Our God is Persistent

Hello everyone!

Whether you are here because you stumbled across my page or because I somehow talked you into checking out my blog, I am thankful for you.

By this time, you probably know that I am getting ready to embark on the adventure of a lifetime: The World Race. Before I dive into how God put this desire on my heart, here is a little bit of a back story on The World Race and what I will be doing for the next 11 months.

The World Race is a program made up of 21-35 year-olds that are the hands and the feet of God. Each “squad” is made up of 20-30 people and together we will be traveling to four different regions. Each region will have a hub country with a host that we have a deep relationship with. Racers will receive cultural and ministry training from hub leaders that will prepare them to effectively engage in their region. Then hub leaders will work with the squad leadership and will mobilize them to meet needs and engage in ministry opportunities in surrounding countries. 

Sound confusing? Let me sum it up for you. For 11 months, I will be traveling the world with a bunch of people my age and together we will be serving, on His behalf, the nations.  We will meet the needs of our ministry partners in the same way that the Lord meets our needs.  “We love each other because he loved us first.” – 1 John 4:19

As I prepare for this trip, a question I get a lot is “Kayla why is this something you want to do? Why not just take the conventional path?”  So the past several weeks I have really been thinking.  Why do I want to go? Should I just do what is ‘safe’ and get a full time job after graduation?  Will leaving all I know to live out of a backpack and travel the world with a bunch of stranger be worth it? 

Before we move forward to answer these questions let me take you back.  Let me take you back to the beginning; let me take you back to when God first placed this desire on my heart.  

When I was young (about 5 or 6) my babysitter had some family who were full time missionaries who were living in Southeast Asia.  This family had a young boy about my age and when they would come back to the states we would always play together.  It was during this time, without me knowing, that God was planting seeds in my heart for missions.  I always enjoyed hearing their stories and hearing how great God was in this far off place that I had never heard of before.  It was such a pure and innocent season of life. 

Fast forward a few years … about 10 to be exact.

I was a junior in high school and the sweetest little lady from my home church was planning a trip to build stoves in Guatemala.  It was like a buzzer went off inside of me and I realized that I had had this desire for missions in my heart this whole entire time.  She invited me to be a part of this trip and I could not be more excited!  My mom on the other hand was less than thrilled to be sending her young daughter to another country my herself.

In the following weeks, my mom tried to come up with every possible reason as to why I could not go on this trip.  Each week we would come to church, the sweet little lady (lets call her Winnie) would come rushing over to us and explain how she solved whatever problem my mom saw with me going.  Then my mom would come up with another hurdle she was struggling to get over in sending me, and the next Sunday, Winnie would come rushing back over to explain how, by the grace of God, she had found yet another solution.  Y’all this went on for WEEKS.  

Then finally, the last hurdle my mom was struggling with was sending me by myself into a situation she had never been in herself.  This seemed to be the biggest hurdle of them all.  

Sunday morning rolls around.  

Winnie comes rushing over once again and says: “Great news!! There is room on the trip for the both of you so now you can travel together!” 

Then my brother looks down at the church pew to my mom and says “How many times are you going to tell God no?”

I think it is important to tell you this story because that is how God relit the fire inside me for missions.  He used my mothers (very reasonable) doubts to show me how persistent He truly is.  

Fast forward to summer 2019.

I was listening to a Podcast and it just so happened to be a bonus episode where this gal was talking about her World Race adventure.  She invited some of the other squad members from her trip and they just talked.  Talked about their adventure and what all God had done in their lives with The World Race.  I really enjoyed the episode and thought The World Race sounded like an awesome experience, but I never looked into it.  Honestly, I kind of forgot The World Race even existed.  

Then one day, in January 2020 I was driving down the highway and all of a sudden “you need to go on The World Race” popped in my head.  

Wait what? Hold up.  So you’re telling me that I’m driving down the highway, months have passed since I ever even thought about The World Race, and now I somehow thought up that I need to go on this thing? 

It was in that moment of silence that I heard God loud and clear.  There is no way that I could have come up with that thought on my own.  

How on earth did I get here then?  To writing my first blog post and preparing to ACTUALLY go on this crazy adventure? 

After I was sure that God was speaking to me, I realized that I had to listen.  God was calling me into something much bigger than myself.  He was calling me to be a part of The Great Commission given in Matthew 28:19.  

Let’s go back to the beginning and all of those big scary questions.  

Would it be easier to stay where I am comfortable, get a big girl job, and live a happy life serving the Lord?  Will living out of a backpack be glamorous? Will living in community for the next 11 months sometimes be really hard?   

Now let me flip all of those questions on their head.

Would I feel like I am completely ignoring the desire the Lord has placed on my heart if I don’t go? Will living out of a backpack allow me to live a life of abandonment and teach me to fully rely on Him?  Will living in community allow me to learn how to love God’s children on a deeper level than I ever have before? 

Here’s the BIG question:    Why go?

I go because the Lord has placed this desire on my heart from a very young age and in every stage of life He has softened my heart to being His hands and His feet in the nations.

I go because living a comfortable life and ignoring the voice of God is more fearful to me than leaning into Him and fully trusting Him. 

I go because our God is persistent. 

I go because our God is faithful.

I go because we have a good good Father.