Responding to a Call

Growing up, my dad would always tell me stories from the summer he spent in Australia in between college semesters. I heard about the friendships, ministry, and adventures that he had there and felt drawn to that sort of lifestyle. From an early age, I sensed God calling me to leave what was familiar and follow him outside of my comfort zone. During high school and college I traveled to several different countries on short-term trips. These life-changing experiences reinforced the idea that God was challenging me to live a radical life, one that saw everyday encounters as opportunities for Him to use me in powerful ways. I pursued that missional lifestyle at home in Boerne, Texas, but the urge to experience living in another culture stuck with me.

(Praying for infirmary patients in Jamaica, 2018)

As college came to a close, I began considering my next steps. I knew I wanted to continue my education, but I was feeling a bit disenchanted with the academic world and not looking forward to jumping into more formal education. I wanted to learn about living in another culture with a foreign language. I longed to grow in hearing God’s voice and relying on the Holy Spirit in every moment. I desired a chance to unleash all the gifts, confidence, and authority that God had been building up inside of me. I knew I would not find these things in reading more books about ministry and writing more Chicago-style papers. Therefore, I commenced the search for longer-term opportunities to serve cross-culturally and discovered a multitude of mission trips and organizations. As I prayed through all the options, God repeatedly brought the World Race back across my path. He began to show me how he could use this trip to shape my life and the lives of others forever. First, by living outside of the United States for eleven months, I could gain a greater understanding of life as a full-time missionary. I could experience the reality of life far from home and all the challenges it presents. The Race would allow me to see if I could thrive in that setting, and if it might be something God is calling me to do with my life. Additionally, I could walk side-by-side with missionaries who are currently living in these places, learn from their experiences, and draw from their wisdom. Also, traveling to eleven different countries would allow me to experience what church and missions looks like in a variety of contexts from Latin America, to Southeast Asia. Perhaps, God might even awaken a passion in me for one of these areas that leads me to eventually move there as a full-time missionary.

I eagerly anticipate all the ways that God will use this trip to grow and challenge me. However, I am just as excited about how He will use this trip to impact the lives of others. I will be traveling to areas of Southeast Asia that are predominantly unreached with the message of Jesus, and my heart leaps at the thought that people there might come to have a relationship with Jesus because of the interactions that I have with them. Even for someone to hear and understand the Gospel for the first time through my conversations with them would be a huge blessing. Furthermore, as we spend time serving with vocational missionaries around the world, I pray that God will use me as a vessel of encouragement to them.

Ultimately, the Lord brought all these things together to confirm in my heart that the World Race would be a great next step for me. He has given me a peace in my Spirit and certainty in my heart that this is where he is calling me to be for the next year.