Its the risk,
GOD,
my faith is willing to take. 

This is my anthem- what  I believe more than anything. And more than ever. I try to say this as humbly as possible… I was not made  the common. Mundane. Ordinary. In fact I feel suffocated by it. Because of that, I try to live my everyday with some bit of adventure, excitement, finding the unordinary, uncommon, different in even the simplest of ways. Right now, it is not so simple. I finally have an opportunity to go to Africa- a dream 15 years in the making and only 27 days away from coming true.

If I could today, I move somewhere in the world and live among another people group, another language, another world… so I could take in all of the beauty of the differences, and see them the way my God sees them. Kenya will be just a two week adventure into this unknown world. A new language I have never experienced. A new level of poverty I have never seen. A completely different world. And yet…I have never been more excited or more ready for something like this. 

I know the risks that come with going to Africa. Having already spent a decent amount on vaccines for Tetanus, Typhoid, Malaria, and soon Yellow Fever, that alone would scare some people from embarking on a trip t o Africa. There are definite safety risks. To be honest, I am not even sure of what they all are. Frankly, I am not really nervous or scared of it- maybe my ignorance really is bliss right now. And of course, there is a financial strain. It definitely is a risk to give up almost all of my finances that don’t pay bills to send myself to Kenya. I’m not fundraising or sending support letters. I’m supporting myself with my money for this trip- I just felt like I needed to. I would not mind having people just willing to pay for my trip [and future ones]. But I felt like with this trip, I could not wait for other people to help me. God has allowed for me to have a job that can [barely] provide for my financial need on this. It is indeed a sacrifice, but one worth it. 

With all of this, I fully believe God has been preparing me for Kenya. Spiritually, physically, mentally, and emotionally I feel like I’m ready. Finally. The door was opened 9 months ago for me to pray about going and now I am because I believe it is where I am supposed to be. This is not just a two week short term missions trip. It is a trip to try the field. Could this be where I become a missionary? Is it a place I will return to and stay much longer? Honestly, I think the answer could be a loud resounding yes. Missions has always been heart. It is my nature, my heart beat, my passion. Maybe this will be the beginning of a transition to the field. Maybe it will be Kenya or somewhere else in Africa. Or maybe it will be another country elsewhere in the world. Regardless, this trip is a dream coming to fruition because I believe it is a huge part of what I am going to be doing with my life. 

All of the vaccines, all of the potential sicknesses, all of the potential dangers… I’m ready. I feel like my faith is ready for the risk to move forward in this dream of missions. It is on field that I become alive. It is around poverty I feel rich, not because I’m American but because I am a part of something that matters. It is around the sick or dying that I feel strong. Everything about this lifestyle- this calling- is everything I want.