Whenever I share with people that I will be doing the World Race next year, the first question, without fail, is "Why?"

"Why would you be gone from everything you know for a year?"

"Why would you decide to do the World Race instead of getting a job?"

"Why are you going to do missions work in other countries?"

"Why the World Race?"

All of those questions have not only crossed other people's minds, but my own sometimes as well. I want to take the time and explain why I have decided to put "my life on hold," travel to 11 different countries, and leave everything familiar for 11 months.

Like I previously mentioned in my last blog (go check it out if you haven't already :), the Lord called me into missions work in High School. Ever since that moment I knew that I would be ministering, traveling, and loving on people. A year ago, I decided to go on a mission trip to Alaska, as well as spend five weeks in Costa Rica. I had a lot of anxiety going into these two mission trips mainly because I was scared that it would hit me that I wasn't meant to be a missionary. I had inner turmoil, but in the end, God blessed those trips and by the end of both of them, He confirmed that my purpose in life was to be a missionary. I felt like from that point forward, instead of being anxious or doubting my calling and to "just go" where the Lord is calling me.

With that little back story, that is the biggest reason why I am going on the World Race. I was sitting in my room, realizing that my life was going to begin in a couple months, once I finish my degree, and I began to look at my future. I remember going to the World Race website, beginning the application, and then leaving it open for a few days. My anxiety was getting the best of me, and I did not finish that application for two weeks. Once again, I was self-doubting, but out of nowhere I told myself I would finish it. I cannot remember how much time had passed once I received the text that I was moving onto the next step, and then all of a sudden I was told that I was accepted. And the biggest moment that I remember from that conversation about being accepted was when she asked me, "Do you need to take some time to think about if the World Race is something you want to do?" And without hesitation, I replied, "No, the Lord is calling me to go, so I am going to just go."

Apart from the Lord calling me to go on the World Race, He is calling me to be a disciple and to make disciples. The World Race is a great opportunity for me to reach people and to experience God's people. I know that my life will be blessed with this opportunity, so I am diving right into it.