Hey people! So as you may have figured out by now, I will be headed out on the World Race Gap Year starting this fall! I know this has probably caught a lot of people off guard because it totally did the same to me, so here’s a little background on how this all happened.
One short month ago, I had every intention of going straight to college. The idea of a gap year had never even crossed my mind. I was routinely scrolling through my Instagram feed, when a sponsored ad popped up. “You could be among 330 students on World Race Gap Year. Travel across 3 continents in 9 months, live out of a backpack, … read more.” Intrigued, I clicked for more which read, “share the gospel and be led by the Holy Spirit.” A fire was lit inside me realizing that it was a mission trip. Fortunately, my parents took this opportunity just as seriously as I did and encouraged me to pray over it. I began praying that God’s desires would be my desires. Even though I typically am the slowest decision maker you’ll ever meet, this one was easy. So here I am, exactly one month after learning about the World Race, writing a blog to y’all as I begin to prepare for this incredible journey.
I’ve always loved adventure of every kind, and now God has matched my passion for adventure with my passion for missions. Last summer, I had the opportunity to go on my first international mission trip to Zimbabwe. I experienced God in a new way on this trip. Simply worshiping with His people, in a language I didn’t understand, was incredibly moving and God’s presence was undeniable. This experience was also the first time I had to straight-up share the Gospel and my testimony with someone. Even though this was a super scary thing, I was humbled to be used by God and be a witness to people accepting Christ to be in control of their lives. There was no doubt that God was at work. This incredibly encouraging experience made me hungry to serve more.
God placed this wild opportunity in my life for a reason. I have a strong desire to grow closer in my relationship with Christ. I know that this experience will be very challenging, but I’m also aware that tough trials and stepping beyond my comfort zone is what will strengthen my faith. A verse that really hits home for me is Isaiah 6:8.
Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said “Here am I. Send me!”
I don’t leave until September, but the journey starts now. I ask that you will pray for boldness and strength for me and my squad. Also pray that our hearts will be ready to serve and that the hearts of those we serve will be ready to receive. Thanks for everyone’s support so far and please stay engaged for the duration of this journey to see all that God has in store. You can subscribe to my blog here and I’m toying with the idea of vlogging (video blogging for all you old people) so that y’all can have a better idea of what’s happening out in the mission field.
Alright I got a lot to say, so thanks for reading all that!
-Mary Claude
