Hi hey hello!
My name is Gracie Davis, I’m a senior at Cinco Ranch high school in Katy, Texas, & I’ve decided not to go to college next year!! Next September I’ll be heading off on a nine month journey with the World Race Gap Year to love and serve the people of THAILAND, CAMBODIA, HONDURAS, GUATEMALA, AND ETHIOPIA(!!!!!!!!) with the mindset of Matthew 5- “Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.” Crazy, right?!?
Lemme tell ya how this happened:
I love love LOVE mission trips, so the thought of nine months of sweating it out for Jesus while traveling the world sounded like an INCREDIBLE experience, and I’ve spent the past year reading racer blogs, watching vlogs, and checking the World Race website every day for new gap year routes (not kidding, I had an alarm set every morning in August to remind me to check). The more I read and watched and talked about it, the more captivated I became.
The day the routes were posted I panicked.
Was this even something I was called to, or just something I wanted to do? World Race is a good thing, & I’m called to spread the gospel to the nations, but what if I’m not supposed to go now? It’s obviously not for every Christ follower, otherwise there would be vast numbers of people doing it. I set aside 40 days to pray about the decision and seek God’s plans for me before making a choice about next year.
36 days in and nothing. No signs, no clarity, no answers, only the belief that God would provide. My mom read me a passage that day by Lysa Terkeurst about choice making in a biblical mindset. It talked about making difficult decisions between two good things that God has provided you with, which is exactly where I was. I could either apply for the World Race & love on people through that journey, or I could head off to Oklahoma State & make loving my peers and classmates my ministry. The passage said that sometimes God blesses us with choices on how we’re going to serve him, & allows us to trust that both options are from Him & that He can be glorified through both. So I chose, & here we are now:)
I’d like to thank you in advance for the prayers, the emotional support, & the financial support. The love and encouragement I’ve been shown these past (almost) eighteen years by people who love the Lord has blessed my socks off, & I’d be insane to think for even a moment that I could have reached this point in my faith without being constantly ministered to by my friends, family, & mentors. Seeds that were planted in my heart to yearn for the nations, in second grade or last week, have all brought me to this opportunity, & I could not be more grateful.
I ask that you:
1.) PRAY- God is going to rock my world and wreck my heart, & I ask that you pray that I am responsive to His voice & that I am able to rely on Him in any & all trials I face.
2.) Prayerfully consider donating to my fund. It takes a village to get me to the village, & every dollar you choose to give gets me a step closer to the plans that God has laid out for me!! I need to raise $15,000 for this adventure, and while that’s going to take a big village, I’ve got an even bigger God who’s got all the detailed figured out. If you feel led to be a part of that village, the link is up above!!
I am BEYOND excited for everything God’s going to do through me & with my heart!!!! I know that it’s going to be painful & rewarding & tiring & exhilarating & mind blowing & view changing & heart changing & breathtaking & awe inspiring, but mostly it’s going to be Jesus. Nine months of nothing but Jesus, can I get a hallelujah for Heaven on Earth?!?!!!!!!!!!!!!! GOD ROCKS WHAT A SAVIOR WE SERVE!!!!
In Christ & with lots of love,
Gracie
p.s. If you have ANY questions for me don’t hesitate to ask!! I am STOKED for how God is going to work through other people to bless me the next year & a half, & I would love to talk to you about it over email or pancakes 🙂
