Hello! Thanks for taking the time to visit my blog and get to know me better. Your support and prayers are very much appreciated. This is me.
My name is Nick Shiley. I am 22 years old and am currently finishing up my undergraduate degree in Biomedical Engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. I am from Menomonee Falls, WI which is a suburb of Milwaukee. I have two wonderful parents and equally wonderful older sister, younger sister, younger brother, and pet golden retriever. I also have an amazing group of friends and enjoy hanging out with them, both at college and back home. I enjoy adventure and being active: anything from camping to hiking to playing sports to spur-of-the-moment trips. I am a nature-lover and experience God's presence the most when I'm looking in awe over a beautiful landscape or some amazing creature (whether it'sin the wild or at the zoo or just on Planet Earth). I also can be very competitive, but I try to make light of all situations and just have a good time (although winning tends to be a lot more fun). But the most important thing about me is that I love Jesus!
My Story:
I grew up in a Christian household my whole life, so I was exposed to its teachings and naturally accepted Christ at a young age. At first, I was motivated to live my life for Jesus. I wanted to do the right things. I attended church every Sunday. I went to Christian summer camps. I read my Bible. But things began to change as I started my middle school years and progressed into my high school years. I started caring a lot more about what people thought about me rather than my identity in Christ. I still believed in God, but I wasn't willing to let Him rule over every aspect of my life.
When I came to college, I realized that their was an emptiness inside of me that could only be filled by my relationship with Christ. I wanted to recommit my life to Him and start anew. I started getting involved in a Christian ministry on campus called Campus Crusade for Christ. At first, it was hard for me to adjust to this new lifestyle of attending Bible studies and going to Christian events and spending more time with fellow believers as I was accustomed to partying on the weekends and rarely pursuing my relationship with Christ. I was accustomed to a life that was all about ME. That changed in the fall of my freshman year of college.
I was attending the fall retreat of Campus Crusade for Christ which consisted of a weekend getaway to a local camp ground an hour or so north of Madison. The speaker for the weekend spoke around the theme of evangelism. It was through him that my view of Christianity changed from this personal transaction between me and God to a more communal restoration between God and His lost people. Christianity to me was about individuals finding their own way to God. And if that happened, then they were all set. It didn't really matter what happened afterwards because you had already obtained salvation. Now of course I didn't mean that you should just do evil, but there was really no sense of complete surrender to the Lord in every aspect of my life in my definition of Christianity. However when this speaker spoke about the Gopsel and how as Christians we are all responsible for taking this Good News to wherever we were in life, my definition began to change. It was not longer about me; it was about God's Kingdom and His retributive work on the cross that is for EVERY tribe, tongue, and nation. God no longer just took a place in my plans; I began seeking to take a place in His.
So here I am! After much prayer and thought, I am confident to say that the World Race is the place God has for me right now. I am passionate about bringing the love of Jesus to people all over the world and meeting their physical needs. Previous World Racers have packed trucks full of food to distribute to Mozambique, worked with AIDs orphans in sub-Saharan Africa, ministered and lived in gypsy communities in Eastern Europe, and partnered to stop the sex trade in Southeast Asia. In each country I go to, we will partner with local ministries to provide aid and encouragement to them. I am excited to see what God has planned for me this World Race and I pray that I won't come back the same person as when I left.
Thanks again for all your prayers and support. Feel free to contact me at anytime with questions or anything.
