Not What I Expected

Wow, so I actually made it to my final month of the World Race and survived it!  I’m already at my final debrief and have already been released from my team.  I’ll be home in less than a week.  I can hardly believe it.  This year was definitely not what I had expected … at all!  During our training camp, we were told to drop all expectations, but there was one specific expectation that I held on to ….
 
Let me back track just a bit.  I was drawn to and applied for the World Race because of a route that concentrated solely on human trafficking.  Several years ago, I was on a mission trip in Brussels, Belgium, and while I was there, I helped raise awareness about children being trafficked into slavery.  This experience sparked something inside of me.  I went home from this challenged by what I learned, and I wanted to know more.  I took a couple of college courses on the subject and looked into organizations that help fight/prevent human trafficking. 
 
When trying to determine what was next for me after finally graduating from college, the World Race was one of three options I was considering.  I was familiar with the World Race because a friend’s son had been on it, and while I loved the idea of it, I just wasn’t sure it was for me.  I wasn’t really looking to step out of my life for nearly a year.  I was wanting to get started on the next chapter of my life, not put life on hold.  After I had pretty much ruled the World Race out, I came across their human trafficking route that was a 4 month long trip.  I instantly knew this was for me and felt peace about it.  This would allow me to get some experience in the human trafficking mission field, and I could then determine what social need God was calling me to fight.
 
As most of you are well aware, things did not go according to plan.  If you aren’t aware of what happened, read my How and Why blog.  To make a long story short, I was asked to transfer from the 4-month human trafficking route to a 11-month route with no concentration on any specific social need or problem.  However, what I failed to mention before is that I was promised that I would still have human trafficking ministry opportunities in addition to the chance to serve in other ministry areas.  So there it is, the one expectation that I held onto for my entire Race – the promise that I’d get the chance to experience human trafficking ministry.
 
Guess what.  It didn’t happen.  I never once served alongside or even spoke with an organization whose focus was human trafficking.  For me, the goal of the Race was to determine where my passion truly lies, so I started this adventure in hopes of exploring the realms of human trafficking, in order to determine which direction God was pulling me.  But month after month, I served in partnership with pastors and/or ministries unrelated to human trafficking.  I kept telling myself, next month! but next month never came.  I couldn’t believe I was going to leave the Race still unsure of where God was calling me to serve, in a ministry serving the homeless or combating human trafficking.
 
Maybe there's a reason God has prevented me from serving alongside a human trafficking organization — okay, not maybe, because God always has a reason for what He does. Coming into this final month, my leader informed us that there were several ministry options available to us.  She mentioned a homeless drop-in center, and then a few options later, she said we may have a chance to work with some girls who have been trafficked into the sex industry.  Now one would think I would have been ecstatic over finally getting what I was promised, but in that moment, God revealed my heart to me.  I knew if I had to choose between the two ministry options, I would pick the homeless drop-in center.  My excitement and enthusiasm when I heard about the homeless center reaffirmed in me that God's plan for me involves ministry with the homeless, not human trafficking. I can still have an interest in human trafficking and even advocate for groups, but I'm pretty sure I've been called to care for the homeless and the less fortunate full-time. 
 

As a side note, we ended up not having the chance to minister to trafficked girls.  BUT I did have the best month of ministry ever, serving at Kawan, the homeless drop-in center.  I felt like I was right back where I belonged.  There’s just something about loving on people who are often overlooked, unloved, or looked at with disgust that I enjoy more than anything.  Oh, and I definitely love to squeegee the floor!