Why the World Race

Why do you want to give up your life here to become a missionary?

This is a question I’ve been asked a lot since I first said I wanted to be a missionary five years ago, and one I’ve had to ask myself often as my college graduation has drawn nearer and plans for the future have begun. I’m never exactly sure how to respond. I want to point to a huge burning bush moment where the Lord physically told me this is what He wanted for me, I always think people will be more convinced or that I’ll feel more secure if I can mold my experiences to be like that. But in reality that’s not really how He works, at least not for me. I could tell you about my first overseas mission trip to Nicaragua and how that trip stirred up my heart for missions or about all my experiences on trips since then, but I don’t think that really answers the question. Why do you want to give up your life here to become a missionary? The answer is pretty simple: my Father’s children are suffering and He has asked me to love them.

Many years ago I prayed that God would break my heart for what breaks His, and since then He has opened my eyes to the injustice of our world and shown me how far we are from who we were meant to be. Its no secret that our world is broken and crumbling under the weight of the enemies presence and corruption. We have fallen from the shalom, the true peace God created us to live in at His side. We are created in the image of our God to be beloved children, yet millions of image bearers around the world are pushed to the sides and told they have no place or worth.

All those years ago Jesus stepped out of His place of comfort and majesty to love a broken world. He came to love and minister to us so that we could once again enter into shalom with the Father. I believe that as a Christian I have a similar purpose, to step out of the comfort of privilege I have and love a broken world so that they can know the love and peace of their Father. I know this doesn’t require me traveling around the world to developing countries and that this work is just as important in our places of comfort. But I have felt the call to go. A call to love the women, children, and people groups who are consistently at the highest risk of abuse, oppression, and exploitation in communities and countries far less privileged than mine. I want to become a missionary to show “the least of these” how loved and valued they are in the Kingdom of God.

The World Race is my first step towards this calling. For 11 months I will travel across the Global South living with so many different communities and working in different forms of ministry. I am so excited to witness the ways the Holy Spirit is moving in the countries I will visit and to be part of it in some small way. My hope is that in this time I will learn my place in this work and that the World Race will prepare me for my future life as a missionary. I know there are a lot of things I have to sacrifice for this calling, my life is going to look a lot different than I once thought it would. But that sacrifice will be forgotten when I stand in heaven beside the people I was called to love. I am so excited to begin this journey, and I ask that you will partner with me throughout it by praying over our travels and all the people we will get to meet.