Guys!!!! After months of prayer, I have made the decision to go on a nine month missions trip through Adventures in Missions on their World Race Gap Year program!!! I will be going to Swaziland, India, and Guatemala!!! Out of the nine months, I will be spending three months in each country! I will be with a squad of up to 55 people, and working with a small team of about 6. So many events have lead up to my decision, here is just a few!!
Since about sophomore year, I knew going straight into college just wasn’t what I personally wanted. I knew I needed a break, to debrief and find out who I really am before making life decisions like my career path. I wanted to experience being young, and experience the Lord in ways I never have before. I wanted to go out of my comfort zone, and see the world. Over the past two years, two girls who have been involved in my youth group made the decision to go on the World Race. I thought it was so amazing that they decided to dedicate nine months of their life to the Lord and do his work! So I decided to look into it. Looking at the website, watching videos, reading blog posts set a huge fire in my soul for missions, I knew this was what I wanted to do!
However, after months of excitement, and checking the World Race website almost everyday to see if the routes had been posted yet, I wasn’t confident that this truly was what God wanted for me. I hadn’t really heard any concrete answers from the Lord, all I had was a slight feeling. I was so afraid that this wasn’t what God had planned for me, and I was completely drowning out His voice in all my excitement. One night, I was almost certain that I had gone against His plan, and I just sat down, and prayed “God, please if this isn’t what you want for me, please give me a sign. I’m going to stop listening to me, and I’m going to start listening to you.” And I did just that. I sat, in complete silence, and listened. After a while, I was confident I wasn’t going to get my answer. But, out of nowhere, I heard a voice say “read.” In that moment, I got up, grabbed my devotional that I hadn’t touched in months, and it said “ask me to open your eyes, so you can find me everywhere.” And usually it has two or three verses to go and reflect upon, but that particular day, it only had one. I immediately turned to Hebrews 11:8-10. “By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. By faith, he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God” Now if that wasn’t direct enough, after I finished reading, I heard the same voice say “trust me.” My eyes filled with tears, and in that moment I knew God put this on my heart for a reason. Although, I’m walking blindly into the dark, I have chosen to follow His voice to guide me. I have no clue what God has planned for me in the next year. But I have made the decision to stop listening to me, and start listening to Him.
I feel like God gives everyone a talent. For some it’s music, whether it’s singing or playing an instrument. For others, it’s art. Painting, drawing, photography, whatever that may be. Some people are amazing at sports and are super athletic. Others are incredibly smart and do amazing in school. Whatever your passion, whatever your gift, God uses these things to do work for His kingdom. Personally, I never excelled in any of those things. I thought I wasn’t special, that God had no place to use me. But the amazing thing is, He does. I truly believe God gave me compassion. He give me a big heart, and I love so freely. It breaks my heart to see other people in other countries suffer from poverty, lack of water, starvation, lack of rights, lack of an education, lack of happiness and all the other horrible things in this broken world. I feel like that’s where God wants to use me. He gave me a heart for the hurting. I personally can’t change the terrible situations people are in, but if I can use my gift and allow the Holy Spirit to work through me, and leave them feeling loved and hopeful, I truly believe this world can be transformed.
Honestly, I cannot contain my excitement! I’m so ready to do the Lord’s work and make this world a better place! God is truly so so good! I cannot wait to see the lessons he will teach me this year, meet people who will walk this journey with me, and just experience so much! Truly, thank you, for everyones constant love and support! I can’t make this huge step of faith without you guys! Please feel free to message me with questions, I’d love to talk with you more about my decision!
Once again, thank you! I love you all so much! God Bless!!!
