Hey everyone! I’m so excited to share my thoughts, experiences, and encounters with you from this incredible journey I’m going to be participating in for the next three months, and I know it might seem unexpected that I chose to commit to something so unconventional, so I want to share a little bit of how I got here.
Ever since I was young, I’ve had the desire to try new things. Whether it was trying a new food or hobby, attempting to learn a new language, or reading a new book, I was always eager to jump at the first opportunity. When people started asking me what I wanted to do after high school, I was conflicted because I knew that college would probably be the smartest choice, but the thought of traveling and experiencing new cultures, cuisines, and climates was so intriguing to me. My mom and I began researching different programs, but I wasn’t really drawn to any of them until she stumbled across The World Race’s ‘Gapless Gap Year’, a program that would allow me to travel, earn college credit, and do mission work. It was perfect. Not only would I be able to explore Albania and Italy, but it also combined education and hands-on mission work, which was something I felt the Lord was calling me to from a young age. I immediately scheduled an interview and began praying that if this was what the Lord wanted for me, He would open the door—and now, here I am, plane tickets bought, fundraising and gathering everything I need for my trip!
One of my favorite missionary Bible verses is Romans 10:13-14, which says: ‘For, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?’ This verse is a huge motivator for me as I think about all the fears and uncertainties that lie ahead in choosing to go on a mission to a place I never imagined I’d have the opportunity to go. I’m comforted knowing that I serve a God who is so much bigger than every unknown, but at the same time, I realize that there are going to be many people who will never experience that hope—unless someone is willing to go and tell them. My biggest hope is that by the end of my trip, my teammates and I will have been that person for many.
Please pray for me and my team to have peace throughout each step of the journey, open minds and hearts, obedience and readiness for anything God calls us to, motivation for fundraising, and the finances needed for this trip. If you feel led to support me financially in any way, here is the link to my page: https://adventuresinmissions.servicereef.com/.
This is an incredible opportunity that wouldn’t be possible without the donations, prayers, and support of all of you, and I’m thrilled that I will be able to connect and share it with you through this blog!
Thank you, and I appreciate you all so much!
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