So this is crazy right? One minute we are planning the rest of our lives, have jobs lined up after graduation in May and then BAM, we are now accepted into an 11 month mission trip that sounds designed to completely turn our lives upside down.
Actually, I am a master procrastinator. I am also quite stubborn. And God was working in my heart for a long while before I was convinced. So it didn’t quite happen that fast.
For the first time in my life I was starting to feel like a responsible adult. You know, the kind of adult who is living on their own for the first time, learning how to cook meals (does cereal count?), getting the bills paid on time, anddd watching tons of Netflix in their spare time. That kind of adult. I was living in a big city for the first time, working at an internship at the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, and getting ready to graduate in May with a job offer at hand. This is exactly how I pictured my life going. But I felt at a loss. I wanted something more. Was this really going to be the rest of my life? So it started, that small voice in the back of my head that said, “Hannah, what about a mission trip?” At first I threw the idea out as crazy. I didn’t have the time, the resources, and definitely not the money. What was God thinking!?
When I first learned about the World Race I think my exact words were, “That is bizarre. I would never do that.” I forgot about it. It was a crazy trip for crazy people. But God kept working on my heart. Through books, scripture, and lots of prayers, his voice was coming in loud and strong. So I started looking up mission trips. I didn’t know where to start, I went to Google and typed in “mission trips”.(Not gonna lie, Google is my go to, I use it for everything in life) Adventures in Mission was the second one to pop up. I looked it up and moved on. I looked up SO many trips. Truthfully I wanted to find something less extreme, something more comfortable. But God kept leading my back to the World Race homepage.
I felt like Mia on “Princess Diaries” when she was told she was meant to me a princess. You remember right? She freaks out a little.
This was me. I wasn’t supposed to be a missionary. I am not qualified.
But God does not call the equipped. He equips the called.
This wasn’t the plan I had for my life. But this is God’s plan. I finally realized this life is not my own. It took me long enough. The Bible is full of people that God called to have extraordinary faith. He called them and they stepped up the plate fulling trusting in him. Ruth is one woman of faith who comes to mind. She left her home. She left her family. She fully trusted God would create a life for her where she was going. And he did. Noah, Moses, Abraham, Joshua, David. I’m not going into these stories because we know the ending. GOD PROVIDES.
This trip is an amazing opportunity. I feel blessed beyond words! God has brought me to this place in my life and I trust he will provide for me before, during and after this trip. This trip is not about me or what I thought I wanted. It is about furthering his kingdom. It is about spending 11 months observing him at work, seeing him move, and watching lives be changed by the work he is doing through us! I don’t think we can spend our days doing anything much more exciting than that!
