The Beginning of an Amazing Journey

Throughout my life I have heard many messages and sermons about missions and the call to share God’s Word around the world.  Of course with each of these, the speaker spoke of the importance of being a missionary not only around the world, but also where God has placed you. Each time I heard one of these messages, I always told myself, “Missions is not the thing for me. I can do that right where I am. God has other plans for me. I don’t need to go around the world.”

From the time I was a small child I always knew I wanted to be a pediatric nurse. I love children and also find the medical field quite fascinating. Over this past year God has really been speaking to me and working in my life. I am beginning to realize that I have been focusing on what I want and ignoring what may be God’s plan for me, just because it may be too difficult or I’m “not good enough” to do God’s work. I am planning to go to college for Pediatric Nursing, but I am now much more open to where God may lead me through that.

God has used many messages, verses, songs, books, and people in my life this year to show me that the most important thing there is in life is a relationship with Christ and following Him in everything that I do. I have been making sacrifices, many of which are very difficult, and frankly these are sacrifices I really did not want to make. I know that parts of my life need to be ripped from my selfish grip and given over to God and His will. This is not an easy task; I must die to myself daily. There are days where I feel as though I can do nothing for His kingdom. I’m a 17 year old girl from the only town in Pennsylvania, how can I make a difference in the world?

God has shown me that I don’t need to be the world’s superhero, I just need to love. The greatest example there could possibly be is Christ’s death on the cross.  To the world, He didn’t seem to be anyone special either, yet He showed the greatest act of love there could ever be. God has shown me that by just loving one person I am making a difference.  My goal in life is to show Christ’s love. God has given me a desire to help those especially needy. I don’t just mean people who are poor, but who need love, Christ’s love.

Through much prayer, God has laid it on my heart to serve in other countries. I have the amazing opportunity to serve Him in Costa Rica this summer through an organization called Matrix Ministries. The trip is planned for July 18-26.  The team will be serving at Hogar de Vida Children’s Home and Iglesia Biblica in Atenas, Costa Rica. We will be working odd jobs such as painting and other small repairs. We will also be spending time loving the children at the orphanage through crafts, games, and music.

I am so excited for this amazing opportunity that God has placed in my life. I can't wait for this particular trip and all of the future travels that may be in store. I ask for you to pray for me as I prepare to go to Costa Rica, as well as my future in missions and God's Will in every aspect of my life. Specifically, I ask that you pray that I would be able to show Christ's love and live my life accordingly. I long to make a difference, even in the smallest of ways. Teaching the children and families of Costa Rica about Jesus is a great start. I also ask that you pray for safety as I travel and while I am in Costa Rica. 

I plan to post as much as I can about my preparation before the trip, what I'm learning leading up to the trip, and of course all about it after I return. I plan to continue this blog after my Costa Rica trip, knowing that whatever God's Will is for my life, I can serve Him here or in another country. 

I would love for you to follow my journey of seeking God's will and serving Him wherever he may lead. If that happens to be all over the world...well, I'd be perfectly fine with that :) I thank you in advance for your thoughts and prayers. I can not express how much it means to know that fellow believers have me in mind and pray for my life. I want to end this post with a quote that I love. "Don't shine so that others can see you. Shine so that, through you, others can see Him." My goal in life is exactly what this quote says, I want Christ to shine through my life so that every person I meet and know can say, "I see Christ shining through her." Wouldn't that be amazing?