I can't say I ever really got a call.
I remember in high school wishing that God would get on the same cell service as me so He could send me directions via text. Unfortunately, as my then small group leader told me, faith doesn't quite work like that. Though the stories of the Lord speaking through thunder and lightning are awe inspiring, they're the exception and not the norm.
So, with that in mind, I began to learn to step out in faith and trust that God can- and DOES- work through my decisions, particularly when it's not a choice between right and wrong, but between good and also good.
I had been following the World Race probably since around the first squad sent out. I was fascinated, and couldn't wait till I turned 21 (the cutoff age at the time) and would be allowed to apply. Missions was something that was often on my heart, and I frequently entertained the thought of being a missionary.
Well, either that or a professional dancer. It was a tough choice.
When I turned 19, I was taking a year off of school and doing some pretty serious soul searching. I began investigating human trafficking, particularly the sex slaves, and finding again and again these tiny girls who were tricked or forced into drug induced sex night after night. Not surprisingly, it was heartbreaking, and I decided I wanted to go on a missions trip to see what I could do.
That summer, I went to Thailand for a month. It wasn't my first trip, but I swore it would be my last: the entire experience was horrible.
The following fall, I went back to school, convinced I was doing into ministry and staying as far away from missions as humanly possible.
Over the next two years, God spoke to my heart. He again opened my eyes to all of the pain and suffering in the world, while all around me I watched college students living life for today. The more I saw, the more uncomfortable I became. These kids were good kids, but they wanted to have fun now, and I was finding more and more that I didn't fit in.
By January, I was completely unsettled. Then, somehow, the World Race came back onto the radar screen. All I can say is that it's a God thing, because I was certainly not looking. As I re-immersed myself in this world, I began to feel a peace about going.
I began to pray and seek advice, and then when the January 2011 application opened, I'd applied by the end of the week.
I still haven't been struck by a lightning bolt of inspiration or watched the heavens open with a voice like thunder. But I'm trusting the Lord that He's always leading and guiding me. And one thing I've learned: it God always spoke through a storm, we would never have sunny days.
