Since as long as I can remember I have had a passion to explore, travel, and to be adventurous. I have always wanted to seek the unknown and to go to places that no one else has ever been. I have always thought to myself that this was a “me dream”. A dream that I put in my mind, a dream that seemed unattainable. As time moved on, I felt a calling to people, a calling to ministry and to serve others who can’t serve themselves. Little did I know, these two things where placed on my heart by God for a specific reason and a specific time.
As many of you know I was blessed with the opportunity to be a part of a missions’ trip to the country of Belize last February. This trip would change my life forever, the things I saw in this country broke my heart. The people we met and served during this trip are people that I will never forget. A little back story on this trip, I was actually not supposed to go, I was originally scheduled to take part in a trip to Costa Rica. I was so excited for this missions’ trip, and the things that we were going to do there! About a month before our departure date I received a text stating that the trip I was supposed to go on, to Costa Rica had been cancelled and I had been moved to the Belize trip. For the month leading into my departure, I remember praying asking God why he had me switched. I knew it was for a reason, but not knowing that reason led to discouragement. As we left for this missions’ trip, I started doubting myself and saying to myself that I wasn’t good enough to be Jesus’s hand and feet.
Our third day, we had the amazing opportunity to serve at a girl’s home for abused girls ranging from the ages of 1-18. This would be the opportunity that would ultimately change my life forever. We were scheduled to be there for only two hours, and our task was simple, bring them food and eat with them, as well as play games with them. As the two hours came to a close there was a situation with one of the girls in which we believed that she was possessed. We prayed for hours, and during that time I heard God speak to me and say, “this is why you are here”. I that moment it was all clear, everything that had happened in the past month happened for a specific reason, for a specific moment.
For the next few weeks I prayed intently about the missions’ field, and if this is what God had for me. After a lot of prayer and fasting it became evident that this is why I am here, to be a servant, to help others, to be the hands and feet of Jesus. This is when the World Race came into the picture. It is something that I have known about for a few years now but never felt qualified to do. And still once I applied and was even accepted I still had that voice in the back of my head telling me that I wasn’t good enough, that I’d fail, that people wouldn’t support me. For the next few weeks I began to believe it, I started to give up and lose my excitement for fundraising. Which is a big reason why this blog post took so long for me to write.
One day I was sitting in my room, basking in his presence. I began to pray for peace, and that if this is what he had for me in this next season, that he would rid the anxiety and the thoughts going through my mind. I have been filled with his peace since, I have lost the worry, I have lost the anxiety, and I have regained the motivation and the excitement. I know that I am here for a reason, I know that this is the reason, and everything that has happened in my life leading up to this moment was for a specific reason, and a specific time. That reason is the World Race and that time is now.
I am so proud of the man you are becoming. Yes, we absolutely support you in this endeavor!