The Beginning of My Journey

Friends, 

As I write this today, I am both excited and a little frightened for what lies ahead of me. This is the beginning of what will be a long and beautiful journey. When I discovered World Race, I was ecstatic. I was ready to say yes the minute I looked at the website, but it was still a huge decision. And thus the struggle began. I started praying, hard. Being the person that I am, I tried to see all the angles and account for everything I could. During those couple weeks, I got frustrated and confused but God was always there. He brought me to a place where I could release this decision to Him. I’m not saying I did it perfectly, but I meant it when I said that He could have it. I gave him my hopes, my dreams, and my fears. And you know what; He didn’t give me an answer. Well, at least not the kind I wanted. There was no flash of lightning and booming voice or even a whisper that said this was what I should do. Instead, He just reaffirmed my identity in Him. He reminded me that He had promised to go with me wherever I go. He promised me a long time ago that whatever we did, we would do it together; and this was the moment when I needed to trust it. So the decision was mine. He gave me free will to make it, and He promised to take care of me no matter what I chose. I had to stop worrying about making the “right” decision and instead trust that I had the Holy Spirit inside of me, guiding me through it. I decided to say yes, and I feel great peace about my decision. Of course, I am still afraid, and the enemy still makes me doubt sometimes. But the Lord has placed a calling on my heart that I cannot ignore. He is the best at taking care of me in ways I never would have imagined. I have a long road ahead of me, but I am looking forward to every bit of it. I can’t wait to see what happens next! I will try to be as honest as I can, and I won’t sugar coat things for you. Yes, I absolutely want you to rejoice with me in my victories, but if that’s all I talked about it wouldn’t be the whole story. Right now I would appreciate prayer for my heart as I fundraise, that God would guide me in talking to the right people. I would love prayer for my family as well as we get used to the idea of me being gone for so long.