For the past five years of my life I’ve been searching for where Christ wants me. For what the next chapter in my book would hold. Of course knowing me and How stubborn I am, I started out searching in areas I thought God should use me. I started out looking into the military. For those who don’t know me, my family is very patriotic. My Papa, Grandpa, Great Uncle, Dad, both brothers, and two cousins and probably a few more have served in one or another branch of the military. I felt I should do the same. But needless to say after all the frustrations and loop holes to pass the medical exam I couldn’t find peace about it at all. I was staying up late at night wondering why. Finally after lack of sleep and no peace of mind I finally decided against the military. Needless to say I looked into and tried many other areas that are passions of mine. I even tried going back to school. But there still wasn’t peace and I still felt like God wanted me elsewhere. I just couldn’t figure out where.
What’s interesting is during my time of searching and trying things my way I felt God speaking to my heart and asking me to do a mission trip. Of course with my past and all, I still thought I had I was to unworthy for that task. God could never use me for something like that. Silly now that I think of it. Who am I to tell God He can’t use me. I mean seriously He made me, not the other way around. So I guess you could say I knew all along what God was calling me to do. I just refused to listen.
During my search, I had started going to a new church called HopeWorks about 2yrs ago. What really got me to drive 40 min every Sunday to this church was the people. The very first day I went to check the church out I walked in and I just felt like God was really there amongst us ministering to us. I can’t really explain it! But I was hooked and I wanted to hear more. Especially after walking through the dessert for so long it felt like I had finally made it home. Might sound silly but it’s true. The pastor and his amazing heart and passion for Christ and the loving people that go there continue to tell me this is where God wants me to be. I felt satisfied. But then I started hungering for more again. I really couldn’t understand why. My job just became a burden and I felt like there was somewhere else I was supposed to be. So I started looking for a new job. During my search that annoying idea of a mission trip kept popping up in my head. Of course like usual I kept on pushing it back I had more reasons now why I shouldn’t go on one besides not feeling worthy or up to the task. The other reasons were excuses I didn’t want to leave my new church family and I didn’t want to leave my sister, many other excuses. I also believed like my parents had taught me that you should serve locally before you ever go abroad.(My response to that now is when God calls you, you go where ever He leads you and He wouldn’t lead you where you aren’t supposed to be.) Needless to say God never gives up when He wants you to do something. Hehe, I think I finally met my match when it comes to arguing. =) 
Finally one day after hearing an amazing sermon from Pastor Shane one of the songs the praise band sang spoke to my heart and I was at the point of desperation again. So I told God do whatever you want with me. Even if that includes missions or going to Africa where everything kills you. I’m yours just show me! Please!
Well I got to tell you it didn’t take long for Christ to show me. Not long after that a friend of mine form my church came to my apartment and told me she felt like God wanted me to go to Africa with her to help her parents with an orphanage they manage. I was all for it. We started discussing how we would raise our funds and that’s when she brought up The World Race. Her friend had gone on it before and she was gone for about a year and several different countries she told me. She also told me her friend sold t-shirts did a golf tournament and other ways to raise her money for her mission trip. That was all that was said about The World Race. We continued to talk and plan about our mission trip to Africa. I must admit I was pumped I thought for sure this is where God wanted me. I’d only be gone for a few weeks and then I could get back to trying to find my career. But then a few days later once more there wasn’t peace. I was truly puzzled and frustrated. What was it now? I thought I was doing what He wanted after all it was Africa and a mission trip what more does He want from me. That’s when it happened I heard it so clear in my head you would of thought somebody whispered it in my ear. It was like God himself said what about World Race Deborah? Of course me being the pessimist I was like what about it? “Its 11 months did you forget that part? I would be without a job, no car, away from my family for 11 months!!!! Are you crazy?! Of all people to choose God, you should have really thought this through.” Then He was like well it doesn't hurt to look into it. So I agreed never killed anybody to look into anything. I looked up there website and started reading about the World Race and the testimonies people had posted. I have to admit I was pumped and hooked. The next week all I could think about was the mission trip. I prayed about it and prayed and prayed some more and read the Bible and everything inside of me said this is where your next Journey begins. Well after that week of really praying and just having more and more peace about it I stepped out in faith and applied. I was like well maybe they won't accept me-again struggling with that step of faith. =) After applying I had to reschedule my interview a couple of times and finally after about a month later from filling out the application I got interviewed. After the interview I was pumped and terrified at the same time. But yet I was still feeling like this is where God wanted me. I'm not sure why because quite honestly I felt like I was jumping off a cliff. But God told me He would catch me so I jumped! He's been opening doors ever since. I was accepted and then I raised my first $150 for the deposit and now I'm working on the rest of the $15,500. I believe He will continue to open the doors.
So, so begins the rest of my Journey. I must say I’m really excited!!!! I can’t wait to see what all God’s going to do over there and what all He’s going to teach me. I look forward to sharing this Journey with y’all as God shows us His wonderful power and His amazing love.
Oh by the way I didn’t get out of Africa in case you were wondering three of the countries I will be ministering in are on that beautiful continent.
I just have to say at the close of this we have a truly amazing God we serve. And I am blessed but very humbled that He’s willing to use me for so great a task. I am scared and nervous but I’m also excited and impatient for this Journey. Why Because I can’t wait to see what God is going to do over there. Because He’s the one who’s going to be doing the changing I can no more change myself let alone other people but He’s promised me not only is He going to use me to change people He’s going to use them to change me and make me look more like the daughter of the King. He’s also told me He’s going to remove some calluses that have been forming on my heart from time and old hurts and scars. I can’t wait!!!!! SO Please be a part of this Journey and let God use you to change the world. Because if He can use me He definitely can use you too.
