the conference the gospel was shared and they invited people to accept Christ as their savior. I had already accepted Christ as my Savior but other people in my row stood up. I had to move to the isle in let some others out of my row. In the shuffle I ended up walking down the stairs with them.
On the floor of the stadium I began to pray and the Holy Spirit began a work I can’t fully explain. I felt so much love, I began to cry thinking about how much God must love me to send His son to die for me. I sang out the song “Wrap Me in your Arms” over and over again. Then someone hugged me as I cried and I felt even more love. I wanted everyone to know that love I was feeling and that is when God gave me the desire to do mission work. He specifically pointed out India to me. From then on I had the desire to go to India.
The story isn’t finished though! When I sat up from crying and praying something was strange, no one was there. But I had felt someone hugging me. I believe God was hugging me. He was responding to my cry to wrap me in His arms.
God is so good to us.
He truly gives us the desires of our hearts.
