Midweek. You are where I really fell in love with ministry. I walked in every Wednesday, ready for what everyone called “crazy.” IT was loud, and felt like there was a million things going on. However, all I could feel was love, and the feeling of being overjoyed. There were hundreds of children running around, being bussed in to get fed, listen to worship, and to hear a story of what Jesus has done. I was fortunate enough to get to lead these sweet girls above me in a small group. I fell in love with their hearts. So open, and willing to share their stories and their hearts with me. I fell in love with meeting new people and building relationships. I fell in love with sharing how Jesus has changed my life, and how he could change theirs. My most favorite thing about this service was the worship. It was messy, and it wasn’t perfect. But what ministry is? I loved to hear their little voices sing so loud to the savior who created it all. I loved when the girls would bring their Ukuleles and sing songs about Jesus is Marshallese to me. They would sing, “let it rain, let it rain, open the floodgates of heaven,” One girl in english, and the other in Marshallese. Those moments made me fall in love with ministry. They made me realize that I wanted to spend my life building relationships with people and telling about the good news. I am forever thankful for the life change that happened in my heart and the kiddos at midweek.
See these sweet precious faces, yes they have more purpose in this post then just being so stinkin cute. These girls each mean so much to me in such different individual ways, but let me tell you what role they have in my life when it comes to ministry. I have led these girls in different things, and a couple of them. But in the end they always teach me so much more then I could have ever poured into them. They continue to teach me to be bold, and to love Jesus with all I am, and to dance and jump and look at the good things in life. The relationships I have with these girlies will forever be in my heart. Leading them has made me fall in love with ministry because of how precious and sweet it is. Building these relationships with these girls centered around Jesus has been the most fun ever. I have watched them fall more in love with Jesus and I have watched them stand up for him and what is right. I have fallen in love with building these relationships. I have fallen in love with watching them fall in love with Jesus. I have fallen in love with being encouraged and learning from them, because people doubt them because they are younger. I have fallen in love with ministry because of these relationships and sharing jesus and them teaching me about life. I will forever be thankful for the role they have in my life, and being such an impact in why I continue to fall in love with who jesus is and what he has called me to do.
Guadalajara, Mexico. My first ever mission trip. I still cry to this day when I think about it because it was just so incredible. If the Lord led me to live here I would in a heartbeat. My favorite thing ever is when Jesus brings you to people you don’t even know, and allows you to become the greatest friends, and build relationships that make you sob when leaving them. It is hard. so hard. But I love that Jesus brings us to people that break our hearts when leaving. It is special. Jesus did some amazing things while I was in Mexico. People were saved. Hearts were changed. Life change happened. I just remember listening to the worship songs in spanish, and thinking man, language barrier what? because you had people singing in english and spanish, the holy spirit was there, and Jesus was moving. In this moment, I really fell in love with missions. I knew that evangelizing, and meeting people, falling in love with peoples hearts, playing with children, painting, and just all around loving people was something I never wanted to stop doing. Thats why it was so hard to leave Mexico. I wanted this. When I got home I immediately applied for the race (without parents permission…) but I went for it anyway. Jesus was stirring my heart up. I needed more of this. I needed more of looking less like me and becoming more like Jesus. I needed more of learning about others, and caring more about others than myself. I needed more of being out of my comfort zone.
I had been accepted into the World Race (finally told my parents) and I knew that this was what I was suppose to do after high school.
I got the opportunity to go to the DR over spring break! I have a problem, I get attached. I love people hard, and its hard when I have to leave them not knowing if I will ever see them again. so stinking hard. But you know what was harder. Walking through the DR seeing where these precious people live, seeing that they have little, but still wanted to offer me their seat, and offer me a drink. precious. that is how we are called to live, so I was encouraged. I was encouraged the welcomeness and hospitality from the DR people. But I was also moved by what Jesus was doing. Life change happened here. Hearts were changed. Remember when I said I wanted to be pushed out of my comfort zone, well the DR definitely challenged me. We are so blessed to have little things like shoes, let alone clean water, showers, beds, air conditioning, fresh food, clean FOOD. Jesus continued to show me that I was ok without all of those things. That I am satisfied through him. That no matter what or where I am in the world as long as I follow him I am satisfied. I fell in love with the Dominican. I fell in love with the people. I fell in love with the view. I fell in love with visiting homes and different churches and telling people about HOW GOOD JESUS IS.
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I was told to write this blog about why the world race. and this is why. My heart yearns for relationships. My heart yearns for travel and adventure. My heart yearns for being encouraged and taught different things and different cultures. I yearn to understand and know peoples hearts. I yearn to love those who feel unloveable. I yearn to be pushed out of my comfort zone even if it isnt easy. I yearn to share what Jesus has done in my life, and let people know that he can do it in theirs as well.
I have fallen in love with everything and everyone in my life. I chose the World Race because of all of these things. I want to be the hands and feet of Jesus, I want to drop everything and be willing. I want to just love the heck out of people, and show them how Jesus loves us. I want to jump and dance in the soil of these different places and be joyful with nothing but the presence of these people the Lord has placed in my life.
I am eager for a nine months filled with nothing but messy, loud, hard, tiring, and uncomfy ministry.
World Race Gap Year, I am counting down the days. I am so eager to love people hard, seek after Jesus, be willing, sleep in a tent and be uncomfortable, but being comfortable knowing that we are out here sharing what Jesus has done.
This is why I chose the World Race Gap Year.
