“So what are you doing in June and exactly where are you going?”
“Well, I’m going on a missions trip and basically we go around the world.”
“WHAT???”
This is an example of the conversations that have taken place with numerous people since I have shared the news that God is taking me on a journey around the world with him.
My name is Karla and I am a 22 year old college student livin in Mission, B.C. Canada…but not for long!!! Pretty soon the schoolin will be finished (and let’s just say looking forward to it after 5 years); I’ll be packing my bags and going on the trip of a lifetime.
I grew up in a fabulous Christian home with my awesome parents whom I share a very close relationship with and 2 big bros that are always there for me, especially when I need a pick me up (and I mean literally, upside down, laughing my head off, and screaming). I don’t remember going to church, it was just something we always did on Sundays. Unfortunately, life got really busy when I was 15. All of us kids had jobs and most jobs had us working Sundays. So the regular church goin ended.
For my first year of college I decided to go to a school out in Kelowna. I had an awesome year and met my best friend Alana. However, I came back and felt like something was still missing.
I knew as soon as I returned to Mission that I had to start going to church and the Lord led me to Northview Community Church in Abbotsford through a school project. The last 3 years God has been teaching me so many new things and I finally stepped forth, was baptized June 2005 and I now
own my faith. Not going just because the family goes, but going because I love God and know that he is the way.
Things haven’t always been easy. This past year I have felt burnt out from school, lost my passion for my dream of becoming a teacher, and I was feeling stretched all the time. I never seemed to have enough time in the days to get everything done, or to spend time with my wonderful friends or anything. I was always tired, couldn’t sleep, unhappy, and just didn’t care about a lot of things anymore.
Then in October I really felt God tugging at my heart to go on a missions trip. I had traveled before to Guatemala, Greece, Italy, and England, but had never gone on a missions before. I have always had a desire to travel the world and travel with a purpose. My schooling got in the way of the short term missions trips being offered at my church so a pastor suggested I ‘google’ for one. I soon found the World Race and knew I had to apply.
I am most excited for this race because not only do I get to spend time with God, away from distractions of my life as of now, but I get to spread his word and show his love to everyone we meet. I get to travel with total strangers who will become family in a matter of moments. We, as a team, are given the opportunities to pray with anyone and everyone, to share with others about our saviour, and to change lives. Sure there are lots of ‘what ifs’ and ‘what about this’ but in the end, it is just about going. Stepping out and totally relying on God and knowing, truly knowing, that he will lead the way. We may have a route we will follow, but God is the one who lights our way. He is the one that will lead us. I am so excited to be a part of this team and cannot wait to see what God does over this next year.
“Submit yourselves, then, to God…Come near to God and he will come near to you…Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up”
-James 4:7-10
