…to the nations! Jesus commanded His followers to “Go then and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”‭‭ This command is found in Matthew‬ ‭28:19 and is‬ otherwise known as the Great Commission. 

According to JoshuaProject.net, out of the 8182 people groups on our planet, 5586 are unreached by the gospel. Did you read that carefully?? That means that over 60% of the people on earth do not know who Jesus is, what He did for them, and what’s in store for them if they reject or accept Him. That means that, for lack of knowledge, they are all perishing without the hope of Jesus that you and I have. 

These statistics break my heart. Jesus told us to go to them! To do whatever it takes to tell them about His vast love for them! What percentage of today’s church is actually obeying the Great Commission? Are you? 

You may not know that there are two ways to obey the Great Commission: to send and to be sent. Which category you fall under is up to our Father. If you’re not sure which you are called to do, I earnestly advise you to get alone with God and ask Him. He will definitely let you know. What’s definite, however, is that you are either called to do one or the other. John Piper is known for reminding us that we have three choices:

1. Go. 
2. Send. 
3. Or disobey. 

After seeking the Lord’s heart and pursuing His will for my life, I have discovered that He has called me to join the first category: the ones that go. I have journal notes from prayer and deep conviction that date back to the summer of 2012 where I began to see God’s call on my life to be a missionary. Since then I have been in a season of preparation and learning. 

In the winter of 2013 and the summer of 2014 God spoke to me about obeying His command to serve the least of these, so with a few friends I put together blessing bags to give to the homeless in New Orleans. Although these two instances were very minor, they were a stepping stone to hearing God’s voice and obeying Him more fully. 

In the fall of 2014 I got my first taste of “going.” Four or five of my church members and I drove around our neighborhood, stopped when we came across somebody, and ministered to/prayed with them. Looking back I see how amazing it is that God gave us boldness and direction to seek out those who needed a word from Him. Our small group went out every Thursday for several weeks. Whether we drove down dirt roads, went to apartments, drove through rough neighborhoods, or even stopped in the middle of the road, every experience made me feel so fulfilled, challenged, and excited. In retrospect I see that this was just a small beginning, but oh! how the experience was rooted in my heart. 

After that, I went through a very dark season spiritually, where I turned away from God. Looking back I see that the enemy realized I was grasping a bit of God’s calling on my life, so the devil did as much damage as he possibly could to pry me away from God’s hands. Thankfully (praise God!) that season lasted for just four months, and Jesus was able to reach me with His hope and mercy and grace. Although that season was painful, Jesus taught me so many foundational truths and grew me in my faith, showing me that my identity rests in the cornerstone of who Christ is. 

A few months later in July of 2015, I went with a group of my favorite people to New York City to serve on my first missions trip with Street LIFE Ministries. Words do not describe how complete and whole I felt during that week! On the day we left, my heart felt so broken, and all I felt in the deepest part of my heart was a longing for my Father to send me again! Praying with strangers and helping the homeless and ministering to kids – all of it was such a privilege, having the honor of serving and being God’s hands and feet. 

As soon as I got back home to Louisiana, all I could think about was going again! My soul was restless with the thought of serving again. I began teaching 7th and 8th grade in August, and in October God urged me to come back to New York to serve with Street LIFE again for their New Years Eve outreach. With every passing day I only grew more and more excited to return. Needless to say, NYE was amazing and God did some major heart surgery on me there. He spoke and ministered to me personally, constantly making me more and more attuned to His voice. 

In the middle of that trip, I knew right away that I wanted to come back for an even longer stay. After seeking counsel and asking the Lord, He confirmed that I needed to once again GO! Once I got back to work after NYE, I told my boss and my coworkers and my students that I was resigning and pursuing God’s call for me to be a missionary. 

I just want to pause for a moment and say that I also felt like it was God’s will for me to be a teacher for that season, and that education is a missionfield in and of itself. I was blessed with the immense privilege of being able to pour into my kids spiritually and to develop a deep love for them. At the same time, though, the saying is true that you won’t ever be fully satisfied until you are doing what God is calling you to do! All throughout the year of teaching I carried a heavy burden that reminded me that God’s ultimate plan for me was to go. Accordingly, I served to my fullest while I was there, but God continually reminded me to have an eternal mindset. Although I’m sure a lot of the students have forgotten whatever math or English I tried to teach them, the spiritual seeds that were planted shall be watered and brought to fruitfulness. Praise God for that experience, and for the opportunity to get to know and love so many students, parents, coworkers, and bosses. That’s a testimony on its own. 

So here I am on August 7, 2016, in New York City finishing up my internship with Street LIFE Ministries. Since I got here on June 20, God has completely turned my world upside down. While serving with SLM in Brazil, I was blessed to hear my Father’s voice and see His fingerprint day after day. The testimonies I have to share from then would make your jaw drop. (I’ll be sharing those in person when I get back to Louisiana on August 26!) 

In Brazil a friend of mine prophesied over me that this will be a season of sitting at the Lord’s feet and learning. After getting back to NYC and continuing to serve and do outreach and just obey the Lord, God began to speak to me specifically about the next journey He is calling me on, and where I will be while I sit at His feet…

In my next post I will share about where exactly that will be! Stay tuned!! 😄