Hey friends and family!
I guess this is the part where I start blogging. If you know me at all, you know that I am not a writer! However, because the World Race is such a huge event happening in my life right now, I think it’s necessary to start writing.
Let’s start out with why I decided to do this. I have always wanted to do overseas missions. I went on a short term trip to El Salvador two years ago. We did outreach and partnered with a local church for missions opportunities while we were there. I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of being there and left the country knowing that it would not be the last time that I would do overseas missions.
In April 2013, I moved to Boston, MA. I have loved being in this city, and hope to come back here after the World Race. Moving here was such a big step for me and I have learned more than you could ever imagine. I work in the cardiac surgery ICU at Beth Israel Hospital. There, I have gained so much knowledge and experience. In addition to the experience that I have gained, I have made some wonderful friends. I couldn’t have asked for a better unit to work on and have been blessed to have been able to be a part of that team.
Also, while in Boston I joined a church called “Reality Boston.” I was able to join a small group and serve occasionally as a volunteer on the coffee team. I have met some phenomenal people at this church and God has really shown me what community in a church family looks like through Reality.
So, now to the part where I decided to go overseas for eleven months! Like I previously mentioned, I have wanted to do missions for a very long time. However, I would always make an excuse or decide that it wasn’t the right time. Last July, my friend’s sister departed for her journey on the World Race. I followed her and her teammate’s blogs for the entirety of their trip. About three months ago I started looking into the World Race more seriously.
If I am being honest, many things are changing here in Boston. My best friend moved away to go back to Lynchburg, VA and my other best friend and her husband are having a baby. I started feeling for the first time, that maybe right now God has somewhere else in mind for me in this new chapter. It was then that I looked into applying for the World Race. I think God uses things in our lives to point us to where He would have us go. I think that is exactly what He is currently doing in my life right now with the World Race. I know without a doubt, that God wants me to pursue this opportunity. I am not going to say that I am not scared or that the task of raising $16,000 isn’t daunting. However, I know that this is what I need to do at this point in my life.
I cannot begin to describe to you the desire in my heart for people in third world countries or those that are in need. Not everyone has a desire to go serve the least of these in the middle of Africa, but I do. Some people’s calling is right here in America. While I know that I can do a lot while I am here in the US, I also know that God has called me to go overseas at this time.
Now, you ask, what is the World Race? This is an eleven month mission trip to eleven different countries in which a team of people go and do outreach ministries. These ministries will be different in every country that we travel to. There will be times where we are partnering with a church and running bible studies, other times we will do agricultural work for towns that are in need of crops and the skills to run them. In Thailand, we will work with girls in bars that have been sold into sex slavery. The World Race partners with an organization that can help the girls get out of those situations and also let them know that there is a God that loves them. We also have the exciting opportunity to do work in orphanages. Second to the bar ministry, the orphanages just tug at my heart strings. I am a kid person all the way! I love kids of all ages and sizes, so this opportunity gets me very excited!
Well, that was quite long, but hopefully I have been able to answer some questions and let you know about this journey that I am going on. I would love to talk to you more or answer any questions that you have! My e-mail address is [email protected] and my phone number is 804-301-0114.
I am sending out support letters to those of you whose addresses I have been able to find.
If you are interested in supporting me financially you can click on “Support Me” and donate a one time amount or give a recurring monthly donation. I will be doing many fundraisers in the next few months, so you can look for those opportunities as well.
I am so thankful for your interest in my journey and hope that you will stay tuned for future updates!
Love,
Jess
