Adventures WorldRace SethBarnes Sponsorship Giving

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  We were asked to write a blog about how we were called to this mission trip. Here is my story…

I’ve known that missions has been my calling for 3 years now. It hasn’t always been clear to be… and I have argued with God about what I think I should be called to. I told Him that I didn’t meet the qualifications. That not only were there better people out there for the job but I was selfish, and I didn’t want to change. I can remember a feeling I got when approaching “Missions Week” when on a Discipleship Training School. I knew it was coming and I was scared of it. I had done missions work before. I didn’t think I was cut out for the challenge. I admired missionaries. They did things that I didn’t think I could do. I was convinced that wasn’t the life for me.

Missions Week arrived. We talked about the Charrins, a “tribe” or people group in India. I tried to mentally zone out for the week. When it came to missions… I tried to tuned out what was being said or what was being done. I fought a gut feeling that I should be listening, taking notes, and paying attention. Friday came around and I was so happy that the week was going to be over. I didn’t have to hear about needs or “calling” or the Charrins. Yeah, it was pretty selfish… I know. One of my classmates, who knew I wasn’t listening, came to me and asked me what I would do if God called me to missions. I told her that He wasn’t going to, so I didn’t need to give an answer. I was dodging the answer and I knew it… she knew it… God knew it. I sat in my chair after class that Friday. I skipped lunch and just sat… thinking. I remember praying “please God, don’t ask this of me. I don’t want to go.

I didn’t want to give my life to God. He would need me to change. He would need me to surrender. I would need to trust. I was going to have to hear His voice and carry out His will. I was going to have to get intimate with God. Those things were unknown… and it scared me. I sat in that chair for a long time. I didn’t come to a conclusion.

For the “outreach” part of the school I was put in the Albania Team. A team I didn’t want to be apart of… All my friends were going to Bolivia… and I had a serious attitude about it. God started a great work in me while I was in Albania. I started to change. My attitude turned from what I wanted to accomplish to what God wanted to accomplish. I surrendered my will and my desires from what I thought I wanted to what God wanted for me… and for His children. He began to give me His heart and tell me His will… I broke. It was great! I finally loved missions!

I came home to Washington a changed woman, but old habits die hard. I got back in old ruts and dead ends… it was horrible… and I knew I was in the wrong place with God, and in a bad way. A trip to see a friend in Texas started a revolution in me. I was going to make this right. Lots of prayer from lots of people has got me to this place.

 A friend and I were praying about direction in our lives and after prayer, she lead me to a web page she wanted me to check out. It was the World Race. I was excited. My heart for missions leaped up in my throat and sent shivers down my spine! It screamed “YOU’RE GOING!” The world race is about loving people… and being a living sacrifice. I ran it by my “best of the best” and they were all smiles. I couldn’t believe the confirmation from people. So I applied… and got accepted.  God had an opening for the best job I could ever hope for and I was at the top of His hiring list.

 
God and I have continued to change me. All those doubts about being qualified faded and have been replaced with confidence in who I am in God and not what I have amounted to in this world. I’m making sacrifices… and trust him a little more. He has my heart and I have His. It’s been an amazing adventure. It’s been an… adventure in missions.