Los Angeles is a wonderful city with great weather, diverse culture, amazing food, and is the current setting of my life. I’ve been here for about two years since graduating from the only university that runs the city, UCLA (Go Bruins!!). I love exploring what the city has to offer, but I actually hate it too. Living in LA isn’t as glamorous as one might think. Yes, I do see celebrities all the time (like when Kim Kardashian almost ran me over while crossing the street), but it is actually a dark city.
I drive through Downtown Los Angeles every day and am truly mystified by the epidemic of homelessness that exists just blocks away from the Ritz Carlton. It breaks my heart. I want to help and serve the people, but it’s hard. How can I serve a city that values materialism and narcissism?
I can’t.
I don’t know how, not yet anyway. My faith isn’t strong enough to handle all of these #FirstWorldProblems. There are too many distractions and temptations. The people in the city of Angels don’t need to rely on God for their every day survival. I too am guilty of this and often forget to thank God for all of the blessings HE has given me. I look around and see luxury cars, designer handbags, and prodigal people who don’t need to trust in God to survive.
THAT’S WHY I HAVE TO LEAVE.
I need to learn how to serve the poorest of the poor so that I can learn how to serve the richest of the rich. I need to be broken down and radically transformed. I need to strengthen my faith in Jesus Christ with everything, in every aspect of my life, so that I will be spiritually equipped to handle the brokenness of a people who have everything. I need to feel spiritually rich to serve a city of material wealth by traveling to countries of material poverty.
Society has told me that I’m successful. I graduated with a communications degree and found an incredible job that I love. I’m doing everything right by the world’s standards and still it doesn’t seem like enough. I’m not happy with the way that I’m living my life. I know that the Father wants to know me and has great plans for my life, but I’m having a difficult time hearing Him. I’m too busy and too distracted to have a daring faith in America. That’s why I’m leaving the comforts of home for 11 months to travel to 11 different countries, so that I can learn about God in ways that I couldn’t possibly imagine.
So yeah, I’m laying my fancy college degree on the shelf and putting my career on hold to go out and serve the world, but you know what? My parents and grandparents couldn’t be more proud. They’ve always known I was going to do something like this (although it would have been cheaper if they told me sooner). My mama knew when I was just a child and we’d vacation in Mexico. I’d ask her for money so that I could buy chiclets from the begging children, when I had no desire whatsoever to chew the gum. They knew. God knew. Now, I know too.
I’m serving the Lord for the next year of my life, no regrets.
This trip is so much more than me. It’s about the people that I’m going to meet and the people that I’m leaving behind. My prayer is that ALL people will be radically transformed by my journey abroad. I’m not perfect, but I pray that those of you that are like me and are struggling with your faith will be inspired to make a change and trust that He alone is enough. I pray that those who would like to begin a relationship with Him will be encouraged by my blog and will want to learn more. Consider supporting me with your prayers and donations and watch how the Lord blesses you.
XOXO,
Khari Chanel
