How I got my call to Mission's.

How I got my call to Missions

It was my senior year of high school and I was determined to have the best year of my life. My best friend and I wanted to go on a senior trip after we graduated. So as the year was beginning to come to an end we began making plans. We decided to go to Florida and take a week away to have the ideal vacation. Everything was planned, everything was coming together perfectly.

One month away from graduation and one month from the best week of our young life. We were both anxious and ready for our trip. Then the most unexpected thing occurred, I got in a wreck that totalled my car. My car was supposed to be our ride to Florida, and we were too young to rent a car. My car was totalled which meant no Florida trip for us. We were so devastated. But little did I know that God was planning something huge for my life, something I would have never expected.

A few weeks went by and I received a call from my parents. They shared with me that the Youth Pastor of the Kentucky Annual Conference had asked them if I would like to go on a mission trip to Honduras. I had never been out of the country and the only mission work I had done was local mission work. So I was completely shocked when I heard that I was invited to go on a mission trip in another country. I never thought that I would EVER have the opportunity to get out of the country. So of course I said, “Yes I would love to go.” But to be completely honest I was not going for the right reasons. I saw this trip as a way to still have my senior trip, as a way to go to another country, and as a way to go have fun.

Time went by and it was time for me to leave. I was nervous and excited, this was a lot of firsts for me. I had never rode in an airplane, I had never been out of the country, I had never went on a out-of-country mission trip. I hugged my family goodbye, and left for my 2 week mission trip. Those two weeks went by so fast. During my time there I fell in love with everything about missions. I loved it all so much. I remember one night during prayer I felt God talking to me, he showed me that missions were in my future. Two weeks later I arrived home to find that I still felt this call on my life but I had no clue how to follow through.

A month or so went by and I was about to start college. I had a full ride to this school and was beyond excited to start college. I started classes and I really fit in at my school. I enjoyed all of my Professors and loved my time with new friends, but I began to feel this emptiness like I was not where I was supposed to be. I did not understand why I had this feeling. I loved school and everyone in it. I continued to have this feeling though, I started to not care about classes because of this continued feeling of emptiness. It was Christmas break and I started talking to my parents about leaving school to do mission work. They were supportive to an extent, they were not sure if this was me listening to God or me listening to my freshman jitters. Also, I was leaving a full ride to school. Many people had a lot to say about that but I knew it was God, I knew he wanted me on the mission field.

I left school and scheduled a meeting with Mike and Sherri Morrissey (Founders of Thailand Methodist Mission.) Mike and Sherri used to be pastors in Kentucky before they became missionaries. I had known them since I was a little bitty kiddo because my dad is a pastor in Kentucky also. They were the only real missionaries that I knew and I wanted their advice on what to do. As I poured my heart to them they gave me such great advice on being a missionary. They told me if I was serious about being a missionary I could not come for just a two week mission trip, I would need to come for at least a two month mission. I decided that this would truly show me if this was God's calling on my life.

Before going to Thailand I once again had all of these preconceived ideas of what I would like and would not. I had already decided that Thailand was just where I was going to see if missions was my calling. I had decided that I would do missions in some South American country. I decided that I probably would not like the culture. Then I got there… and God completely changed my selfish thoughts. In those two months he showed me where my passion lies. He showed me why I was there. He showed me that I was called there, no questions about it. I fell in love with everything about Thailand and everything that our mission does there. God was so present in all of my moments there. I made lifetime friends in only two months. God called me to missions and called me to Thailand.

God also showed me that I made the right choice leaving school at that time. Now I am back in school, at the same school, with practically a full ride. God blessed me for listening to his call. “Jesus replied, ‘But even more blessed are those who hear the word of God and obey it’.” (NLT) Luke 11:28   God just wants us to obey him and he rewards those who listen and does what he asks. It is not easy being a Christian and we all mess it up at time but God forgives us. How amazing it is to serve a God that is not fair but a God who gives grace and mercy. We deserve nothing yet he gives us everything.

Have Faith Brothers and Sisters

Shelby <3