Hello all! My name is Jack Coyle and I am 19 Years old. I was born July 4th, 1999, and grew up in Atlanta Georgia. I graduated from high school in 2018, and went on to the University of Tennessee, Knoxville that following fall. Isn’t that what we think we are to do? Graduate from high school and go on to college immediately?
My freshman year was tough. I never felt like I was where I was suppose to be. I was not doing the fraternity thing and I was not in baseball like I have been my whole life. So I wondered mostly what should I be doing? Is this right for me? Is this God’s plan for me?
Towards the end of my high school career and into my first year of college I felt God telling me to go out and serve but I did not listen because I was on this “gotta go to college when you finish high school” concept. I have been on two mission trips out of the country in my life. One trip was in Mexico and the other trip was to Guatemala. I can vividly remember after leaving those trips how thankful I was to be back home in the states. I truly believe that I did not get what God wanted me to get out of those mission trips. I want to give it another shot. I know that is exactly what God wants me to do.
After being home for a week from college, I really thought about my future at Tennessee. To be honest, there was not much to think about because I just could not see myself there this fall. I was laying in my bed later that night and came across the World Race instagram. I had heard of the World Race before because I knew people who had done it before. NEVER IN MY LIFE did I think that being away from home for nine months was for me. Let me tell you that right now. But when I saw the Instagram and did a little more research online about the Gap Year program, I seriously could not see myself anywhere else this fall, 2019. It took a total of three days for me to get accepted into route 5, Cambodia to South Africa.
Since getting accepted I have felt such an incredible peace that I am headed in the direction that God wants me to go. I am convinced that the Lord put the World Race profile onto my phone screen. He put the thoughts of wanting to go onto a mission trip again in my head, and He put the doubts of the University of Tennessee in my head so that I would seek his will for me and pursue this opportunity to go and share his love with others around the world.
Am I nervous to be stretched this much out of my comfort zone? Well, yes and no. I am a bit anxious but mostly I am so excited to see where God is going to take me on this journey and the years after! I am 100% sure that this is His path for me at this juncture in my life.
I look forward to sharing more about my decision and my journey with you all!
Thank you all for your unending support!
