After my freshman year of high school in 2023, I went on my first mission trip to Jamaica where the Lord broke my heart for the nations. Before this trip, I had never felt like there was anything I had a deep passion for. After this trip, the biggest passion had been laid on my heart to serve people around the world. And over the last 3 years, the only thing that I have felt God calling me to do after high school is missions. I had looked into a few other gap year programs with my parents, but I was especially drawn to the World Race. So if you haven’t already heard, at the end of August I leave for 9 months with the World Race! I will be serving in 5 different countries: Italy, Nepal, Thailand, Indonesia, and Australia. Before being sent to the nations, my team and I will spend 2 weeks in Georgia where we will be discipled, mentored, and trained so we are ready for life on the mission field. After training, we go! We will be living in each country for about a month and a half. Serving and ministry will look a little different in each country and I’m so excited to see how the Lord is working in each place.

This trip won’t always be easy or comfortable, it brings a lot of change and unknown. I will really miss my mom and dad, both of my sisters, my puppy, my home, my friends and my boyfriend, my church, my cousins and grandparents. It’s so hard and sad to leave those things behind for a while. But at the same time it’s so exciting. I will see so many places around the world which has always been a dream of mine. And I will get to build relationships with so many new people, all people God has specifically placed in my path so that I would have the chance to meet them. And I will grow with God more than probably ever before.  He is the only thing that won’t change as everything around me is. I will have to depend on him for my comfort, my energy, my peace, my strength, my confidence, and my rest. I can’t wait to see how he uses me when I learn to fully let go and surrender everything I have to him.

My prayer:

“Break my heart for what breaks Yours. Everything I am for Your Kingdom’s cause.”

Prayer requests:

• That I would find balance between preparing, fundraising, and work, and spending time with family and friends.

• For my whole team. That we would connect well, find unity, and build a great community with each other.

• That the Lord would prepare my heart for all of the change that is coming.

Thank you to everyone who has been supporting me and praying for me, it’s so needed and appreciated. ️55 days until launch!!

Love,
Ella