We were asked to write a blog about how we were called to this mission trip. Here is my story…
I can remember the day so vividly. I was 14 years old and I went back to my home church to sing a “special” – that is what us Baptists call it!! I spoke with a woman that morning about how I had been having dreams of my future. In the dreams, I was in ministry – not sure exactly what that meant, but I knew that my life was involved in ministry. So, church proceeds and it is time for the invitation. I don’t remember the pastor ever giving an invitation quite like this one before or after this time – his words were the exact words I had spoken to the woman just an hour before. He asked if anyone felt as if they were being called into ministry and I knew that invitation was for me to respond. I flew down the aisle to let him know that it was ME God was calling! I will also not forget what happened next. Several of my family members came that morning to hear me sing and my Aunt Linda cried after church and said to me “well, now you are going to move off to Africa and we will never see you again”!! I laughed and laughed – because I knew that being in the ministry did not mean that I had to be a missionary.
Apparently my Aunt Linda had a little more insight into my future than I did.
I spent the summer of 2004 in Swaziland, Africa with Dream For Africa through my college, Dallas Baptist University and I guess you could say I caught the missionary bug. God changed me there and He moved in my life in ways I had never seen or experienced Him before. I remember feeling completely whole – completely me – completely who I was made to be in that place! It was all over from there!
Since that summer, I have been to China & Thailand – both experiences increasing my love for international missions more and more. After I graduated from DBU, I spent a summer in New York City as a missions intern for The Journey church. This was a great experience, but I felt like Texas was where I was supposed to be. I have been working and living near the Houston area for 2 years now – with one goal in mind: be near my family! About a year ago, a friend of mine, Molly Garner, left for the World Race and I signed up to receive updates from her. I loved and hated reading Molly’s updates. I loved them because I felt so drawn to what she was doing – the experiences she was having and the way she was experiencing God in different countries. And I hated them because I knew that God was using these emails from Molly to call me to leave everything behind and go. I would sit in my office and read her updates – sick to my stomach, because I knew that God wanted this journey for my life too. Believe me, I told God “no” over and over again… until I couldn’t say no anymore! I finally let go of myself and the selfish desires I had for my life and surrendered to His will for me. After struggling for probably 8 months over this decision; once I gave in-I gave in! I finally said “yes” to God and I meant it! I am sad about leaving behind loved ones that I cannot imagine spending 11 months away from…but I am excited about all of the people I will meet and the ways in which God will change my life! I hope to experience Him in ways that I never knew were possible! I imagine that these 11 months will be the worst and most incredible 11 months of my life and I will always remember fondly what God did in my heart!
