Many people ask how in the world I got to this place …. a place in life that has me abandoning the only life I've ever known to venture out in the world with a group of strangers. So this is HOW I got here:
I finally graduated from college this past May. I had spent so many years working towards that, that once I graduated, I had no idea what to do with my life. Up until this point, any and all plans I had made for my life never got me where I wanted to be or planned to be. This shouldn’t surprise me because growing up, I was always reminded of the saying “We plan and God laughs.” Anyways, so here I was, at a crossroads in my life and no clue where to go or what to do. I had a few options – pursue a career within my field, teach English in China for a month, or apply for the World Race. All of my opportunities would be uplifting to God, but I had no clue which path to take. That’s when I realized it was time to leave it all up to God. I was ready to start living the life He already planned for me. The first Sunday after graduation, I knelt down during communion and prayed to God to guide me on the correct path. God made it pretty clear very quickly that the World Race was what He wanted for me.
So sure I heard God clearly, I started applying for a special 4 month human trafficking mission trip with the World Race. I called to follow up my application a few weeks later, only to find out that this particular trip was canceled due to lack of interest and my application had been transferred to another trip …. an 11 month trip, as if it was a simple transition! And who says God doesn’t have a sense of humor?! I told the organization that I needed to think about it, but as soon as I hung up, I realized that God was only doing exactly what I asked Him to do …. to blatantly show me the path He intended for me. I chose the 4 month trip because I could wrap my brain around that decision, but the 11 month trip would require me to step out on faith like I had never done before. To make this happen, I was going to have to walk away from the life I had made for myself. God spoke to me, bringing two bible verses to my mind. Firstly, Matthew 19:21, “Go and sell your possessions … and come follow me.” Secondly, Matthew 10:39, “Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it” – I knew that by abandoning my current life to follow Him would allow me to venture down this path that would allow me to find the life I have been searching for.
So that brings me to here, in this time and place, today — embarking on this challenging and faith-building journey.
The next question inevitably is "Why?". Many people have expectedly asked me why I’m doing this. Beyond it being what I wholly believe God planned for me, this is also an opportunity to live out the Great Commission. Matthew 28:18-20 says this:
18Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth.
19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father
and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have
given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
In the Great Commission, Jesus calls every Christian to step out in faith and spread the Good News. This is faith in action! People who obey this command change their spiritual lives forever! It could be spreading the Good News to a neighbor or moving to another country to reach the people there. It could be sharing with less fortunate kids down the street or spreading the Word in a village that is hasn’t been exposed to the Good News. Wherever we go, every faithful Christian is compelled through obedience to share the Gospel.
As if that wasn’t enough, Jesus commands us to feed the hungry, comfort the poor, visit the widows and orphans, preach the Good News to all nations, and heal the sick (Matthew 10:8 “Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give”). By going on the World Race, I will be able to obey these commands. We will be living each day with the intention of bringing heaven to earth – just as we’ve all prayed with the Lord’s Prayer. “Our Father, who are in heaven, hallowed by thy name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven”.
To sum all of that up …. Jesus’ last command on earth was “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation” – so that’s what I'm doing!
