I am writing this post to explain to everyone why I chose the World Race over other mission trips.
Rewind: In a previous blog, I wrote how God put me in the position to pursue missions in general. So I will start there: I know, without a doubt in my mind, that God has placed a passion in my heart for global missions in this season of my life. I had no idea where I would go, what I would be doing, or how long I'd be doing it. I expected someone else would decide that for me. I just knew I had to go. "Now the Lord said to Abram, 'Go forth from your country, and from your relatives and from your father's house, to the land which I will show you;' So Abram went forth as the Lord had spoken to him" Genesis 12:1,4a
Right around November/December 2011, I began reaching out to people who I knew could help me in my pursuit of being a missionary. I had no idea where to start on my own. I didn't have a clue how people even became missionaries. I knew it wasn't just quitting their "jobs" in America and flying to some unknown destination and building a life there. So, I did the only thing I could think of and that was to reach out to the "Glocal (global & local) missions corrdinator" at my church. (Thank God we had one!)
She was thrilled to see a young adult with the passion for missions so we met and she gave me quite a few avenues to go and look into. I didn't want just a week or two trip. I knew I needed to go for an extended period of time. One of those avenues was the IMB (International Missions Board). Ok, I grew up in the Southern Baptist Church and I was very familiar with the IMB (and Lottie Moon, GA & RA's, Acteens, etc.) So I put all my time and energy into their Journeyman program.
I just knew this was what God wanted me to do. I was putting all my eggs in one basket and not even researching other mission boards and organizations. I was southern baptist so I thought God wanted me to go with the southern baptist mission board. I heard a story of my pastor starting his missionary journey with the journeyman program throught the IMB and I was like, "chaching! this is it!"
I transferred my life back to Fredericksburg. I put all my stuff into a storage unit and moved back into Mom and Dad's house. I quit working full-time and transferred into a 20-hr/week position with my job. I left my Church family, my friends, and my life that I had built in Richmond. It was all for a purpose: to be able to up and leave when God said it was time.
Funny thing is though: God had another plan. I was praying that God will bless my application, prepare the hearts of those that would see it, and prepare me spiritually to take on this path. I was ready. I was prepared. I got a phone call from a representative at the IMB! He told me that my application looked great and that I was on the right path. Then he told me that I was too old for the Journeyman program.
WHAT?! Too old?! How can someone be too old for something God has called them too?? I was devistated. For a while, I thought God had completely slammed the door in my face with missions. I thought I had left everything in Richmond for no reason. I wanted to go back. I missed it. I yelled at God asking him why He took me away from everything that I loved. My plans were shattered.
I knew the story didn't end there. A few weeks later, I got the motivation to seek other avenues in missions. I was talking to a friend one night (her husband was eavesdropping) about things and that I had finally gotten back in the game and was looking at other options. They both mentioned The World Race (and a few other things). I stopped and realized that my cousin had mentioned that a friend of hers had gone on the World Race a few years ago. I didn't pay much attention at the time because I was going the route of the IMB. So when I got home, I Googled a few things. I tried contacting someone from the VA Baptist Mission Board about their 1-2 year programs for missionaries. I had also looked into several other mission boards, but none of them really spoke to me the way the World Race did.
I applied to the World Race and spent the next several days on the website learning as much as I could about them and reading blogs and watching videos. I was almost addicted to retaining as much information as I could. I scheduled an interview and prayed over everything. I knew that this was going to be hard work. I had to raise so much money in only a few months! But I was completely excited about the possiblility of going on this trip.
I craved the community that I would have with my teammates. "Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles. And all those who had believed were together and had all things in common; and they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need. Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved." Acts 2:43-47
I craved the experience I would get in the different countries. I know that God would work in my heart and open my eyes to my specific gifts and calling in ministry. He would put a passion in my heart for a certain people group and have me gain the experience that I would need to fulfill a life of full-time ministry if that is where the Lord is calling me.
I had the interview and was even more excited about the possibliity of working with others from different denominations! I have slightly been intimidated by other forms of worship, but God is teaching me that everyone worships Him differently. And people just express being filled with the Holy Spirit in many ways (I cry…not just a little, but waterfalls come out of my eyes!) I have always stood by my belief that not one denomination is better than the other as long as we all have Christ as the center. Nothing else matters as long as Christ is our core. I cannot wait to see how God will work in my heart and grow me and open my mind to beliefs other than baptist.
So I was held in suspense for a week while I waited for the official word back from the World Race. I was so excited when they told me they thought I was a great candidate for a trip like this! I told everyone around me! 🙂
This will be challenging. I am not always going to like living in a tent or sleeping on the ground sometimes. I will probably freak out many times because a bug crawled on me. I will want a shower. I will get tired of squatting over a hole to use the bathroom. I will be beaten down physically, emotionally, and spirtually. This will not be an easy task. But it is a task that my Lord is calling me to so I am going. "Then I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, 'Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?' Then I said, ' Here am I. Send me!'" Isaiah 6:8
