How did I come to the World Race? Well i guess I started out just doing normal youth group things at my church and even some local or week long mission work. My parents had a huge part in getting me involved in international missions. In high school we became regulars on my church's (Roswell Presbyterian) annual mission trip to Guatemala and then began exploring other trips as well (including Kenya and Brazil). They were always great trips, eye opening of course, but they were always just an experience and didn't go deeper than that. However, these experiences planted a seed in my heart that grew very quickly as my faith developed in college.
It wasn't until college that Christianity became more than just a religion for me. It stopped being about some list of commandments and daily devotionals; it became a relationship with Jesus and a longing to know Him more. That's not to say that I just turned and followed hard 100% after God and started saving the world. No way..it's been ups/down and a battle between extremes in my faith: rebellion vs strive for perfection..which are both equally as bad. Through my rebellion I fell into an empty, sinful lifestyle; and then through my 'perfection' I rejected God's grace by beating down on myself. Anyways, my point is: through all my silly ideas of what my life as a Christian should look like, I have always known one thing to be absolutely true..and that is love. People with all different sorts of relationships with Christ can all agree to this one thing: that Christ showed us unimaginable love while we were sinners, and we are called to show that to the world through our lives of LOVE.
So that's where the whole mission thing came back in to my life real quick. There are lots of ways to love people, you don't have to travel around the world to do it. But I had an opportunity to return to Guatemala for a medical mission my Junior yr (2010) college spring break. So I did. While there I met a wonderful doctor and his family; I returned to Guatemala for 6 weeks last summer to be a surgical assistant in the local hospital where he volunteered his skills.
There was LOTS of alone time on this trip, lots of thinking time. I realized I had no desire to be an engineer. It's a great and worthy career ( I especially have to say this coming from a family of engineers!); however, I like things to be simple. And I'm more comfortable when things are less luxurious. I'd rather have no running water to brush my teeth than have an electric toothbrush, and I'd rather go to the bathroom outside than worry about fixing my toilet..(too much information??) Anyways, I heard about the World Race and thought that this crazy, uncomfortable, frustrating, adventure that takes me away from everything I know sounds like the perfect way to grow in my identity, share the Gospel, love others, and enjoy every second of what it's like to LIVE without life just being handed to you. What if there's somewhere God wants to use me that's not here at home? Would I be able to trade a life of comfort for a life of uncertainty if I knew it's what the Lord called for? I think He does call for that from everyone, but in different ways. In my case it may mean abandoning the culture I know. At least for this upcoming year that's what I'll be doing. World Race….bring it on, I am so ready for the groovy things that God is gonna do.
