Hi everyone!
In this blog post, I’m going to explain why I’m going on the World Race. This was a big decision for me to make and I will admit, it was and is a little bit terrifying to think about simply because I never expected to have this calling in my life.
From the age of 5, all I’ve ever wanted was to be a teacher. Sure I explored some other options such as being a lawyer or a nurse or even a police officer but none of these options ever stuck with me for very long. That is because I was so sure of who I was going to be and where my life would take me. And because of this certainty of what I wanted to be I came up with a plan, but I think we all know exactly how God feels about our human plans. “Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.” Proverbs 19:21. And so, last year God began to work on my heart and I was captivated by Him and His love.
In the Spring of 2021, about five or six months after I was baptized, Pastor Colin from my church reached out to me about a new class called “Foundations.” It was a Bible Study class all about establishing a firm foundation of faith in God and it could not have come around at a better time. I was struggling to keep up with all of the things that I was apart of in school and I was scared that my faith would suffer because of all of my obligations. So, I applied to the class and I got in. Every week, we were challenged with something new and every single day I spent hours reading my Bible and praying. It was truly one of the best experiences of my life because God was at the center of it. One week was devoted entirely to Evangelism: Sharing the Gospel. This was one of the more challenging weeks for me because it required me to go out of my comfort zone and to let my heart be on fire for the Gospel. During this week, I began to research missionary programs for young adults.
By the time graduation from the course came around, I mission work was still on my mind but I was unsure whether I was ready to take the leap and to really begin thinking about it seriously so I waited. And again, God reached out to me through my church and pastors with the opportunity to serve nearly a full week at Mission Centers Houston. Both me and my brother, Mark, decided to go; him on the middle school trip and me on the high school trip. The days were long and there was always work to be done, from cleaning up the kitchen to working with the people from the community. And it was so worth it. True, I was exhausted by the end, mentally, physically and spiritually but I have never felt anything like what it was when I was on that trip. I had a true and clear purpose and so did the people around me. All of us were working together towards a singular goal: to know Christ and make Him know.
Coming back from that brief but insanely meaningful trip, I had a hard time adjusting to life as I had always known it. Mostly because it was such a difference; on the mission trip, I had a clear purpose and a group to do things with. At home I didn’t know my everyday purpose and my time with God was just Him and I. And so, I knew. I was going to go on a year long mission trip. I was going to devote my life to Christ and to have Him as my clear and singular goal. That is why I chose to go on this trip with the World Race, because I want God to be my sole devotion. I want to wake up everyday and to choose to serve Him in amazing ways. So that’s what I’m going to do.
I want to be a reflection of Jesus, to have every single thing I do bring glory to God and to save people. That’s what missions do, they bring people closer to God. Not only the people who they reach out to, but also the people who go on them and who support them. If you want to grow closer to God and to join me on this journey of seeking Him, please feel free to become apart of my support. Supports comes in many different ways: prayer, advise, donations or even just contacting me and having a conversation about Christ so that I can practice spreading His word.
All of these things will help during my trip and I am so incredibly grateful for you, reader, for just taking time out of your day to help me share my testimony. So thank you and have an amazing day! Don’t be scared to reach out with any questions or prayer requests you may have, I would love to help you in any way that I can.
“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Ephesians 2:10
Thanks again for reading!
Sincerely, Emma
