I remember wanting to join the youth group as an elementary student because I really wanted to go on the mission trips that they went on. I have gone on several mission trips into communities in Texas where we have worked on small building projects and built relationships with each other, and most importantly with the people we were working with. One of my greatest joys on these trips has been to sit down with clients and to talk with them about how amazing God is.
I can’t remember a time in my life where I would not have said it would be great to go do missions overseas. I can, however, remember a lot of times in my life when that just did not make sense to me. I could not begin to afford such trips, I am not mature enough, I am not able to teach people about God, I am in school, I need to start post graduation planning, what about my family? These were all reasons I gave that stopped me. However, in the past few months God has made a lot of those questions and doubts come to a stand still. He put me in a place where I was not sure what was coming next, and could not be in control of my life. I had no plan for what was happening in only a few months. I had to seek my direction from Him. Then He introduced me to World Race and told me to apply. I laugh about the fact that I don’t do things that aren’t in my plans. World Race was definitely not in my plans, so God must have taken me through all the steps of the process. This is how I know I was called to take part in missions through the World Race.
Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”
“Here I am, Lord. Is it I, Lord? I have heard you calling in the night. I will go, Lord, if you lead me. I will hold your people in my heart.” I can remember singing these words and getting so excited about the fact that God would send me and allow me to do his work in the world.
“What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, ‘Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,’ but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. But someone will say, ‘You have faith; I have deeds.’
Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do. You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that-and shudder.”
I can’t express how important this verse has been in my life. I can say that I have faith, but until I live in a way that reflects my faith, I am not able to bear fruit. I look forward to this opportunity to spend every minute of everyday focusing completely on meeting the needs of God’s people and learning how to serve him better.
“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of Holy Spirit.”
Mark 16:15
“Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.”
“But if anyone obeys his word, God’s love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him; Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.”
