The “WHY?”

Why am I going on a World Race semesters trip? It sounds like my answer should be simple, and in some ways it is, but the reason I’m going involves much more than a one-sentence statement. Let me tell you what I know, so that maybe you can understand why it is that I’m answering God’s call to this mission.

During my 7th and 8th grade years, I went on two separate mission trips to McAllen, Texas. While I were there, I had the opportunity to serve at an immigrant family needs center. Every day over 100 people who had just crossed the border were coming to this place to get what they needed, take a shower, and disperse to their families across the U.S. I got to be a part of helping these people acquire their needs so they could keep moving along. I saw a lot of people there that had exhaustion and desperation plastered to their faces. They were mostly quiet and displayed looks of pure distress. Being there broke my heart for these people and made me passionate about serving immigrants in the future.

I suppose you could say that’s where my desire to go to Central America first came to me. I saw these people and heard their stories and empathized with their pain. I wanted to serve them and show them the redeeming love of Christ. I wanted to meet the people of Central America where they were and see their homeland and understand their language. I wanted to know them personally and support them in building up their communities. I wanted nothing more than to connect with God’s people there.

For a few years in high school, I expressed interest in moving to Central America and learning how to speak Spanish. I also wanted to be a volunteer school teacher there and travel around to different schools in the mountain villages to teach. I really thought that was what God had in store for me after high school, but as always, I changed, and God took my heart in a different direction. 

Though my desired direction in life changed a bit, I still very much wanted to travel to Central America to see God’s heart there and to know more of his people. Fortunately, I had the opportunity to go on a mission trip to Panama during my Junior year of High School. While I was there I had the privilege of putting on a VBS at several different schools and coming alongside some fellow high schoolers there to support them in what they were already doing in their community. I also developed a friendship with someone there that I’m in tough with to this day. She holds a special place in my heart and I’m so honored to have her as a close friend.

Once I got home from that trip, I knew I couldn’t stay away and would have to return in the future. I didn’t necessarily feel called to spend my life in Central America, but I knew God was calling me to go back someday and spread His love there once again.

That’s when Adventures in Missions comes into play. I knew about the organization from a trip I took through them to Housten after hurricane Harvey, so I decided to look into what other trips they offered. As you can probably gather, I discovered the Semester’s trips and saw that Central America was one of them. 

Around the time I was looking into applying for this Semesters’s trip, I planned to attend IUPUI in the fall and earn my bachelor’s in Social Work. For a while, I was convinced that this was what God had next for me, but I realized that I was limiting myself to an option after high school that I was never too keen on taking part in. I knew deep down in my heart where I felt called, it just took me a while to recognize and act on it.

Now that you know the back story, I can tell you why I’m going on this trip. The simple answer is that I’m going on this trip to grow closer to God’s heart. That statement is very true and what I’d say is the main reason why I’m going. However, some other things are true. I need some peace of mind; I need God’s healing power to cover my mind. In some ways, I need to reconnect with my own heart and passions. In other ways, I need to see God in a fresh way, to see Him move in my life and the lives around me. You see, when I’m just still; when I’m completely present, I find an overwhelming peace that only God can gift me with. And I’m needing that in my life, so I’m seeking it out; I’m seeking God out. And I’m seeking out the people of Central America.

Here I am, taking this leap of faith to seek out God’s heart. To make lasting connections with the people of Central America and the people taking this journey with me. To reconnect with the Lord and myself in a new way and allow His peace to transcend me.

So, why? Why am I going on this journey? I can only tell you what I know in this moment. And I can tell you that I’ll understand why a lot better once I’ve returned home. I expect to be changed and shaped into the woman I was created to be. I expect to see God move in incredible ways. And I expect to be transformed by my experiences in Central America. Therefore, do me a favor and check my blog at the end of April, because then I’ll truly know why I’m about to embark on this adventure; this mission. Then, I’ll wholeheartedly know why, because God will show me  throughout this trip.

Thanks for reading everyone! Come back to read my new blog post next month. Love to you all!