How did I end up here?!

Hey friends!! Since I’m one month into being on The Race, I guess now would be a good time to explain how I landed here!

Back in October of 2022 I spent some time asking The Lord what He had for me next. I did not know if that was going to be buying a house in Houston, renting an apartment with some friends, doing ATS (Antioch Training School; a 9-month discipleship program) with my local church, moving out of state or heck maybe even the country? To be honest, the thought of working on a cruise ship in entertainment was also a thought floating around in my head. I was open to wherever The Lord was calling me to, I just needed to hear Him tell me.

I dedicated 30 days of November to a prayer journal. The first ten days were labeled “surrender.” Surrendering any plans, ideas, desires, that I had for my life to God. The second ten were labeled “dream.” Dreaming with Jesus what I do want for my life. I talked about marriage, kids, community, jobs, location of where I would like to end up, nothing was off the table. The last ten were “clarity” I would sit in silence for ten minutes before beginning my journal and just ask The Lord if He had anything he wanted to speak to me and would write anything I felt Him saying.

After I looked back on the journal there was one correlating theme. The World Race. “What?!” How?! Why?!” That wasn’t one of the options….I had only heard of The World Race back in 2016 when I saw someone else do it through their social media. Surely I missed something, and that is not what The Lord really had for me….Why would He want me to leave my family and friends for eleven months?! He wanted ME to sleep in a tent? With porta potties, and taking bucket showers?! I for sure thought I was being bamboozled. I took the leap and applied. I just remember telling Jesus if this was His plan I would do it, BUT I asked He make it super clear.

I applied, had an interview, and got accepted into The Race two weeks later!! WOOOHOO. I remember being so excited but also so confused. What about my friends? My family? My job? What was I going to do being away for eleven months straight? “Lord, you want ME to live out of a backpack for a YEAR?! I hate camping, surely you playing.”

Although I was excited, I still was not convinced this was the plan The Lord had for me. Looking back, it more so did not align with the path I thought my life was on. I kept begging He make it more clear. I would pray for dreams, for people in church to pray over me, anything. I reached out to my friends and community and let them in on where I was in the process. I told them everything I was thinking and allowed them to speak into it. One of them recommended I do a weekend away (a weekend in an Airbnb, with no distractions, no work, no outside voices, just The Lord and me. Daily just asking God what He wanted to talk about.) They said it was helpful for them in making decisions with God, and it might be what I needed. I brushed off the idea because I was in the mindset of “If God wants to talk to me, He can do it right here.” Oh how prideful I can be lol. Three months passed and I still was not sure if this was something The Lord wanted me to do. I was seeking Him daily, reaching out to my mentors, and asking my community to pray into this with me and was starting to get frustrated with God. Why aren’t you saying anything?! It’s been three months! SPEAK.

The next morning, I got a call from a past client, who I knew was following Jesus. It started off with them calling me asking about a house and turned into an hour long therapy session of where I was at in life. They asked how I was really doing, and out came the floodgates. I told them I was mad at God, I did not understand why he wasn’t talking to me, I didn’t know what to do anymore. The husband, Philip, talked about how he had been in a similar position of struggling to hear God, and felt frustrated with Him. And what did he suggest I do? You guessed it, a weekend away. He told me how when he found himself in this season of life, he packed up shop and spent a weekend camping with no distractions. He said not to go into the weekend with any expectations of what I wanted God to talk to me about, but to go in open handed and see what He wants to speak into. After moaning and groaning for a week over it, I finally did it. I was just desperate to hear Gods voice again.

It was probably two nights into doing this little getaway that I was just minding my own business, watching a movie, that I heard The Lord say “You are going to go on The World Race.” I felt an IMMENSE amount of peace that covered me, and I knew it was a peace that only comes from The Father. After ten long months of feeling I would never hear from God, I can confidently say I know this is exactly where The Lord wants me.

Looking back, I can so clearly see how every conversation leading up to this, every encounter, every ministry I’ve served in has prepared me for The Race and I couldn’t be more excited. My heart is open to what God is going to do in me, my team, and the locals we will be serving. I’ve already met so many people who have poured into me, taught me so much, and shown me more of who God is, and I am so excited to bring you along on this journey with me!

How can you be praying for me?! Thanks for asking! I would love prayer in:

• God would move in the hearts of those reading my blogs to come to know Him!!
• People would see the love of God through the way my teammates and I love each other and the people we encounter
• More intimacy with God, learning more about who He is, that He would reveal Himself in ways I haven’t seen before
• Safe travels for my teammates and I while we are going from country to country, and while we are traveling within the country
• More opportunities to share the gospel with locals and tourists