AFRICA MISSION TRIP

I HAVE AMAZING NEWS!! I was blessed with the opportunity to go to Africa next summer! It's been a very busy and productive summer thus far but the best part was applying and being accepted to go on this mission trip! There's a whole story behind this that I'm going to get to but if you're just here to see what the big deal is, basically I'm going on a mission trip to Africa next summer and I'm raising money for that trip via go fund me and by selling bracelets that I'm making  with my own two hands! (info about bracelets is on my website in the Africa blog). It would mean the world to me if you choose to invest in me for this trip, not just financially but in prayer. This is my first mission trip ever and I don't really know what to expect but I'm so beyond excited!

(bracelets) (:

In the second semester of my freshman year at A&M, I started to realize that chemical engineering may not be what I am supposed to be pursuing. I have grown so much in my faith this past year and I started to ask God where He needed me. I often attended breakaway (which is an event held every Tuesday night in the A&M basketball arena with worship and a sermon) and I fell in love with it. I would go with a group of friends and that's where I had my first serious revelation about mission work. It had never really been on my radar besides the fact that my friend Liv encouraged me to go on a mission trip at some point. One night after the sermon at breakaway I was sitting with my eyes closed praying when I suddenly saw something amazing. There were two beautiful wooden doors and they were insanely tall-like I couldn't even see where they ended and they were closing. There was light peeking out behind them and it was being closed out as they doors slowly shut. Then out of nowhere a dam or something must have burst because a roaring water came flooding in and it was so powerful that it threw the doors open again and behind them was a beautiful landscape full of life that I had never seen or imagined before. Then, I saw my future self in a hut somewhere and I was with my husband (I didn't see him or anything but I just knew who he was kind of like in a dream) and there were African children running around everywhere and they may or may not have been my children I'm not really sure, but the main thing I remember was how it felt. There was so much love in my heart and I was so happy. I was happy to have nothing and it was amazing. I realized after talking about it to others and praying over it that the vision of the doors was me believing that because I was in college my future was coming to a close. That the "you can be anything you want to be" mentality was now void because I was getting a degree in one thing and I felt like that was the only thing I'd ever do, but God was going to show me a whole new world in which I could still do or be anything  and He was going to use me in a way  I never imagined. And the Africa portion was a preface of what is to come. The main thing I got from the vision was an impartation that I was supposed to be a missionary. I just knew it in my heart without any real logical explanation, but it required a step in faith. During the vision, I knew I was awake and at breakaway but it was like I was dreaming. When I came out of the vision I knew it was from God and I was shaking with excitement. My heart was beating incredibly fast and I began to ask God "Do I drop out of school? Do I leave right now? Where do I go?" but it was clear that this was further in the future than right now. I finally felt like I had a direction for my future that wasn't a gamble; God is showing me where I am called to be. I ran up to Liv and said "I'm supposed to be a missionary!" and she said, "I know, I've known that since I met you!" I was literally on the floor crying after that. She walked with me to the front so that I could get prayer from the breakaway staff and there was an amazing girl who was also a missionary who was able to pray with us. I felt like my entire world was turned upside down but in the best way.Since then I have been focusing on going deeper with God so that I can lean into his plan for me.  I am still pursuing engineering at A&M for now, but after college, I have no idea what is to come. This trip to Africa feels like a step toward my future and I know God is going to do amazing things there. I will be going with Wide Awake Missions and our plan while we are there is to go to the local villages and serve them in any way we can! I am so excited to be going with this organization because they are focused on building relationships and serving the people in Africa that we will encounter. During the two week trip, we will be going to Uganda, Tanzania, and Zanzibar. Any contribution is greatly appreciated!! Even just sharing this post on Facebook will help me out in my efforts to fundraise. I am so thankful to have so much support and can't wait to be in Africa! God is taking me on an amazing adventure and I know that there will be so much fruit that comes from it! Thank you in advance for your love and support, it is deeply appreciated.  God Bless! -Lindsey