In 1982, I was born to parents who are very loving Christian people. Though life growing up was less than perfect, their love of Christ still had a way of shining through to me. It wasn’t really until College that I even realized what it meant to accept Jesus as my savior though. And, I also don’t think I ever knew that the term ‘missionary’ existed until college. Even after I went on a few week long mission trips during my time there, I still never considered that one day I would be one God would call to actually be a ‘missionary’. Throughout college and the five years since graduating college, God has purposefully surrounded me by amazing lovers of Christ. He’s used them to, once and for all, capture my heart. A great deal of these friends have been missionaries, going to different countries for various lengths of time. I always thought that they were amazing people for what they were doing and I was almost jealous of how God has given them a heart for doing mission work. I just wasn’t one of those people.
In January of 2008, I sat down to read an article in Relevant magazine about a man who did the world race. It was his story, his experience and his changed perspective of life and the world that got me thinking that this might be something I want to think about doing. After all, it’s GOD working through these missionaries, it’s not just them, so why couldn’t I just offer myself to God and let Him decide my fate?
I have always tried to be a good friend (though I feel I fail at that more times than I succeed, I still try my best). This wanting to be a good friend to people, and love them whole-heartedly, is something that has always been on my heart, even before I loved Jesus and before I knew what it meant to be a Christian. Maybe this is the very thing I have been called to all along, I just never knew it – until now.
It was a long shot, but I thought I’d apply anyway. I finally wanted to give God control over my entire life. It was the first time I remember praying that hard “God, let your will be done, not mine.” I’d never prayed those words so sincerely in my life. I had spent so many years working so hard for MY goals, MY dreams, MY own life and now I was just done with MYself and ready to offer everything I have to what God has for me in the mission field.
