How I was called to the missions field

Looking back, my actual “call to the missions field” was a
very gradual process; one that took a lot of time, patience, and prayer. I’ll
try to give you the succinct version, but my feeling is it still looks a bit
like a novel. =)

In the summer of 2007 I went on a mission trip to Houma, Louisiana with my
youth group. Ever since that trip God has been working on my heart.

On the trip we had a daily devotional
book where we read verses and then answered a few questions. One day we read
Luke 21 and one of the questions was, “Why do you think she was so generous?”
and my response was, “Because Jesus was the only hope she had, she had nothing
else to live for.” One other question that stuck out to me was, “What keeps us
from taking action?” and I responded with, “Being comfortable with the way
things are, and the desire to stay in our comfort zones.” I realize now why that
mission trip was a life changing experience for me. It is because during that
time I decided I never wanted to be comfortable again, I don’t want to stay in
one place just because it gives me the warm and fuzzy feelings. I also realized
how much I enjoy being uncomfortable. I have a true appreciation for it. I’m
not saying that I have no fear of stepping outside of my comfort zone, there
are some days it almost knocks the breath out of me, but that’s when I know God
is really at work and I need to rely on Him even more to give me the strength
to stick with it.

These past two summers I have volunteered at a week long
residential camp for abused and neglected foster kids. There is nothing more
precious to me than the smile of an innocent child in a world where so much
sadness and sin surrounds them. It is one thing to see a picture of a child who
you know is hurting, but to reach out to them and then to see them smile and
hear them laugh, knowing all they have been through. This experience made
me face the realization that children in our world today are severely and wrongfully
taken advantage of.

One event you could say was the “final push” to the choice
to go on a mission trip was a youth conference called Covenant High In
Christ (CHIC). One afternoon a few of us (including Margo) decided to go and
listen to a man from the organization Covenant World Mission talk about how
people in the church generally view missionaries as people who are called just to
sacrifice and suffer and that they are the only ones in the church specifically called to do so. He said his church used to put a barrel at the front of
the sanctuary for people to bring donations, and one day someone donated a box
of chalk that had been almost completely used. You know when something hits you
harder than you think it is going too? Well this was one of those times. I sat
there just absolutely speechless. I felt the burning desire to change how the
church views missionaries and to help everyone realize we are all called to be missionaries in our own way, and to sacrifice and serve everyday in our own communities. I have no doubt God can turn a little into a lot,
including little stubs of chalk, but wouldn’t it be better if we brought a
brand new box if we had it, instead of keeping that one for ourselves?

“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in
humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not
only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.” – Philippians
2:3-4