Throughout high school, I had everything planned out. I went to a college prep school where I became an expert at making four-year plans and constantly re-evaluating my future. The grand plan was that I was going to get a four-year degree and be a teacher and have a stable job for the rest of my life. There’s nothing inherently wrong with this, but it stemmed from a place of unhealthy performance.
Finally, my junior year, I came to a breaking point where I realized that I couldn’t go along with the “formula” set out for me any longer. I needed to step back and listen to what God wanted for me instead of what I had in my head. My parents played a big part in helping me, their type A child, to consider taking a gap year, but I finally opened my heart to it. It has been so freeing to let God direct me.
I remember my dad and I talking a long time ago about my future. I was set on teaching at that time, but he told me that he entrusted my future to the Lord. He said that maybe someday I would be overseas on the front lines, helping people, and no matter how dangerous, he wouldn’t be afraid as long as he knew he did his job in nurturing my relationship with God. As it turns out, that wasn’t such a bad idea after all, and here I am, getting ready to go to South America.
I spent hours researching mission programs, and when I stumbled across World Race, I felt an immediate connection with the mission. I loved how relationship-centered it is and how straightforward the program is with the message of prayer, spiritual gifting, and evangelism. When I found the South America Semesters trip, I knew it was meant to be. For the past two years, God has put the people of northwestern South America on my heart as those countries have some of the worst human trafficking rates in the world and very corrupt governments. When I saw that I could go be a part of helping people in those areas, I jumped at the opportunity. After much prayer listening to the Lord, I applied to my World Race Semesters trip, and was accepted.
I am so excited about going on this new adventure and to see what God has in store for me next!
