For the month of July, I had the wonderful opportunity to lead and disciple a World Race Semesters team, while serving in community outreach in Asheville, North Carolina.
And man oh man— this group of young men and women BLESSED me.
They are on FIRE for God, and it was truly so encouraging and inspiring. This generation fills me with wonder and hope for the future.
A couple stories…
During worship one night, one of the young men had a vivid vision of Jesus walking amongst us as we praised Him. Jesus was smiling, and He told the young man to tell us how much He loved us. This young man had never experienced the Lord in this way before.
During another night of worship, multiple people from our group prophesied and spoke out what God had been speaking to them and revealing to them. It was completely spontaneous and Spirit-led. The level of obedience and freedom I saw this group walking in was astounding.
And while volunteering at a cafe, one young woman encountered a 75-year-old lady who has no family and who has felt alone for so long. A sweet, fulfilling friendship was struck between the two. They met up a few times, and they continue to text and call each other regularly. The young woman is even planning on coming back to North Carolina to spend this Christmas with her new friend (THIS is why we do it, this is what it’s all about. Also, I’m crying).
We lived in an amazing missional community, called Excel. Excel is a tight-knit community, which includes many World Race alumni who have come to Asheville to practically live out the gospel in their everyday lives. We partnered with them to serve the local community in several different capacities, including:
- –Black Mountain Home for Children thrift store & cafe, which serves youth from birth to college graduation through family foster care, residential care, transitional living, and independent living
- –Bounty & Soul, a food-distribution center for low-income families
- -manual labor/yard work for locals within the community, as well as around Excel’s campus
- -ATL, which is asking the Lord where He wants us to go and what He wants us to do, and then doing that
We jumped into dumpsters, unloaded and loaded trucks full of furniture and other donations, learned how to make sandwiches and lattes, prayed over people, pulled weeds for hours, mulched and planted flower beds, sorted and tagged clothing donations all day long, among so many other things. Due to COVID-19, the number of volunteers at these organizations had been significantly reduced. We were able to help shoulder the load that the few remaining volunteers and staff were having to bear all on their own.
Most importantly, aside from any work we were doing, we formed relationships. Through our work, we met locals from the community and we were able to bless them, talk to them and share what we were doing in North Carolina, and love them.
We asked the Lord how we could love those around us. We asked the Lord to bring us to individuals, so He could bless them through us— and He did. Sometimes that looked like simply striking up a conversation with them, and sometimes it looked like paying for their groceries while doing our own grocery shopping.
I received this message from our contact at the Black Mountain Home for Children:
“That crew was the best volunteer group I’ve ever worked with. I think I could have gotten more done with them in one day or one week than any other group I‘ve worked with. They were a joy to be around. May God go with and before them in whatever they do next!”
This is only one example, but there are many more people who have enthusiastically praised these Men and Women of God. They are truly extraordinary.
My desire for Christ-centered and Spirit-filled community has been rekindled through this experience… which leads me to my next adventure:
In January 2021, I will be attending a discipleship & missions training school with Youth With a Mission (YWAM) in lovely Ålesund, Norway! YWAM Ålesund is a community with a desire to help others, make a difference, and to have God at the center of everything they do! I will be at the missions school in Norway for the first three months, and then I will go to Papua New Guinea for two months, where I will partner with YWAM Medical Ships for medical missions and outreach.
One year ago while I was leading my first World Race Semesters trip to South America, the Lord put both YWAM and Norway on my heart, and now He has opened that door, so you know I am walking through it!
If you wish to learn more about this opportunity and how you can support me financially and prayerfully, click here!
A huge thank you to all who have supported me and followed along with my journey over the last few years. I will be moving over to a new site now that my time with Adventures in Missions and the World Race has come to a close. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me!
God Bless!
-Kelly Cunningham
