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Video Transcript:
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!”
September 2011 I started school at Pacific Lutheran University. I started school wanting to be a doctor, to heal the sick. Ever since I was a kid that had been my dream. In high school I had this pastor who told me he thought that I should go into ministry. My immediate reaction was, me? You’re crazy. See i’m the kid who has to rehearse a speech a dozen times so my voice doesn’t shake. Being a pastor? Not for me.
The end of Freshman year of college after getting back my biology grades, God put a giant stop sign in my path. I spent the summer re-evaluating my dreams, my passions. That summer I learned a lot about my strengths and weaknesses and about what really matters to me. I did a lot of praying and asking God what I was supposed to do.
Romans 8:25 says: If we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
So I waited.
I started getting emails about the World Race a long-term mission trip run by an organization I had once applied to work for called Adventures In Missions. For the most part I ignored them.
But God was whispering “go”.
I say whisper because it was hard to hear and easy to ignore. But he kept whispering.
I saw the World Race in everything. Every class, every conversation, every movie, Everything.
God was calling me to serve.
In November I was accepted to the World Race. The World Race is an 11 month long mission trip travelling to 11 different countries. In each country you work in a mission where the need is the greatest. Orphanages, hospitals, construction projects, Work with sex trafficking victims, local churches, disaster relief work, and other organizations. In each country we get to be the light in some of the darkest places. We get to spread God’s love.
This is what I have been called to do.
An interesting thing happens in the bible when Jesus calls his disciples. In Matthew 9:9 Jesus is walking along and he calls out to Matthew “Follow Me” and the bible says that Matthew got up and he went. Just like that. He didn’t tell anyone, pack a bag, ask questions, nothing. He just got up and went. He dropped everything to follow Jesus. In Luke 9:57 someone says to Jesus I will follow you wherever you go and Jesus says “Foxes have holes and birds have nests but the Son of Man has no where to lay his head.” He is literally telling this guy, look if you do this you should know that I am homeless, I have nothing to offer you and this is what you’re in store for. But it doesn’t matter to this man he still follows Jesus. That’s what buying into Jesus should be like. thats what we have to do to follow Jesus. Joyfully give up everything to follow him, get up and go no questions asked.
The World Race is me getting up and going no questions asked.
In September I will be serving in Uganda Rwanda Ethiopia India Nepal Malaysia Thailand Cambodia Honduras Nicaragua and Guatemala.
This is what I am passionate about, this is what I have been called to do.
On the World Race we will be living out of a backpack and a tent sometimes going a long time without a shower and other basic amenities.
One of my favorite authors, Kyle Idleman says that “Following Jesus is a pursuit that may cost everything but it’s the best investment you can make. Saying yes to Jesus means saying no to comfort”
Even though I’m going to be giving up so many modern comforts, it’s nothing compared to the great ways God is going to use me.
I get to be God’s hands and feet in the world.
Giving up modern comforts is just one small challenge I will face on the Race.
I will face so many challenges but the biggest challenge is financial support.
That’s where you come in. In order for me to leave fully funded by September, I need to raise $10,000. You can help me spread God’s love and be a light in the darkness by making a one time tax deductible donation at my blog morganwoods.theworldrace.org.
Here you can see ongoing fundraisers, make donations, read about my preparation and my journey and you can subscribe to stay informed with updates about my trip.
Beyond financial support the biggest thing I need is prayer.
Please keep me and my squad in your prayers as we prepare for this journey.
