Why in the world am I doing this?

I’ve always wanted to change the world. I just didn’t know how or when, and didn’t think I was enough to make much of a difference. On my own, I’m not. It’s only through God using me and so many others, that the world can truly be changed.

I first heard about The World Race back in 2016 when I was preparing to go to college. A friend of a friend was selling her car prior to leaving and I was curious, I got some details and thought, ‘wow, that’s so cool. I couldn’t do that, but that’s awesome!’ Little did I know… while I was in college, I became fascinated with the idea of traveling the world, not forever, but definitely for more than a week or two. I love to travel and had been to Honduras with my church to put a roof on at an orphanage earlier that year.

College in Midwest City was rough; I was extremely stressed about everything, I felt distant from everyone, even sometimes; God. When I had to move back home that December due to lack of funding, I was upset because I thought God had called me out of Ada. I got a decent office job and forgot about my dreams of traveling until later that year when something got me thinking about traveling again. I was watching YouTube videos about people who backpacked and traveled for a living and looking at trips to take. At some point, I decided that I did NOT want to travel just to see things.

I wanted to change the world. I wanted to go on a journey with Jesus and find myself in Him in a way I had never done before. I wanted to be His hands and feet.

At some point during that process, The World Race came back up! I started doing research and the more I found out, the more my heart longed to go!! I had a couple people pray for me and I was so excited! I applied, phone interview, got the call: they couldn’t accept me at the time. ‘What?? God, have I heard you wrong again??’ They didn’t think I was emotionally prepared. And I wasn’t. They advised me to go to some counseling sessions and try again. But what I heard at first was: no.

I sent my prayer warriors an update, and immediately got a call from my aunt (prayer warrior #1). She encouraged me, lifted me up, and said, “when I read your message I just heard God say, ‘it’s not a no, it‘s a not yet.’ He has the perfect route, squad and team he wants you on.” Michelle (Hillary’s mom and prayer warrior #2) unknowingly said the exact same thing. Along with one or two others. Confirmation. 

Counseling is something I didn’t know I needed until I went. Life. Changing. We talked through all kinds of stuff. It was truly a God thing. He knew what I needed and what I still need (I’m still going to counseling and still really liking it). A year later; here I am. I’m ready. Ready to go where He sends me. Ready to be His hands and feet. Ready to experience Him in ways I’ve never imagined.

Someone asked me the other day if I was scared; my answer was “I went through the fear stage and now I’m just excited! I may be nervous, and that will probably get worse the closer I get but I’m just incredibly excited!”

The truth is, of course the fear tries to creep in every once in a while (mostly about funding). But I lived in fear for long enough (fear of people’s opinions, getting rejected/hurt, of doing the wrong thing, fear of messing up. Just fear). Those days are in the past! I’m done being afraid. I don’t want to live a life of mediocre Christianity, I refuse to settle for ordinary out of fear. It’s time for me to step out and step up to what God has called me to do. And He has called me on an 11 month journey with Him. 

And yes, 11 months is a long time. I am going to miss my family, friends and coworkers as well as all of their events and lives for almost a year. That will be hard; some days will be worse than others. I will still be able to be in touch; it may not be consistent or for very long, however, it’s still better than absolutely no contact. Strangely, I’ve been uncharacteristically at peace with all of that and it can only be because of one thing: Jesus. His peace that surpasses all understanding. And I am incredibly excited!

-Niecey