June 24th 2017 I was on my first plane ride , on my first missions trip , to a place I fell in love with. And that’s the day God stepped in, wreaked my heart and filled me with a burning passion for missions.
You see I’ve been a Christian my whole life , I never skipped a Sunday. I knew how church went , because I had gone since I could remember. I had a relationship with Jesus, and I had knowledge of him. But there was one thing missing , I didn’t really know God.
I wasn’t living for Jesus, Until God stepped in, I was going off my own agenda, my own ideas and my own dreams of what I wanted my life to look like. I valued everything before Jesus. My work , my reputation , my comfort, my time , my future. I placed everything before God , but boy was I wrong.
On this trip God began to remove the blinders I had set up in my life and he began to truly change my heart. God began to show me his people . I began to see people the way Jesus sees them. my heart had found its joy in serving the people the world calls [ poor ], but seemed so rich in love . I met children with so much joy and laughter that lasted for hours and a hunger for love I was so eager to give them. Even though these kids had so little , they had so much because they had Jesus. These kids knew that everything in this world is loss compared to Jesus .These kids gave me so much Joy and love that I couldn’t live for myself anymore , but for Jesus . I never knew I could fall so much in love for a people, a country. I left Colombia in tears that last day. The people and country forever apart of me.
I left knowing that without a doubt, God had placed a longing in my heart for missions. I wanted nothing less than to surrender all I was to Jesus, all I want to be to him, because without Jesus I am nothing , but with Jesus I have everything! the only thing now I want to be known for, is that I loved christ, even if everyone hated me for it, I was his Jesus freak.
I knew I couldn’t stop what Jesus was starting in me. I was much more terrified of living a self centered life than failing to follow Jesus and there was no Turning back for me. I do not know what my life would look like if God didn’t step in. I couldn’t even imagine. God wreaked my heart , full of pride , bitterness and sin and put it back together with a passion to seeing God mission unfold and that mission is to love God with everything I am and to love his people.
Next year I have the incredible opportunity to go on the WORLD RACE and live out his mission he has placed on my heart . I believe that we were all created to change the world for someone , to serve someone and love them like Jesus loves them . if he could use me , he can use you!
I can’t wait to bring you on this journey with me!!!
Until next time … LOVE GOD, LOVE PEOPLE
MAKE A DIFFERENCE, BE THANKFUL.
Beautifully written. Im excited to go on this journey with you in postings on your blog! Praying God brings in all you need!
Beautiful, Kaitlyn! God loves you, we love you, and Colombia loves you! I can’t wait to see what God does in and through you on this journey!! Love & Prayers from your missionary family!