I know I’ve told this story to many of you but I felt I should share it with everyone.
At the beginning of 2011, I wasn’t sure what to do with myself. The plans I had been making had fallen apart so I asked God what He wanted me to do with this year. He gave me two things: this was the year to get involved with missions and I would be doing something different in the fall.
I thought that meant that I’d be back in college in the fall since that’s generally when people start school. So I began looking at short term missions trips in Spring or Summer. For no particular reason, I felt drawn to a 10 day trip to Costa Rica. I even went to the first meeting.
Then one day one of my best friends, Lindsey, called me and said, “Let’s go on a missions trip together.”
She couldn’t go to Costa Rica because of a wedding. I didn’t want to commit to India in October because I thought I’d be taking classes. We looked at other trips through our churches and nothing was lining up for the both of us. So we expanded our search to the internet.
Then one day she called me again and said, “Nikki! I have to tell you about this thing!” She proceeded to tell me about the The World Race… and 11 month mission trip to 11 different countries.
THAT’S IT!! “Where do I sign up?!”
At first we thought of applying for the January 2012 trip. That should give us plenty of time for fundraising and planning, but we were both drawn to the October route. One of the interviewers in the application process encouraged us to sign up for October if that was where we felt called. So we switched to October.
But, per usual, God’s plan is different from our own.
About a month or two after our acceptance, Lindsey told me she wouldn’t be going with me on this journey. God was calling her to stay and work with ministries in the Detroit area. In the back of my mind, I had known for a while that she wouldn’t be going. I had prayed about it and resolved to go as I still felt this was what God wanted me to do. I was sad that Lindsey wouldn’t be going but glad that she was listening to God’s voice. (She has always been an example in this and it’s one of the many things I love and admire about her.)
We both felt that God was using her to put this path in front of me and for me to make the choice to follow it.
Isaiah 6:8 says ‘Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here I am. Send me!” ‘
I want to encourage you to remember to listen for the voice of God… and to answer when He calls, even if it’s not how you expected. Be open to change and be open to being used to change someone else’s life.
…and so began my 11 month journey on the World Race…
