Call me crazy and maybe a tad insane, but y’all I’m going to be leaving the country in a little less than a year for nine months!!! Say whaaaaaaat?!?! Crazy cool, I know. I am a little apprehensive about this journey I’m embarking on. Mainly because I am stepping outside my comfort zone in a BIG way. The decision to leave my family and friends was hard to make, but I really have felt the Lord pulling me in this direction. Going against the society norm of heading straight to college after high school was especially hard for me to do. It was hard to get over the mentality that I’ll be behind if I don’t go to college or that I won’t make it in life without a degree. A couple months ago I met a good friend for dinner and was hashing over my dilemma of whether to go to college after high school or to take the Gap Year. She said something that has stuck with me and that helped me make this decision.
“Dest, you can head off to college to seek head knowledge, but the bible says that wisdom and knowledge come from the Lord. Where do you feel, you would be best seeking after him?”
Boom… Sirens screeching in my head… Lights dimming… Think of all the effects that go off in movies to make the moment all dramatic and that was me in that moment. I know that it probably sounds cliché like of course we should be seeking after God because he’s the one who offers us those things, but in that moment, it clicked for me. Why go to some university and spend a ton of money on a degree I don’t even know I want just to say “I made it”? God is going to take care of me. Maybe someday I’ll go to college, but for the time being it is not for me.
Now I say it clicked in my head of what path to choose, but that doesn’t mean I went home that night and happily exclaimed, “Guess what dad and mom?! I’ve decided that all those letters I’ve been getting in the mail from colleges… Yeah just throw them all away! I’m going on a mission trip instead.” No, I wasn’t a very trusting child of God and I wrestled him about it. You see the fears crowded in and Satan started putting his foot in the door. The devil was so quick to remind me of all the things I had going on in my heart and head. Issues completely unrelated to my future popped up to distract me. There seemed to be a literal war going on upstairs in my brain. It’s funny how Satan knows when you’re getting close to unlocking the next door and how he so desperately try’s to stop you. Praise the Lord that Jesus already conquered Satan and that I am a child of God with angels watching over me. During this time the Lord brought so many people into my life who just spoke truth to me. I reconnected with a friend one day who is alumni of the World Race Gap Year. We sat at her house sipping tea and I began to pester her with questions. She shared with me her journey and how it has shaped her. I told God that this all seemed kinda big to me and that maybe I’d give it a chance if my mom was on board. To my surprise she was really supportive about it all. We decided to continue to pray about this decision though and give it more time.
The last week I was able to apply to the World Race Gap Year where the fee was waived, my mom was in California due to a death in the family. I had a strong moment of clarity that the Gap Year was the path I was supposed to take. So, I took the leap of faith and applied. The whole time praying, “Lord if you could please send me some extra confirmation that this is your will for my life that’d be pretty great!” And boy did he send me reassurance. The next day I got a call from my mom. She mentioned that I’d applied to the Gap Year to one of her cousins, who are missionaries in Indonesia. This lady became excited and shared with my mom how she had hosted World Racers before. That same day my good friend who lives in Cincinnati sent me a text saying she’d spoken with a customer at work about the World Race. The customer glowed while sharing her testimony from her time spent in the field as a Racer. Now if that isn’t confirmation then I don’t know what is! This journey is only beginning. I’m so excited to grow in my walk with the Lord and be His hands and feet!
What is the Gap Year and what all does it entail?
Okay, now to get down to business! The Gap Year is through Adventures in Missions. The Gap Year is a 9-month Christian mission trip to 4 countries around the world. There are several different Gap Year routes with different squads being sent to each. I chose Route 1 which includes the four countries of Thailand, Myanmar, South Africa, and Costa Rica. Not only is the Gap Year a mission trip, but it’s also an intensive discipleship program designed to launch my generation into our specific kingdom calling. I will be working alongside my team, ages ranging from 18-20, to preach the Gospel, plant churches, work in orphanages, minister to women and children trapped in prostitution as a result of human trafficking, and bring the restorative hope of the Father’s love to many tribes and nations. Each country the ministry may look a little different, but that’s the general idea of what I will be doing.
I would love if you’d walk hand in hand with me on this journey. Here are some ways you can join me:
1. Pray!!!! Prayer is so powerful. My squad and I will need many prayers as we set out on this trip. Please pray for our safety, teamwork, perseverance, our ability to stay positive, that we show Jesus everywhere we go, and that God would bring salvation to those living in the communities we serve.
2. Finances… Ewww this number… Yikes, still makes me cringe. This trip requires $15,800 to be raised. This money will cover all of my field expenses for the 9 months of the trip. My goal is to be fully funded by June of 2018. If you feel led, please support me in this area.
3. My blog. I plan to update this blog to keep everyone in the loop on the fundraising process, world race news, and anything else that God lays on my heart. Feel free to subscribe to my blog to stay up-to-date!
Please feel free to ask any questions you may have about this trip or ways you can partner with me!
Lots of Love,
Destiny
Adventures In Missions is a tax-exempt organization under IRS code 501(c)(3) and is a member of the ECFA. (Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability). Due to IRS and ECFA regulations governing the administration of tax deductible donations given in support of a particular trip/program, support contributions given on behalf of an individual will be used to offset the costs of the trip/program you are involved in. All contributions are non-refundable regardless of the participant’s success in completing the program.
