When you think of taking a gap year do you think of someone that never goes back to school, or takes years to return? Well so did my family at the first thought of me taking time between senior year of high school and freshman year of college. But it is actually proven that more than 80% of students that take time off between high school and college go back to school, and they tend to graduate with higher grades and more motivation.
Why am I telling you this? Because the social norm for our society tells us that if you don’t go straight to college, or don’t get in, or don’t go to an ivy league school then you are a failure.
This is a lie.
Next year I will be taking that gap year, and I will be going on The World Race. This is an organization with Adventures of Missions. I will be a missionary in 5 countries over the time of 9 months. I will be serving along side other gap year students who are passionate about Jesus and His love for others! We will be doing many things in communities, homes, schools, and shelters, serving them in the best we can.
Ever since I was little I have felt a calling to help to people. Over the many years that has changed from teacher, doctor, pastor, back to teacher, camp counselor (for the rest of my life, ha..). But the reality is that all I know is that I want to help people. Whether that means in a church, in a community, in a hospital, in a school, at a camp, in a shelter.. But any way you look at it I’m not sure. And that is okay that I am unsure. I am 18 years old I shouldn’t have to go to school and decide what I want to do for the rest of my life. So I’m not.
One year away from books, studying, and stress isn’t a bad thing. I haven’t done the best in high school, and my life surrounding high school hasn’t been the greatest either. So taking some time before jumping into another 4 year program that cost a lot of money isn’t something I am eager to do, especially since I’m not even sure what I would study at this point.
So why the World Race? Well I’m *so* glad you asked!
At the beginning of 2016 I had a college visit to Taylor University. Might I remind you 4 months prior to this scheduled trip my Grammy passed away. And 2 months prior we had a house fire and lost both my dogs. So around this time I was coming out of a very dark time. Life had been a struggle and I pushed just about everyone away from me. Anyway, I had this trip to the college I believed was the one for me. I had been on the same school trip a year before with a close friend who now attended there, so I was pretty excited to stay with her and be back on the campus that I thought was my future home. So I was coming up on about a week before my trip and I was trying to get all my school and home stuff ready for my overnight stay. But I kid you not, I felt like a sudden feeling inside me that said “Don’t go”.
Don’t go?!?!
Ha. This was a good joke God was playing on me. He obviously wasn’t talking about Taylor University. He probably meant like ‘don’t go to work tonight’ or ‘don’t go spend your last dollar on a drink’ because he couldn’t have meant this visit. My first rationalizing thoughts were:
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I have been through hell this past couple months and I haven’t felt close to you at all, and you want to tell me not to go on this college trip?
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And why? Why speak to me now? Taylor is a great school choice so what is the big deal?
So what the heck was I supposed to do? I was feeling anger towards God for all I had gone through the past couple months, but I also had a feeling of uncertainty for going. So I reached out to my friend who was at Taylor awaiting my arrival later that week. And like any good friend she told me to pray about it. So I did something I hadn’t done in a hot minute.
I prayed.
And through that I had an even heavier feeling on my heart that said “DON’T GO”.
So I didn’t go. And so began the doubt and the frustration and confusion.
I finished out my junior year with no purpose other than to finish my classes and get to the summer. Then summer came. I left for camp the day after school ended and the conversation about college and my future started.
Where do you want to go?
What do you want to be?
How many schools are you planning on applying to?
What major/minor will you pick?
But my answers were a whole lot of…. I don’t knows. Prior to this I really believed that Taylor was were I needed to be, and as for my major or what I would be, I would just figure it out later. So what the heck was I supposed to tell these friends of mine that, in my eyes, had their lives together that I had no plans for my future as of then.
Well two weeks in and I had a conversation with a woman from a team my team was pairing with, and she talked to me all about her school, Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, Illinois.
I had looked into Moody before but hadn’t given it much thought because it is out of state and I am a 21st century scholar. But after more conversations with her and other friends, research, and talks with my parents, Moody seemed good. Moody actually is still good. I enrolled myself for next year as soon as the applicaiton opened, and began preparing for next year.
I am excited about Moody in my future, and I plan on attending fall of 2018.
These past few months God has continued to push me into exploring new things and figuring out what His plan is for me. The more I prayed and spoke to people the more I realized I wasn’t ready for college. Next year His plan for me is not Moody. His plan for me is The World Race.
After lots of research, some hard conversations, encouragement, and more hard conversations, I came to the decision to go on this journey next year. God has called me into ministry and in this moment, this is where He wants me. My spiritual calling, and my dream, has become my reality. I am so excited to see what God does on this adventure.
