So lately there's been a little bit of upset over people finding out I would be going to Turkey and truth be told I haven't had a lot of life focused words spoken into that part of my trip and it's made me realize I may need to clarify just what I'm doing on this trip….
In America these days, we've grown used to the American mission trip…. We go to a foreign country like Mexico, we build a church, we go on a bunch of excursions, we hit up the beach, and at the end of the day, we come back to our nice, safe hotel and stay there. We're getting a taste of the world without actually having to get our hands dirty or experience what the locals experience daily.
This isn't that kind of trip.
Don't get me wrong, I've been on that kind of trip plenty and it has it's place, especially when you're in highschool but that's not what this is about. This isn't a glorified vacation, this isn't something I'm going on to look like a good person and pay my dues, this isn't actually convenient at all…. I've put close to $10,000 of my own money into this, gave up two extremely well paying jobs, and am leaving behind comfort and the American dream because this is a cause I can fully get behind and is worth paying a hefty price for.
A brief moment of disclaimers, safety is a huge priority for the staff and participants of the WR. They don't, and will never intentionally send us into a dangerous situation but that being said, this is the real world, not a bubble. A little common sense goes a long ways.
Now, that being said, If I want to build a church and hangout at the beach, I can do that in a heartbeat, if I want to do what the disciples did and go to every nation and make disciples and give my blood sweat, and tears, I do the World Race. I've had a lot of words of caution over how most of these countries I'm going to have a very small christian population and and how they're primarily muslim etc….. great! that's why I picked this route! If they were already primarily christian, they wouldn't need me! I'm to be salt and light in the darkest places.
98% Muslim doesn't scare me, it excites me. Living in a tent in the garbage dumps where lice can crawl right into my tent sounds like a dream come true to me. This may sound really atrocious to some of you but the possibility of getting to lose it all; dignity, comfortability, reputation, even (especially) my life, all for the sake of exposing the world to an extremely loving God would be an absolute dream come true to me and the epitome of a life worth living.
I'm about to wake up to the sound of roosters at 4 a.m., the smell of squatty potties, and the uncomfortable heat of Africa, and my heart will be glad. I'm to put a face on human trafficking and all the ugliness that comes along with that, and my heart will be broken over it, and yet rejoice at every young woman set free. I'm about to hear the stories of child soldiers forced to kill their own parents and mourn with them. I'm about to hug lepers and outcasts deemed untouchables due to what they must have done wrong in past lives, and all of this is going to become a regular style of living.
I know this blogs kinda all over the place but I just really want to paint a picture of what's really happening here. Missionaries for centuries have been the ones who have gone out and given everything, not just a couple weeks of their summers, to a cause they full heartedly believed in. They've bled, they've wept, they've rejoiced, they've faced persecution, they've faced parades and promotions, and through the best and the worst, they've been there, and that's exactly what I want.
So no, we're not going to Turkey anymore, we'll be in Albania, but yes, most of my route is not classic missions oriented countries but yes, God's gonna be mighty and loving and good in each and every one of them and the stories that will come out of it will move generations.
Please speak life over my squad, over my team, and over the countries we're going to, because your words carry power and we absolutely need the covering of your prayers back home:) We can't do this without you. Trust that Adventures in Missions will never purposely send us into a war zone, and that we on R squad trust them with our lives. They're mighty men and women who have done this trip before themselves and know what we face. I'd stake my life on their wisdom.
Thank you all so much and please continue your prayers as we launch here in one week!!!!!
