I grew up with a lust for travel, but no intention of going on missions. I have considered a gap year for years now. The research and the positive outcome it places on students who go abroad, are exponentially beneficial. I had soooo many options for what to do after I graduated, but I really had no idea what I wanted to do. I figured a gap year would solve both these problems, my love for adventuring and to figure out what I wanted to do when I came back.
God really changed my heart two winters ago. I was sitting at my church’s winter camp completely broken, because I didn’t realize how much I needed God until that moment. After this, every moment I had, I wanted to glorify God with.
As I began to share my want for a gap year with a friend, she told me about this opportunity to go to multiple countries and do ministry work, it was called World Race Gap Year. I was instantly intrigued. When I dug deeper into this program, I am ashamed to say that it was not the mission part that made me want to go. It was the places, the instagram posts, the people. But as my interest peaked, so did my want to be involved in ministry.
This gap year has been the only thing on my mind since that winter. As soon as the routes opened, I immediately applied. Though throughout fundraising, I had to figure out exactly why I was doing what I was doing. I started to ask myself, “Why am I going through all this effort to go on this trip?” Every time I thought about it, I came to the same conclusion: I want to see God’s hand at work.
I found a journal entry I wrote a few months ago while I was trying to find my passion again,
I want to talk to strangers. To connect with children. To teach english. To build houses. To walk until my legs give out. To praise God for everything He has done in my life and continues to do. I want relationships with people my age who truly know who the Lord is. And I want to preach His name to anyone who will listen. I want it so bad it hurts.
By God’s grace, I am no longer looking for a direction or a place. I am looking forward to going into this with no expectations day to day, other than being the Lord’s hands and feet.
When Paul writes a letter to Corinth back in the early days, he mentions about the separation of the church. People in the church would separate themselves based on who they were under, as in the pastor/whoever baptized them. Paul calls them out saying that we are one church. He says, “For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel – not with wisdom and eloquence, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power” – 1 Corinthians 1:17. The Holy Spirit convicted me in this. I’m not going out to make followers, but to share the word of God, but not from my own meek wisdom… from the words of the Holy Spirit, because the Cross is more than enough. AND WOW, am I excited to do that with peers who come from many different denominations and backgrounds!
All in all, the reason I am doing this is to see God move through the Holy Spirit in anyone, anyplace, or anything I encounter. Also to have a Christ-centered year to build my foundation before going off into the “real” world. I am excited to see what the Lord has in store in this nine-month period.
Thank you for reading!! Have an awesome day & tell someone God loves them!!
Much love,
Lillian 🙂
