Some missionaries have had the desire in their heart from childhood to go overseas and serve the Lord. Some heard a divine calling. And some, through miraculous intervention, realized the call placed on their life.
Then, there’s me…
I had never considered international missions. In fact, when I was a teen, I had the opportunity to go to Iceland on a missions trip and I decided not to. I’ve never left the country. Not even Canada or Mexico (I know, I’m weird). I didn’t hear a divine calling and there was no miraculous intervention. Yet, I know in my heart that this is where the Lord will have me for the next 11 months of my life.
In August of this past year, I headed to Arkansas for my final semester as a student. I would graduate in December with my Master’s and not a clue what would come next. School had always been next and it was always a pretty safe bet. Now, there was no safe bet. I had to start making some really big decisions: career, finances, residence.
As I was trying to figure this out, I began Googling “what to do after college.” I found lists and suggestions, but none seemed to fit me. Then I asked myself “if I could do anything, financial and future security aside, what would it be?” A mission trip; that was my first thought and throughout this process God has continued to point me in this direction. My prayers shifted gears toward figuring out where the Lord might send me. That’s when I came across “The World Race” through an organization called Adventures in Missions.
I began looking into the WR in early September, but I was still not gung-ho. I really enjoy first-world amenities. And, I’ve never even left the country for a week, let alone 11 months in 11 different countries. Surely, the Lord wouldn’t call me this far out.
On September 25th, I went to church (Refuge: a Thursday night service put on by another university in town). There were guest speakers that night called The Travel Group. They talked about missions overseas and how many times in the Bible we’re (as followers of Christ) called to spread The Gospel to the ends of the Earth, to all nations. They showed a slideshow with pictures of the sick, the widows, and the orphans (similar to one you, like myself, have probably seen before). This time when I saw these pictures, it deeply touched my heart. I didn’t want to sponsor an orphan or just send them my prayers, I wanted to hug them. I wanted to kick a ball around with them. I wanted to show them the love of Christ: the love that surpasses all language barriers.
I left the service that night and texted my friend Kacie and said “I want to hug every orphan in the world.”
I began to look more seriously into the WR, but I still didn’t think it was a practical option for me. I was about to graduate college. I was 23 and I needed to start thinking about my future. I needed a career, but the WR was constantly on my mind. I prayed for clarity and direction and I trusted that He would guide my steps. So, I began applying for jobs and moved the WR to the backburner. I quickly had an interview lined up for a management position. I called my mom to tell her and as soon as I finished announcing the awesome potential job opportunity, she said: “your father and I have been praying and we feel the Lord is calling you to missions.”
From that moment forward, I really couldn’t get the WR off of my mind. I continued to pray about it and began to seek wisdom and council from people I look up to. I applied for the Race in early November. The application and interview process was lengthy and intensive. I got the phone call with my official invitation to go on the WR Thanksgiving week. I told them I would need some more time to pray about it and I would let them know the following week.
I was driving back to school after Thanksgiving break, so I had quite a bit of quiet time, just me and the Lord. I knew that by the end of that trip, I would have my decision. Shortly after I got in the car, a cheesy Christmas song came on the radio, so I changed it to the one other local Christian music station. It was also playing a terrible Christmas song. So, I changed it to a local pop channel (something I rarely do, but I was desperate lol). A song was just starting and it had a catchy beat. The opening line was:
We’re a thousand miles from comfort; we have traveled land and sea
But as long as you are with me, there’s no place I’d rather be
I would wait forever, exalted in the scene
As long as I am with you, my heart continues to beat
I literally laughed out loud. Even when I tried to listen to a secular station, God points me back to His direction. My God definitely has a sense of humor.
I continued on my drive, seeking the Lord. I called one of my best friends Deborah to catch up and talk about the decision weighing on my heart. She informed me that she and her husband were also facing a really big decision. We talked about how no matter the circumstances, God’s peace is a peace that surpasses all understanding and as long as you have that Peace, you will be okay. Before I made it back to Arkansas, I knew what my decision was.
I am going on The World Race.
I called to let Adventures in Missions know my decision. And I felt completely at Peace. That night, I was exhausted from the drive and I had an early morning, so I went straight to bed. I decided to pass on my nightly devotion because I was “just too tired.” I was almost asleep, but I felt a tug on my heart and decided to get up and read that day’s Jesus Calling. So I got up and read this:
If that’s not the Lord’s confirmation, I don’t know what is.
So… It may not be practical or feasible to hug every orphan in the world, but I can start with orphans in 11 countries.
In September 2015, I’m leaving on the adventure of a lifetime to show Christ’s love to the world. I’ll be visiting Uganda, Rwanda, Ethiopia, India, Nepal, Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua. I’ll be blogging throughout this journey and I hope that you will all follow me. Your prayers are appreciated!
