It is officially only two days until I leave for Georgia! I cannot believe it is already almost here!

A major praise!! I am fully funded! Praise God! I seriously want to thank all of you who have supported me financially and prayed for me during this time of fundraising. I appreciate every one of you and couldn’t have done this without you all!

Before I leave for Georgia, I just wanted to hop on here and share with all of you my “why”.

Last year, during the second half of my senior year, I had a professor who taught a semester long speech class. It was one of the first few days of the class, we had finished our notes for the day, and the professor gave us an assignment. This assignment wasn’t anything related to a speech. He told us to go home and write down our “why”. Why we were taking this class, why we wanted to do what we wanted to do, why we wanted to be what we wanted to be… We were to start with something broad and continue asking why. Like when a little child asks their parents why over and over again until the parent finally ends with “because I said so”. He told us everything has a “why”, and once you know that “why”, everything you do has a new purpose. He then asked all of us what our “why” was. What was our “why” in life. We were allowed to take the prompt in any direction we wished, we simply had to boil our response down to a final “why”. A big road map that leads to one final destination—except the destination is really the starting place.

Decision day was coming up in a few short months and I had no idea what I was going to do with my life. I was left in this cloud of confusion, not knowing where I should go or what I should do. Everyone around me was choosing schools and picking majors, and I felt stuck at a standstill. I always figured I would go to college right after high school, get a degree in something, and then get a job. Then, I would have the rest of my life laid out. But something about that idea didn’t sit right with me. It felt too easy, too guaranteed. I was left in this grey space of wanting to do more but not knowing what I could do, not even knowing I had other options. It was around this time that I was first introduced to the World Race.

Throughout high school, I’d done various service projects and I had really seen God’s heart for His people. From sorting clothes at donation sites, to serving at food pantries, I knew this was something that could be used to glorify God. Missions is something that God has repeatedly put on my heart over the years. I’d had opportunities to go on mission trips in the past, but little things always got in the way of me going on them. I’d be afraid I wouldn’t know anyone else going or I’d get really sick right beforehand… But looking back at these opportunities that fell through, I see why they did. I wasn’t yet willing to surrender all I had. But the Lord knew that wasn’t the end. He had been working in my heart the past few years, showing me what it means to truly live for Christ. To put down the other things of the world and to pick up my cross.

A friend of mine had felt a similar feeling as me, a deep passion to serve the Lord and His people around the world. She had looked into different mission programs and gap years and was specifically drawn to the World race gap year program. Upon hearing about the possibility of something like this, I began to look into programs like it. After lots of prayer and research, I felt like I finally had something to pursue. I looked more into the program and what it entailed, and I felt it was the Lord sending an answer to my prayers. For the first time in months, I felt peace over my next few steps. Excitement even. One of the next few days later, I learned that my professor’s son was doing the World Race gap year at that same time and was having an amazing, life changing experience. It felt like even more confirmation from the Lord that this was where He wanted me.

So, back to my “why”.

I had many reasons as to why I wanted to do this trip, but it all came down to one main thing.

Why would i willingly choose to pack my life into a backpack and move across the world for nine months, leaving behind everything I’ve ever known, experienced, and loved? Because it’s what God has called me into.

Is it convenient? Not exactly. Is it comfortable? Definitely not.

But in a world full of convenient, comfortable “christianity”, we are called to be more. We are called to go and make disciples. Whether that is right across the street from your workplace, talking with the homeless person who is in need of hope, or across the world with the person who has never heard the name of Jesus. We have been given a call, and it is our job to live it out! To follow it. To plant seeds and let the Lord grow them. He always has and He will continue to. Sometimes all it takes is a singular person, willing to answer the call.

So there is the main reason behind my “why”. As always, I appreciate your guys’ support! I can’t wait to keep updating you on all that the Lord is doing!

Much love,

abby