Hello again friends.
As I’ve been gathering all of the lists of things I need to get for my missions trip – vaccines, gear, etc., I have been emotionally preparing that I am about to leave a place of comfort for 11 months. I leave in January. Wow. I have been sad, excited, anticipating what God is about to do, and also scared all at one time. Every so often tears well up as I think about all the people I’m going to miss, the comforts I am not going to be able to rely on overseas. This has been an opportunity for me to press into the Lord and be reminded of why I said yes to this missions trip.
Last month, I had another yard sale fundraiser. A familiar woman got out of her car to check out the yard sale. As I recognized her face, I then remembered 3 years ago, when I was fundraising for a short term missions trip by doing a bake sale in front of a store to go to Cambodia. This same woman walked up to my table in tears, asking for help to jump her pickup truck which she lived in, because her battery went dead. I knew that I needed to help her, so I packed up the bake sale and followed her to her truck. We hooked up the jumper cables and tried to jump it. Her pickup wouldn’t start. Auto Zone was just across the street, we removed her battery and took it over to them to have it charged. They said it was no good and did not hold a charge. She did not have any money to replace it, so we took it and set it back in her truck and she sat in my car. She was pretty upset, feeling extremely discouraged, and did not know what to do, so I sat with her and prayed with her. I had a strong impression that we needed to hook that battery back up and try to jump it one more time. So I prayed that the battery would work, and we tried jumping it again, and guess what? Her pickup started! WOW God. Is it possible that her battery actually did charge at Auto Zone? Maybe. But after they just gave her word that it was not functional, it was a miracle for her. Watching her face light up, become completely filled with hope again, was such a beautiful moment. I felt lead to continue to stay in contact with her and some friends and I were able to take her out for her birthday a few weeks later.
Over time, we lost contact with phone number changes, and she had moved to another state. When I saw her at the yard sale, I was so excited to find out she now has a roof over her head. She then told me that she had been praying that she would run into me again, and told me how much taking her out for her birthday meant to her. You see, that day God reminded me that day of my why. And that is to stop and love the one in front of you. The one most people overlook, the one who may need hope. You may never fully know what your “Yes” meant or how it impacted their lives, or even if it did. But we have a love that runs deeper than any vein or vessel in our bodies, and this love was worth the time to share with her. The hope on her face was worth it.
This testimony, along with my roller coaster of emotions about leaving, inspired me to share with you more my heart for this missions trip and what exactly I am anticipating.
Community
When I look at the World Race, I see a year of laying down comfort, good and bad, and finding true comfort in the Lord. I see a year of taking the challenge to choose connection no matter the cost. I will be with a team of strangers, who will soon become brothers and sisters. They will be people I’m sure I will have opportunities to become offended with, and will have to choose to stay connected. I will spend 24/7 with these people, for 11 months. Now, that is a HUGE stretch for me because I have always deemed myself as an introvert who NEEDS to have alone time. But I feel like the Lord has something really valuable to teach me on this trip in this area. Truthfully, the idea of this is entirely uncomfortable for me. But deep within me is an excitement and anticipation to learn what it is the Lord wants to cultivate in me this year.
Relationship
My excitement for the World Race goes far beyond just the community living aspect, but I want to grow in my relationship with the Lord. We will have the opportunity to take risks that challenge our comfortability. And trust me, I’ve already been challenged to do so. Raising money is not exactly comfortable for me, let alone the idea of living out of a 60 liter backpack for 11 months. Yep, if I haven’t shared with you yet, that is what I will be doing. Some of the things in that backpack include a tent, sleeping bag, travel pillow, and a small wardrobe. So I will not be bringing by big fluffy comforter (if you really know me you know I love my fluffy things), or my big fluffy pillow. There is something about giving up the things you think you need to survive, and allow the Lord to become all that you need, your comfort, and more.
Loving the One
The goal of this missions trip specifically is to go to the Nations and learn how to walk as Jesus did. He only did or said what the Father was doing/saying. We will have the opportunity to listen to the voice of God and respond to it. This could look like many different things, doing practical things for those in the cultures we are visiting, encouragement, etc. I specifically have a heart for those that feel orphaned in some way, abandoned, unwanted, and do not know that they are deeply loved. This comes out of a place of my personal story, and how God reconciled me to Him as His daughter. I believe that is what He wants for the world. If you want to know more about my story, please feel free to read more in the “About Me” section. But this scripture really speaks to my heart when I think about my vision for this trip:
19 For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. 20 So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” 21 For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ. – 2 Corinthians 5:19-21
This trip is not just for me to travel the world, (although it is a plus), it is an opportunity to grow massively in all of these aspects that I’ve shared above, and to share the love of God. Thank you so much for taking the time to read my blog! I am overwhelmed with thankfulness that God has chosen me for such an opportunity and that so many of you have partnered with me financially and through prayer!
I do have $13,133 left to raise to be fully funded! If you feel lead to invest in what the Lord is doing through me in this trip it would mean so much. You can do so by clicking the “donate” button at the top of this page! Your gifts and prayers go beyond me, and into the lives of those the Lord will place in front of my team and I. Thank you.
With love & blessings,
Miranda
