i was born into a family of believers. the year i was born was the same year my father was graduating from seminary. growing up, i was at church constantly. my dad not only worked at the church, but my mom was uber involved with youth ministry, Alpha, and the worship team. I can honestly say that i did not understand why we always went to church, nor could i fathom DESIRING to go to church almost every night of the week. but that is what we did.
one thing that is important to know about me is that growing up i hated authority. i have always been super independent, and didn’t understand why people would tell me what i ‘needed’ to do or believe. so i rebeled. i rebeled from my parents. i rebeled from my youth minister. i rebeled from God. I lived two very different lives for most of my life. One life consisted of wearing the right clothes, doing my hair, and smiling while being polite at church, attending youth functions and proclaiming my “belief” in God. The other life i was living was one on the road to destruction. it was a life of partying. a life that left me empty and depressed. a life of sin that was cutting me from my life source.
That following Christmas break, my little sister from the sorority and I went to the Passion Conference. That week, God put on my heart a desire to go to Africa. I played soccer my whole life and there was an offer to put on a sports camp in Africa that coming summer. I signed up for that trip, but the Lord had a different plan. That year, I was the conditioning coach for the Varsity Girls soccer team at Lexington High School, where I led Young Life. After a long run with those girls, I went to play intramural soccer and tore my ACL. My surgery was that summer, putting the brakes on me going to Africa. This past summer I was registered to go to Malawi, Africa with AIM. I was preparing to leave when I met with my advisor who told me I was unable to graduate in May 2009 because I changed my major 3 times throughout college. The possibility of summer school was high, so with tears in my eyes and a trust that the Lord would be faithful in my desire to serve overseas, I called AIM and told them I was unable to go this summer. My friend of mine went to Swaziland with AIM this past year and when she returned, she told me about the World Race. She told me it sounded right up my alley and I looked into it. I started reading the blogs and I could not stop. I started praying that if God was calling me to this that it would evident. I was given information about the WR from numerous people who told me “this just sounds like you.” I applied, had my interview and was accepted all within three weeks. The evidence I prayed for was undeniably clear.…I must GO.
