Since I was accepted to the World Race Gap Year back in February, I have encountered a lot of folks who are confused as to what it is exactly. Some believe it is a pretty rad vacation, or something like the Amazing Race on TV. To be fair, the whole “World Race” part is a bit misleading, and perhaps I just haven’t done a great job of explaining what it is and what will be involved. The purpose of this post is to answer those questions/thoughts you may have about this program.
The World Race Gap Year is a program run by Adventures in Missions, which has been around for quite some time, and has sent countless folks abroad to spread the Good News to those who haven’t been reached. The Gap Year I’m doing is a nine month mission trip that will take me to Ecuador, India, and Zambia. During the course of the trip we’ll be doing all sorts of things, from working with kids, to working with churches. We may teach English in a school one week, we may help put a roof on a school the next. We may do door-to-door ministry in Hyderabad, and move on to ministering to sex trafficking victims in Ongole. There’s so much more involved ministry-wise that I can’t fit it all into this post without folks closing this link halfway through. You get the idea though; it’s a nine month mission.
Also during the course of the nine months there’s no guarantee we’ll have a bed to sleep in, so we’re bringing tents, sleeping mats, and sleeping bags. No four diamond hotels! There’s also no guarantee we’ll have fresh (clean) water or food, meaning all we can do in those situations is sit back and pray we aren’t overcome by the Punjab Two-Step (also known as Montezuma’s Revenge, Delhi Belly, the Haitian Sensation, or simply dysentery). Yes, I might end up with worms at some point, but I am not afraid of such things. Okay, maybe I’m a little afraid, but God’s got it!
There’s again so much more involved with this mission trip that I can’t fit it all into this post and expect folks to read it. It’s going to be rough at times, and absolutely joyful at others. I’m going to miss everyone here in the States, but I will not be alone on this trip. I have an awesome God backing me up, therefore I need not be afraid of the unkown (or the known). Lastly, as I think more and more about the title of this post I am quite tickled by it, because it is definitely no fishing trip. Yet it is at the same time. It just isn’t the kind of fishing trip you’re thinking of. Instead of fishing for marine life, we’re fishing for human lives. Our goal is to spread the Gospel to those who have never heard it, to bring hope to the hopeless, and to build relationships with our brothers and sisters in Christ who are the minority in their countries.
“One day as Jesus was walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers-Simon, also called Peter, and Andrew-throwing a net into the water, for they fished for a living. Jesus called out to them, ‘Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!’ And they left their nets at once and followed him.” – Mathew 4:18-20 NLT
“Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20 NLT
