How I Was Called to the Mission Field

 

I recently journeyed on an incredible mission trip to Ghana, Africa.  It was my first mission, and also my first time leading a mission!  There were six of us from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and we worked with Campus Crusade staff in Cape Coast, Ghana.  Emmanuel was the team leader out of Cape Coast, and everyday we all crammed in his truck and drove to the University of Cape Coast to share the gospel.  One day we were so jam-packed in the back seat that my leg fell asleep all the way up to my knee.  When I tried to get out of the truck, I nearly fell flat on my face cause I had no feeling in my leg!

 

On the trip, I for the first time personally witnessed someone surrender their life to Christ.  His name is Daniel, and right after speaking with him God used me to lead another guy to Christ, also Daniel.  This was a miracle for me personally, because I had a cousin named Daniel who died when he was my age, and his death was one of the things God used to lead me back to Christ.  The experience was life-changing, and God put on my heart a call to reach the nations. 

 

 

As soon as I got back, I knew I wanted to mission to Ghana again.  For a few weeks, I thought about organizing another trip to Ghana, most likely a month-long mission in January*.  During this time my friend’s friend, Danny Stinson, was visiting from Oklahoma.  I talked with him a little about missions, and he told me about the World Race.  Danny is going on the January 2010 World Race.  I thought the trip sounded pretty amazing, but didn’t give it any other thought.

 

Probably about a month went by, and I had not thought at all about the World Race, in fact I was still praying about getting back to Ghana.  One late-night/early morning I drove home to Oconomowoc from Milwaukee.  I got home at around 2am, and normally I would have gone right to sleep.  This night, however, I had a heavy-heart and a burden to pray.  I was praying for maybe 30 minutes, when out of nowhere I thought of the World Race.  I quickly searched for the website, and came across the Upcoming Races.  Before I even checked out the race routes, I found myself drawn to the October race.  I even said to myself, “If I were to go it would be October”.  It had to have been the Holy Spirit placing that on my heart, because sure enough, when I checked out each race, October was the only race that included Ghana as one of the nations!  When I saw that, I felt certain in my heart that God was sending me on this mission and I immediately started worshipping God.  I can not quite put to words what I felt at that moment.  It was like I suddenly knew about something, or realized something, that I never knew, yet it was there all along…. and I was broken-hearted, not with sorrow but with joy.

 

I have some tall obstacles to overcome before I am free to fulfill this calling, but I am doing the best I can to remain faithful and trust that God will deliver me!  Please keep me in prayer as I pursue the October World Race!  Thanks and Nyame Nkyiraw! (God bless you!)

 

*Interesting side note, Our team will be in Ghana in January, so that month long mission to Ghana in January that I was originally planning, will still happen, its just I get to do month-mission’s in ten other countries as well!