She cried and she laughed as she shared her memories. With each picture of smiling faces and astounding scenery, she lit up. Her smile was unbreakable, and her eyes shone with new life. The hands that had worked for hours upon hours, now slid down a sweating glass of water. Everyone listened, trying to understand, but the words she spoke were still not enough.
This was the image I had of my sister, who had just come home from a missions trip to an orphanage in Mexico. I was ten. This is the image I have of myself after returning next year. I am eighteen.
A flame in my heart was lit as I listened to her stories, and has been continually fed for the last eight years. A month ago that flame turned into a blazing fire.
This past summer I had the huge honor of attending Buckeye Girls State. I spent an entire week with the top 900 girls in Ohio, and couldn’t have asked for a better experience. I met the most genuine, down-to-earth, intelligent, motivated, selfless, and hilarious girls. It was beyond refreshing to be around. I came out of that week not only with new relationships, but with a drive and desire for more. They made me question my life, my actions and my heart.
I felt the need to be better. I felt the need to connect on genuine levels. I felt the need to have a purpose.
After BGS and up until November, I had been pressing into God about my future. I had no idea where to attend college or what to major in. For months I prayed without any answer. One night, I simply asked God to open my eyes and heart to whatever He had to say.
Not even an hour later, I was listening to covers of songs on YouTube as I let my mind wander. It fell on the idea of missions trips. Had people made videos about their experiences? Were there any worth watching? Could I find a trip to go on myself? I casually typed “missions trip” into the search engine. I stumbled across a video for an organization called The World Race. I immediately fell in love with everything playing on the screen.
11 countries. 11 months.
I dove in deeper and found their website. My heart throbbed as I read more and more. I could spend eleven months, each month in a different country, doing meaningful work. I could change the world. I could change my life.
It screamed my name.
That all came crashing to an end when I saw the age limit: 21-35. I wasn’t even close. Then I found The World Race Gap Year. It offered young adults ages 18-22 an opportunity to spend nine months doing the same exact work in the same exact places. I was sold.
I applied and now I sit, eight months away from the day I leave, waiting to go on this trip. Those aimless questions and searches lead me to something I had never even heard of. At the time, I couldn’t tell you why I searched “missions trip.” Now, I know it was God. He lead me to this incredible opportunity to change myself and others. He lead me to a purpose. He lead me to His plan.
