Every teenager has the same question in their mind senior year of high school: “What am I going to do with my life?”.
I know that feeling all too well.
I had never considered not attending a University the year after graduation, much less doing something more expensive than college at home. The idea of a trip such as this was only an inkling in my mind, and I expected much less from that thought than I like to admit. I didn’t know this would be my decision until I made it. My idea of a process was a random thought turned into something serious. (I guess my mom is right, I can be impulsive)
When I first discovered World Race, it was through a random search on google that read “Mission Gap Year Programs”. WR showed up as the second or third option on the computer, but even the named pulled me toward it.
The more I read, the more enticed I became. Yes, there were a few saddening revelations, (learning that I’d mostly get cold showers, discovering how little I would be able to communicate with my family and friends, and the possibility of weird food…etc), but there were also so many things that pulled me toward this mission. As I discussed the possibility of applying with my parents, this became more and more apparent to me. Eventually, it simply came down to a yes or a no. After two or three weeks of praying and asking for God to reveal His plan for me, I decided that applying was the right decision.
The process of applying was lengthy and sometimes painful, as it brought up regrets from my past, things I continue to struggle with, and things that I wish I could have said about myself.
When I was officially accepted I couldn’t help by cry with both gratefulness and joyfulness.
Throughout my life I have never desired so deeply or felt so called by my savior to participate in something of this magnitude. Nor have I ever felt so confident in Jeremiah 29:11, which states:
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
