It’s possible that the signs of a future in missions can be seen all the way back to my childhood. At church when I was a child my favorite song in the hymnal was, “Here I am, Lord” (see previous blog). I loved when we sang it – which was hardly ever. I knew all the words and I still remember that is was hymn number 525. Back then I couldn’t tell you why l liked it so much, and it’s still a mystery why I was so captivated with that song at a young age. But here I am, 24 years old, and it has precious meaning to my life.
My time at NCSU was when God first sparked a notion in me that I might do something in missions. I took a class called, Word Population and Food Prospects, which I believe is now called Global Sustainable Human Development (those are a mouthful). Dr. Patterson, one of my favorite professors, was so passionate in the way he taught and spoke that it rubbed off on me (and he is a Christian). This class, and others to follow, would draw out of me the love for God’s people, their physical plight, and the injustices they experience. It was through Campus Crusade for Christ that I became aware of a lot of opportunities and was continually exposed to the realm of missions. God was also working in me through it, shaping a heart for the salvation of his people. It was during this time that I kept praying a line of one of my favorite songs, Hosana, that says, “Lord, break my heart for what breaks yours.” Ha! Little did I know how powerful this was because God truly continued to do just that.
It was earlier this year at Forest Hill Church that I heard about the World Race. During church there was a video of a girl who had gone. My heart was alert – as it usually is with talk of missions – and I thought, “Wouldn’t that be so awesome to do? But that is not for someone like me; it is not something I am capable of doing.” What??? Months later I still had the World Race in the back of my mind and I started to research it more. "Is it possible for me, of all people, to leave everything – my job, family, and the stability of life in America – to travel the world serving God’s people? I have too many issues that make this very improbable."
During this time we started a Bible study in my life group titled, “Believing God.” I cannot tell you the impact this had on my faith. The Bible says we should be willing to take up our cross and follow Him (Luke 9:23), that we should count everything else as loss (Phil. 3:8). Many of us say that we do, or at least I thought I was, but do really mean it? Really mean it. Would you leave everything today if that was what God called you to do? This is not to say that we are all called to leave our lives here behind and go to another country to be missionaries. Certainly not. But God calls us everyday to leave things behind that we treasure and take up our cross and follow Him (note: the cross is a symbol of suffering!). Do we genuinely do that?
We know it is said in God’s word that faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see (Hebrews 11:1). Do we have the faith to believe every word of God's in the Bible? Believe that:
"All things are possible for one who believes." -Mark 9:23
"For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you." -Matthew 17:20
"And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose." -Romans 8:28
"He will not leave you or forsake you." -Deuteronomy 31:6
"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." -2 Corinthians 12:9
AND
“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. -Matthew 6:25-34
If I am doing what my Father is calling me to do then I cannot worry about all of the details and how it will be possible. I wrestled with God for at least a month over how everything would work out. “How could I raise this much money? How could I leave my job? What will I do when I get back? How will I get my medicine over there?” It was stressing me out. In life group we talked a lot about believing that God will answer our prayers and that we should ask for big things and wait expectantly (Matt. 7:7). This is also something that had been talked about at church in the last few months, particularly Marilyn Chadwick's message at the Women Under Construction event and the life group training night. So I prayed that God would show me a huge sign if he wanted me to go on the World Race; something that I could remember for months to come and look back on when my faith is shaky. I waited. And I waited. I even started the application and finished almost all of it. Then waited some more. But nothing from God – at least that I could see.
Finally one Sunday, I surrendered it over to God and said that I was just going to go ahead and apply. I couldn’t get this thing off my mind and maybe I didn’t need a sign from God (or that was it). That morning two of my friends who always go to the 11:15am service were at the 9:30am service. We walked in together and sat together. After the service I immediately told them that I was going to finish the application by the next day and follow God to the World Race.
The next day, as I was working on the application, one of them messaged me and said she had prayed and God was leading them to donate $500! The first thing I thought is that this was my sign from God; he was just waiting for me to take that first step of faith. I finished the application and submitted it that night, June 11, 2012. The next evening there was a dinner at church for all the life group leaders and “champions” (I am our life group’s serve champion). And guess who was at my assigned table? A couple that had prayed for me a few months ago at a service. Even more, they had been missionaries in West Africa for over 20 years! After the event was over I went up to the front to pray with two deacons about my application and acceptance to the World Race. I told the condensed version of my story, including what happened that night, and one of them said, "What further confirmation do you need?!"
This, you could say, is the beginning of my World Race journey.
