I had an awesome opportunity to go to the Adventures in Missions headquarters in Gainesville to hear more about the organization’s heart, meet some of my squad (SO good to finally put faces to names) , and get more in depth details about the Gap Year Program.
When we first arrived I was a little nervous and to be totally honest was unsure of what to expect when it came to the people running this organization, the people who were on my squad, and even the trip itself. I have been getting information from Instagram, blogs, phone calls with advisors, and many many lengthy conversations among my squad asking each other questions no one really knew the answer to.
After hearing the president speak about the creation of A.I.M, hearing stories from advisor’s trips, and hearing the way God has moved in so many of these people’s lives through the World Race; we split into groups depending on which program we were going on. During this time we got to do some team bonding, and got to hear all about the daily life of a racer. As they started talking about team time and the importance of uplifting one another and calling each other higher, I realized I would be talking about my feelings and the way God is moving in my life on a daily basis which is something that honestly makes me a little uncomfortable, I’m pretty introverted when it comes to the way I’m thinking and processing my emotions.
Then we got a World Race Gap Year commitment form. On this form it says “I am committed to becoming more like Jesus by running my Race with a ‘yes’ in my spirit.” This really stood out to me because I am very quick to say yes to helping others and doing things to assist other people, but this phrase was centered around Hebrews 12:1 which says “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” This is meaning we abandon the comfort that we often feel which enables us to say yes and we start learning to have a “yes” spirit so that we can come back from the race looking and living even more like Jesus.
Hearing from many people at AIM, I realized this organizations roots and values which are all about loving others the way Jesus first loved us. This is something that is THE most important thing to me in my walk with Christ “By this, everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:35. Hearing that this is their goal has given me so much peace and joy about the things I did not know much about before this open house. I am so ready to live with a “yes” spirit and to be pushed out of my comfort zone so that I can become more and more like Jesus
Peace & Love
