Mid senior year of high school I said yes to the World Race. What I didn’t realize is that I was also saying yes to another 3 months in Africa the next year as a leader.
Honestly saying yes to the World Race the first time might not have been the hardest decision I ever made. (Probably because I didn’t know what I was getting myself into yet). I was going to spend a year doing what I love most, traveling and doing missions. There were aspects that honestly scared me but were not about to scare me out of it. I trudged ahead.
I don’t think I am the only one out there that had a moment of, “What the frick did I just get myself into?” when I finally got on our first plane.
What I got myself into was way more than I could have expected.
I grew in so many ways spiritual and non spiritual. I learned so much about myself and who I was. I learned about crazy cultures and countries. I learned how to love.
I connected with my squad mates and made some of the best relationships ever with my new found brothers and sisters in Christ.
But with everything in life it wasn’t easy. I had to fundraise $16000. I had to go out of my way to find some place with decent enough wifi to call my family. I had to take cold showers. I cut grass by hand for hours in Ethiopia in the hot sun as I asked God for perspective. I had to be bold and step out and do things I was not comfortable with.
I had bad days and messed up more than once.
Yet God called me to do it again.
God has called me to go back to the middle of the bush in Africa and go through it all again except with one catch.
I am now a leader. (So basically the same thing but harder and with more responsibilities).
During my race we had a session once where we were talking about Joseph. This guy literally went from tending flocks as a farmer to second in command in Egypt.
Each season in his life he had the choice to choose into God and his promises.
God showed him where he needed to go step by step.
As he took each step of faith he had to trust that God was going to use it and that it was going to be worth it.
Was each step of faith worth it? You bet!
God used each of his yes’s to bring him to second in command of Egypt where he was able to help so many people including his own family.
Going back is not going to be easy. I will probably go through hard days and mess up a time or two. I am going to have to fundraise again. I am going to have to choose even more into doing the hard thing each day and setting an example for my new team mates. I am also giving up another 3 months.
I have said yes to 3 more months and we will see what happens. I know that God is using this to build me up to another yes. I know that whatever he has planned for this next season is going to be so worth it.
I am so excited.
“God does not call the qualified, but qualifies the called”
