i’ve waited 583 days…

For the last 2 ½ months I’ve been living in Gainesville, Georgia with not only my squad of 40 people, but the entire Gap Year program with World Race. Months worth of missional training, learning how to lead myself and those around me, and being fully emerged into a deeply rooted community. A season of life I don’t regret, but one I cherish rather deeply.

But it wasn’t my initial plan. 

June 5, 2019 I received the call informing me I was accepted in World Race Gap Year! A dream I had been envisioning for an entire year before that. A few months later I would choose my route & squad: Swaziland, Ethiopia, and Cambodia with Route 3. And even after that we would receive the news that South Africa would be added to the journey. For months and weeks I built expectations for each country and place. I read blogs, watched videos, asked questions, and was counting down until September 2020 when we would finally launch. 

June 8, 2020 we all open up our emails to a contingency plan: “A semester of missional training, leadership development, and discipleship at our headquarters…”. 

The reactions were across the board. I remember hearing doubtful thoughts, confusing comments, but also some hopeful words of encouragement. At this point some of my squadmates, including myself, had been committed to the journey for over a year, and others maybe a month in. 

All expectations down the drain.

But per usual, isn’t that exactly what the Lord does? Time and time again I see my own plans twist and turn until they are in full alignment with His. And it works out for good EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. 

So I packed up my things and moved to Georgia with a bunch of strangers. I dived into my true identity, bonded with the most amazing people, and grew more than I ever knew imaginable (to hear more about what I learned during these few months check out my blog here). 

About half way through our time in Gainesville, we were all under the impression our routes would not stay the same. We liked to daydream about the possibility of care points in Swazi or teaching in Cambodia, but with safety and health in our hands we knew it wasn’t realistic. But this also brought excitement as we imagined new countries and ministry opportunities. 

And then came the last few weeks of our training on base. Announcements left and right, until Madie, our mentor, came in bearing GOOD NEWS…

In January of 2021 Gap D will be launching to Costa Rica!

All Gap Year Squads will come back together on the Georgia base on January 5th and later, on the 8th, my squad will launch internationally. 

While it wasn’t at all what we had expected, the squad is more than excited! Costa Rica is full of diverse ministry opportunities. 

Our squad will be living on an Adventure in Missions base near San Jose, participating in camp ministry, feeding programs, community outreach, evangelism, manual labor, sex trafficking ministry, and children/youth ministry. We’ll work alongside established missionaries and locals who know the needs of their country/community. 

To learn more about Costa Rica and the people we will be serving, check out the links below:

Adventure in Mission Countries Page: Costa Rica

Alumni Team Leader’s Testimony: Nicole Stepp

A Blog to Future Racers // Costa Rica: Cierra Cordak

So finally, after 583 days, the dream of serving overseas is becoming reality. It’s the provision we didn’t see coming and a journey worth the wait. 

Here’s to fulfilled promises! January 8th couldn’t come soon enough!

PS: YOU ARE APART OF THIS JOURNEY.

Whether you have given financially, subscribed to the blog, sent up a prayer, or even if this is your first time seeing my name and hearing about this ministry – you have played a part! And for that I am so grateful! I’m excited to continue to share in what God is doing all across the globe: from Gainesville, Georgia to Costa Rica. 

Want to continue in this partnership? Here are a few ways to do so:

 PRAY: All of World Race Gap Year is preparing to travel and begin ministry in several countries. Every prayer means EVERYTHING. 

 SUBSCRIBE: This blog is the place to be! There is a “Subscribe” button at the top of this page and this signs you up to receive an email (or text) every time I post a new blog. I recently joined an internship as a writer with AIM and will be posting a variety of content on this platform the next 6 months. If you want to follow other stories from the squad here are a few creative people to check out: 

Emma Austin    Wesley Cannon    Anjali Joy

 GIVE: Before moving to Georgia I received the surprising news that I was FULLY FUNDED! I could never express how grateful I am for every person who prayed into this partnership. I am grateful for YOU! As the end of the year is approaching I am also aware that many use this time to give. A few of my teammates are fundraising for a deadline in JANUARY – if you are looking for that place, I would love if you asked the Lord if it might be with my squad. I’ll link a few of those people below:

Angelina Torres   Kailey Grueser   Sydney Spears   Nicole Stepp

THANK YOU ! THANK YOU ! THANK YOU ! THANK YOU ! THANK YOU ! THANK YOU !