Why Am I Going?

Simply put, I believe that God has called me to go. Here’s why:

       First, I want to share my testimony. I was born in Kunming, China and lived there for the first 6 years of my life. In June of 2008, I was lovingly adopted and blessed to be brought into an amazing and God honoring home. Through my parents, going to church, and summer camps, I was introduced to the Gospel. I realized my sins and wanted to turn away from them in repentance. I understood that Jesus died on the cross for my sins and believed that He was the only one who could forgive me of my sins. I put my faith in Jesus and repented of my sins and my life has been different ever since. 

       As I have matured both physically and spiritually, I have come to a greater understanding and love for Jesus. I believe that he calls all his people to go and spread the Gospel. That is what I want to do. Paul says in Galatians, “But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.” I want to make Jesus’ name great by boasting only in Him and what he has done. I look at great servants in the Bible like Moses, Abraham, and Paul who were faithful and lived to give God the glory. I want to live my life like they did. 

      I have been reading a book by John Piper called, “Don’t Waste Your Life” and it has been a refreshing reminder to me of what my life should look like if I am truly changed by the cleansing of my sin by Jesus’ death on the cross. I hope that God would use my life to ultimately give Him more glory. In the book of Isaiah, he declares, “Your name and remembrance are the desire of our soul.” My prayer is that God would be changing my heart and desires to fall more in line with this verse each and every day. 

      Some of you may be wondering, “What exactly lead you to do this particular mission trip right now?” and this is why. At the beginning of the year, some friends and I purposefully set a goal to spend an hour a day in God’s word and in prayer to Him. At first I thought it would be too hard to fit into my day but it has been an eye opening experience to spend more time with God. Through reading Moses and Abraham’s stories in devotion and Bible study, I began to feel God nudging me and tugging at my heart to go on mission for Him. It took me some time of praying and weighing the costs for me to fully commit but I finally said yes. I realized that giving up my plans regarding school, friends, and my family would have to be something that I sacrificed  in order to step out in faith and obey God. I want to serve Him even if that means putting my priorities aside.

      My purpose statement is this, “I seek to glorify God by enjoying who He is and pointing others to Him in every aspect of my life.”

      That is why I am going on the world race. If you have read to here, I simply ask that you would pray for me to be a faithful and God glorifying servant throughout this trip.