A sixth country was recently added to my route! I am so blessed and so excited to share that Jamaica is now my first stop!! After Hurricane Melissa, there’s a need for hands willing to help communities recover from the disaster, so we’ll be serving alongside our disaster relief base!

If you know me you’ve probably heard me talk about my mission trip to Jamaica multiple times because it became my favorite place ever. We worked at Westhaven which is a special needs orphanage. It was super hard mentally. My heart was heavy and broken, but at the same time I learned what it is to have true joy. We spent every day with kids that had no home, no family, and couldn’t walk, talk, or eat by themselves, but they somehow still had the joy of the Lord in them. And their joy was so contagious it was impossible to not have that joy yourself. I fell in love with the country and the people there. I had always struggled with never feeling content, and honestly not even knowing what it was to be content. But while I was there, God showed me what it’s like to be content. Surrounded by kids who had nothing, while already being physically unable to help themselves. Yet they made me feel like I was enough.

It was such a God moment hearing this update because of how special this place is to me. Before that trip, I never would have guessed I would do a mission year after high school. But after, it was the only thing that made sense. Looking back, it all makes sense now why I specifically felt called to the World Race route that I chose. I didn’t know why I was so drawn to the World Race over other gap year programs, and I didn’t know why I was so drawn to the specific route I chose, I just was. But God knew the whole time that by choosing this trip I was gonna end up getting to go back to Jamaica. It was just a clear, sweet reminder to me of His hand in all of this. Even though I did know this was where He wanted me, it felt like He was reassuring me that I am doing what He has called me to so I don’t need to be anxious. 

God is so intentional and I have seen His faithfulness. 1 month until launch!!

Love,
Ella