The farthest I have been from the United States is roughly 5 miles into Mexico, but I have been getting the itch to leave the continent for a missions trip. I want to be able to see first-hand what it is like to live in poverty. I want to learn about a different culture. I want to begin to break free from my ignorance. I want my heart to be broken for other countries around the world rather than live as though they do not exist. I want to not only see the world, but to see the world through God's eyes.
What I do not want from a mission experience is to take the first opportunity that comes my way. I do not want to travel for the sake of traveling. I want to make sure that I am equipped with the appropriate gifts to contribute to the team's work. I want the nature of the mission work to be something that I am 100% sold out to. After all, if I fail to fully give myself to a ministry, my effectiveness in that ministry is compromised. After hearing about my friend's opportunity, I began praying for God to show me where to go and what to do.
A common misconception is that prayer consists of a question, then eventually a response. Rather, prayer is a continual conversation that goes back and forth, requiring effort from both ends. It is worthless to pray for a specific provision, then sit still. Cautiously yet purposefully move in the direction of the provision while learning and testing the waters. When Isaac and Rebekah prayed for a child, they did not stop having sex and wait for God to miraculously answer their prayer. We know through Jesus' birth that God is certainly capable of immaculate conception, but it would not have made any sense for Isaac and Rebekah to be abstinent if they desired to have a child! Instead, they kept trying and eventually conceived. When I prayed for God to lead me to a trip, that was not my cue to sit and wait for an opportunity to arise. Instead, that was my cue to start doing some research, learn about possibilities, pray about those specific opportunities, and trust that God will allow one to stand out.
I began my research looking at Amazima ministries' website. Amazima was founded by a young woman named Katie Davis who has an incredible story of how she followed God's lead to move to Uganda after high school. (Katie is also an incredibly gifted blog writer!) My church had recently shared a video about Katie's story and collected an end of year offering to give to Amazima, so I had grown a heart for the ministry and thought visiting might be an excellent opportunity.
Through Amazima's site, I was directed to a website for an organization called Visiting Orphans. This non-profit sets its foundation on the command in James 1:27 to, among other things, look after orphans. As I scrolled through the list of available trips, I was specifically searching for a trip to Uganda to visit Amazima, but a different word caught my eye: "MUSIC!"
I've always loved music. I began singing almost as soon as I could speak, and it has grown into a tremendous passion of mine. I knew at that instant that God had answered my prayer for a mission opportunity. After completing the application process for the music missions trip, last week I was humbled to find out that I was accepted onto the team! I will be traveling to Rwanda in late spring with a team of musically gifted missionaries to spread the gospel to orphans through the means of music. I am so excited to be able to combine three of my passions (God, music, and children) into one trip that will surely change my life!
God may call some, like Katie Davis, to move to third world countries, He may call more to visit third world countries, and He may call others to stay put. Wherever He calls you, that is your mission field. You are responsible for being a light right where He has placed you. For the past twenty-some years, my mission field has been right here in North America, and I have learned to embrace it. If every Christian moved out of the United States, the chances of American hearts turning to God would be slim. Your duty to make disciples is crucial no matter where you are! However, it is important to be sure your worldly roots are shallow enough that if God ever tells you to move, you will be ready to go!
I know I will cherish my time in Rwanda: learning about the people, singing and dancing with the children, and enjoying what I've heard is a beautiful landscape. I pray that I make the most of my time there, am able to leave my worldly concerns in the US, and get lost in the mission of serving God. I pray that I can go into the trip with no expectations so God has plenty of room to teach and surprise me. I am sure the ten days will fly by, leaving my heart aching for more. But for now, I'm content with calling the United States my home. I am here for a purpose, and that purpose does not belong to me. For that, I am grateful.
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Please joing me in praying for the trip:
- Pray for the dynamic of the team (I won't meet anyone in person until we leave on May 23)
- Pray for the safety of the team
- Pray for the impact we will make on the orphans in Rwanda
- Pray that we do not return to the US unchanged
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