God caught me off guard when he invited me to do the World Race. I know that sounds strange, but it’s true. After many whirlwind years of schooling, high performance sport, more schooling, working, and more high performance sport, I found myself in a season of transition and rest. It was unfamiliar ground, and admittedly was challenging to adjust to the new rhythm, but it was welcomed in many ways. It was during this time of a slower pace and new life circumstances that I felt God stir in my heart to go on missions. So naturally I thought I’d just do another 10 day trip like I had in 2013… Ha! The fact that you’re reading this shows you just how well that idea turned out!
So after stumbling across the World Race and spending a few weeks of praying, seeking wise counsel, crying at the thought of leaving my family, researching, deep breathing, and staring at a map because I’m geographically challenged, it got to a point where not going would have felt like disobedience. The best way I can describe it is there was a “knowing” I felt in my spirit, and contrary to every other aspect of Missions, that “knowing” was recognizable. I had felt it before and it has never led me astray. In what seemed like a raging sea of reasons I could never actually do this, there was a quiet calmness that I chose to follow. And with that (and one phone interview and a $200 deposit later) it became official! World Race, I’M COMIN FOR YA!
No one was more surprised than me that I committed to this. It was never a part of my plan. (And I really like to plan). I had been perfectly content house shopping and dreaming of shiplap when the next thing I knew I was preparing to leave everything comfortable.
Now that I’ve had time to process it all, (and I did need time to process it all), I’m actually REALLY excited! I went from feeling like I had been burdened with this call, to feeling so humbled that God would actually choose me for such an incredible adventure!
I’ve still got my questions, my doubts, and my very long list of fears (which keeps getting longer by the way), but I also have so much anticipation for all the life changing moments I will get to experience, the people I will get to meet, and truths that God is going to teach me. It took me a hot minute to come around, but now? Now there is nothing else I’d rather do!
See you in October World Race!!
Kaelyn
