It all started my freshman year in college. During some dark days when I didn't want to be at school, and I just didn't know where I was supposed to be, I started researching missions.
When I was in middle school I had the opportunity to travel with a group called the Young Continentals. Many of you who are following my journey now supported me 10 years ago in that. It was a life changing experience. I spent 6 weeks at a time traveling around the country (As an 11 year old!) singing, dancing, and spreading the gospel. I learned so much about myself and about the Lord during that time. I can't believe it's been so long!
As I started looking at and researching different mission organizations and possible places to go, I came across YWAM. {Insert a little pre-cursor story about YWAM from my time with the Young Continentals.}
For those that don't know much about the Young Continentals, here is a little background. Every summer kids from the age of 10-18 would come together from across the country and go through a week of 'training camp'. In that week you get to know the roughly 35 other people in your tour, as well as your tour director and leaders. It's crazy to think about, but our parents sent us off into the country with 21-25 year olds as our guides. That week was also a time for everyone to learn all of the music, dancing, and drama that would become our lives for the following 5 weeks. It's a crazy experience with not a lot of sleep. Everyone becomes friends fast, which is good considering that from training camp you get on a bus, with 40 other people, which is now your home. Every night we would stop in a different city or town and perform at a local church or event center. From there, usually members of the church would then take two or three of us into their homes to host us for the evening. They would feed us, let us use their washer and dryer and get up bright and early the next morning to get back on the bus and do it all over again.
Now, onto my story. My second summer touring with the Young Continentals, we were in California some where and my friend Jennifer and I were assigned to stay with this lady together. It had been a particularly long day, and we were ready to go to sleep as soon as we got the the kind lady's house. Well, our host was a widow whose children were all out of the house and she really wanted the company. So we politely sat at her kitchen bar while she kept feeding us rice pudding over and over and over and over... I don't like rice pudding...at all. Whenever she turned her back I would pour mine into Jennifer's bowl. Yeah. I'm horrible, but Jennifer loved the stuff! Along with the rice pudding she also kept force feeding us margarita mix (Just the liquid mix that comes in the plastic jug. No alcohol. Think green, super sweet, and oh so gross). While we were partaking in the food she was making us eat she started talking about YWAM. Intermixed with the telling was also how she was Jewish. And anyway, she went on and on about YWAM and Judaism for a long time. Suffice to say, up until three years ago I thought YWAM was some weird Jewish cult and harbored very negative feelings towards the organization due to my force feeding of rice pudding and margarita mix.
When I first stumbled upon the YWAM site, I was very skeptical. I immediately went to the mission statement page, and my fears were abated once and for all. A short while later my pastor at the church I attend when I'm at college shared how he had earned his pastorate through YWAM New Zealand. It was a conformation that yes this ministry is what they say to be.
The next step was to decide where I wanted to go. I stayed up until 3 a.m. that night looking at all of the different places it was possible to see. My initial choices were between Russia, England, Austria, and Australia. Ever since I was little I wanted to travel to the U.K. I'm not sure why I was considering Russia, but I've always just wanted to see it. Growing up I had read a lot of books on WWII and the Holocaust, and Austria was a huge part of that. I felt like I'd almost been there from some of the things I'd read. And The Sound of Music takes place in Austria. And then there was Australia. It's the land of the wild brumbies (Is it horrible that I was basing decisions on movies? Man from Snowy River anyone?) It's weird how many things over the past four years have pointed me to Australia.
So I had these four countries, with multiple options in each to choose from. I just started researching all of the different bases. Nothing really grabbed me in Austria, England, or Russia. Then I got to researching the different options in Australia. I knew it was the one as soon as I saw the title. YWAM RTO- Youth With a Mission
Reef to Outback. I love the ocean and I love the country. It gripped my soul and it fit everything I was looking for. Including a week of camping out in the bush. :)
Following the discovery of YWAM RTO were multiple calls to my mother and best friend. I was convinced that I should drop of out school and pursue this. Thankfully, my mother quickly talked me out of it. So it got put on the back-burner, for after college. Ironically, I won't be finished with college when I board a flight for the Down Under next October. I'll have roughly two terms left.
The world may not understand why I want to go to a foreign country for 6 months without knowing a single person, and that's fine. I chose to turn in my application for next fall for a few different reasons. I desperately want to grow closer to God, and I want to dedicate this part of my life to Him. It's really the perfect time. All my life I've done the things that other people told me to do. Granted that's part of growing up and being a child, but this is truly the first decision that I've made on my own. I feel that I've already wasted so much time that could have been dedicated to the Lord. Another big reason is that I have no idea what's in store for my life. After I graduate from college...well it's all a blank canvas. Or more like a canvas with invisible ink. It's not my time to see it yet.
This past Saturday (November 18th, 2012) I turned in my application. As soon as my three references turn in their references my application will be processed and I'll find out for sure if I need to learn how to live out of one bag. ;)
Thank you again for walking with me on this journey.
Until next time,
Katie
