I cannot believe that I am about to embark on such an incredible adventure as The World Race. I am humbled. To be honest, I would never have imagined myself in this place. If someone had told me that I would be doing something like this years ago, I would not have believed them. Only several years ago, as I began my undergraduate studies, I had no desire to leave America. I only desired that which was comfortable, predictable, and safe. And here I am about to jump into the complete opposite of that in every way. What can I say? God has changed my heart. He has transformed my life. It is no longer my own. I have been bought by the blood of Christ. And I will never be the same.
For those of you who may not know me yet, let me introduce myself. My name is Katie Friday and I am a current resident of Austin, TX. I graduated from Louisiana State University (LSU) in December 2005 (Yes, I was there during Hurricane Katrina!) with a Bachelor of Mass Communication degree in Public Relations. I absolutely loved college and feel that I could not have had a more incredible experience if I had tried. I enjoyed college life and being a student so much that I often joke that I should have majored in extracurriculars!
I was raised with two loving, supportive parents and one sibling who just happens to be my twin brother. We could not be any more different from our physical appearances-he six feet tall with straight, dark brown hair, and me, five feet tall with curly, blonde hair- to our talents and interests. In high school, our friends often referred to us as night and day. Yet, somehow, as different as we are there are moments when we understand one another in a way that cannot be explained.
I have lived in three different areas of Texas, Louisiana, California, and Georgia, never living anywhere for more than 5 years at one time. Though these moves have been difficult at times, I consider myself quite blessed to have been able to experience so many different places and meet some amazing people along the way. These experiences have shaped me in remarkable ways and have made me who I am today.
In addition to my continuously evolving list of residences, I have also been incredibly blessed with the opportunities to participate in various mission trips to Mexico, New York City, Washington, D.C., Egypt and Sudan. Each of these experiences served to open the eyes of my heart to understand more of my Father’s true character and left me yearning to discover more.
I am so very excited to be a part of what God is doing around the world. As I learn more about Him and His endlessly unfathomable character and ways, He continues to reveal to me more of His love for the nations. This year I want to fall in love with the things that He loves. See through His eyes. Love like He loves. Be transformed. Ruined and forever changed.
“Then I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?”
Then I said, “Here am I. Send me!”
Isaiah 6:8
