Hello all,
Thank you first off for reading my blog. I cannot thank you enough for the support.
So I have struggled with what to write for this first blog. It should be profound. It has to be memorable. People have to WANT to continue reading. So here it is. Here is my very first blog and I hope you love it as much as I do.
First, for those of you who don’t know, I was recently accepted onto the World Race. The World Race is an 11-month mission trip to 11 different countries. While I will go into what I will be doing more in another blog, you just need to know that I am going to be a missionary for 11 months.
I have been on many service/missions trips during my time at Roanoke College. But never have I considered myself a missionary but this all changed when I was accepted onto the race. I did not have a choice but to because that is my job title.
I am a missionary. Profound. Definitely has a stereotype, one that I do not seem to fall into, or so I thought.
Earlier this week I was driving around and of course speeding (sorry Ma) and thought to myself, “Missionaries do not speed.” So I slowed down and thought nothing of it.
Later that night, I got on my computer and started watching old episodes of Grey’s Anatomy (for those who know me this is nothing new) and I again thought to myself, “Missionaries do not watch such frivolous shows. Missionaries spend time reading the bible or reading Kingdom Journeys.” So I did just that.
A couple days later I went to the local brewery. I came home and again had that same thought, “Missionaries do not go to a brewery.” Then I remembered I saw Chaplain Paul there. Ok, so brewery is an okay place for a missionary to go to.
So no I am not your typical missionary. I am not a white man in cargo pants, Teva sandals, and a big straw hat carrying a Bible down rural dirt roads in Africa. That is not me and for these next two years it will not be me. But I am still a missionary.
The Wikipedia definition of a missionary is “a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development.” Ok, starting to sound more and more like me.”
Ok, Wikipedia is most likely not the most credible source, or so my professors say, so let’s turn to the Bible. Who did the Lord use to further his Kingdom? Noah, who was a drunk, saved the human race. Moses denied God’s call not once but twice but he was still used to save a nation. All of Jesus disciples were ordinary people with many flaws. Now I am thinking, “I can so hang with these people.”
So maybe I don’t fit the mold but I am ordinary with many flaws just like Jesus disciples. As a missionary, I am called to be the hands and feet of Jesus. I am called to love just like Jesus did. Here is where my strength lies. My strength as a missionary will lie in the love I have for others. I love hard. I love strangers and people I have never met yet. I dream about seeing people I only met for a week because I fell deeply in love with them. Loving hard is what I am good at and I cannot wait to share that in the Kingdom.
So from the outside, I may not look like your stereotypical missionary but really that is what makes me the perfect missionary. I have been called to serve and am ready to do so. I am ready to love the unloved with only a backpack on my back. The 3rd world is calling and I, as a missionary, am answering.
Love you all,
Mols
