i was asked to write about how i was called to the mission field, here it goes-
until a few days ago i have never considered myself a missionary per say. i understand that wherever we land in life we are called to follow Christ and live with purpose but i still never would have put myself in the category of missionary. with that said, i was left thinking about this question. once i let it sit for a while i came up with the following bits and pieces that got me where i am today.
when i was in training to become a younglife leader we took a spiritual gifts test. my spiritual gift, by a long shot, was missions. for years i thought that was almost humorous because i couldn’t imagine myself doing any sort of missions other than the occasional week or two trip. guess i was wrong.
when i would take the time to be serious about the fact that i have felt a pull abroad for sometime now, i was often confused because my heart didn’t burn for any one country. i have friends who have overwhelming desires to help the people of India or Chile or Africa…no particular people group has ever been laid on my heart. i want to meet all kinds of people and do all kinds of things…as unspecific as it comes. i thought that would be a problem.
i consider myself to be a person of action. (i’ve never been good at being patient, quiet, or still in most situations) That’s why the verse in Matthew that says “GO, therefore and make disciples of all nations” has always resonated well with me. i want to DO something. i want to GO.
so with a combination of those three things and hundreds of others that i cant think of right now we arrive in late november. that was when i found about the world race through of all things, facebook. my friends older sister was going and he had posted her blog site as his status. I immediately read her blog and all the others i landed on. my heart was moved. within the hour i had already told one of my roommates about the trip (she is actually going on the october 09 trip herself) and started my application. it was done by the end of the day and then i just had to wait to see how it played out.
a few months later, on the morning of my 24th birthday, i got the call that i had been accepted.
