A couple of weeks ago I drove down to San Diego to visit my brother. As I headed south on the 405 it hit me that 10 years ago I packed up my red 1997 Saturn and made this same drive. I was a bright-eyed high school graduate moving into my first dorm room at San Diego State University. I was barely 18 and ready to take on the world.
It’s amazing how much can happen in 10 years and how drastically our plans can change. If you were to ask 18 year old me where I would be now, I would have told you that I would be working for a major university or professional sports team. I had dreams of success and breaking the glass ceiling of women in Athletic Training. I had dreams of independence, travel, and influence. I was ambitious, and confident nothing was going to get in my way.
Here I am, 10 years later, and my life looks nothing like I planned, but I wouldn’t change my current situation for anything. God’s plans are so much better than our own and when we step out in faith, God shows up in extraordinary ways. He has taken me around the world and given me His heart for His people. I have seen Him meet the broken as I sat with drug addicts on the streets of Colombia. I have seen Him comfort a teenage boy abandoned by his family. I have seen Him reveal Himself to men on the steps of a mosque in West Africa. I have seen Him unite people from different countries, socio-economic backgrounds, and denominations because His love transcends all of it. His love breaks through the lies this world tells us. His love tears down the walls constructed by the pain of our past. His love frees us from the bondage of sin, shame, fear, and religion. His love restores what is broken and invites us into a personal relationship with the creator of the universe. His love makes leaving a steady income, a comfortable home, and our dreams of the future worthwhile because living in relationship with Him means abundant life.
God has given me so much, how can I keep it to myself?! He is relentlessly pursuing each of us, and offers us the opportunity to be used by Him. What a privilege it is!
My dreams were so small compared to the plan God has for my life. If I had ignored His prompting and stubbornly continued to pursue what I thought I wanted, I would have missed out on all of the amazing things He had in store.
I am so grateful for the opportunity I had to go on the World Race and now I have the privilege of leading 38 recent high school graduates as they step out in faith to follow Jesus to the ends of the earth. I have the honor of walking alongside them as they become rooted in their identities in Christ, discover the unique passions and gifts God has given them, all while bringing the hope of salvation to the nations. These awesome young people are giving up their first year of college because they know that God has so much more for them.
Please keep us all in prayer as we serve the people of Thailand, Malaysia, Costa Rica, and Ecuador. Please pray for the hearts of those we will meet and that the Gospel will be boldly proclaimed everywhere we go.
God is so good and because of His provision I am so blessed to say that I will be launching fully funded! Thank you all for following my journey and for your continued love and support.
I love you all!!
“The LORD bless you and keep you; The LORD make His face shine upon you, And be gracious to you; The LORD lift up His countenance upon you, And give you peace.” Numbers 6:24-26
