Hi Everyone!
Wow this is crazy! My first official blog post on my new site! If you are currently reading this, I want to say thank you! Thank you for reading and following along as I write about my experiences of following Jesus in this crazy, awesome adventure called LIFE! Before I write about my new adventure on the Remote Year, I want to share a little about myself for those of you who might need more of a glimpse into my life and who I am.
So, I think it’s important to know that I am outgoing and spontaneous when it comes to crazy moves, life-changing adventures, or stepping into the unknown. I think my track record and those who know me would agree. I have always been this way & absolutely love the thrill of change that is involved in the decisions we make. One thing I have learned over the awesome 23 years of my life is this: Change is CONSTANT. So I have learned to love change, embrace change, and strive for change in every area of my life. Some people have seen the choices I have made and called me unwise, ignorant, foolish, etc. I look back at those choices and see how faith conquered my fear and how God had His hand in each outcome whether it was successful or unsuccessful. In either case, I saw, I experienced and I learned. See, the God I serve is an active God. He is always looking to provide and be involved in our lives as much as possible! In fact, He is ALWAYS asking to be involved in our lives and WILL BE involved in our lives as long as we LET HIM IN! God is constantly pursuing us, in love and hoping/wishing/wanting for us to say YES to Him! Well this is what you are going to find in my blog. The yes’s! Each post I write about will be my personal experiences with God and my willingness to say YES to his call!
Remote Year Libertatem 2016
Some of you know all about my most recent call and my response to it! Well here’s a little recap of where I was just months ago and why I am currently sitting in Taiwan, waiting for my connecting flight to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
In December 2015, I graduated with my Bachelor’s of Science degree in Accounting from Grand Canyon University (GCU). I was immediately offered a position as the first ever Golf Operations Accountant for the newly renovated GCU Golf Course and accepted that position. I was honored and excited for the job opportunity right out of college as most college graduates struggle to find work. This was an opportunity I did not take for granted, and will forever be thankful for. However, a few months went by and I felt empty. I felt robotic. I was on the typical 9-5 routine, struggling to fake a smile while slipping slowly into depression. After time in prayer, I knew this wasn’t for me. But what was? Well one night, I was scrolling through Facebook and saw an ad that would alter the direction of my life forever, The Remote Year. Remote year? “A T.V. remote that lasts a year?” It took me a click and a few moments to realize what this program was and the services they offered!
From the information I gathered through their website and various social media platforms such as Facebook , Instagram, and Twitter; this program offers the chance to experience different cultures across the globe while building life-long relationships with 74 other participants and everyone you meet along the way! Each city they stay in, they are given opportunities to explore through hikes, camping, community events, festivals, indoor/outdoor markets, business conferences, and more. Through these experiences, they are being stretched and shaped into a group of people who get to experience first-hand how other cultures live. Their eyes will be opened to the beauty of the world and the understanding of where people come from, how they were raised, and why they value what they value. I got lost for hours looking into this program! I have always loved people and finding out who they are, where they come from and why they do what they do. What shapes a person? Sure, you can listen to people all you want. That is an extremely important part of the understanding process. But now, this program can take everything to the next level. Instead of just listening to people, I can go and experience people. I can experience, their lifestyle. So I applied and got accepted! I quit my full time job, and began pursuing this call!
There were definite moments of doubt after quitting my job. I didn’t have the finances necessary, I didn’t have another job lined up for a source of income, I had a dog that needed to be cared for, I had an apartment lease that needed to be taken over, etc. How would God provide the solution to my setbacks, and conquer the doubt that I began submitting to? This is where my faith that God would provide overcame my fear that He wouldn’t. After weeks of fundraising and selling everything I once owned, God provided the exact amount needed for the down payment to secure spot on the program! Faith 1, Fear 0. SO RAD! This was one battle won that helped me feel confident in my decision and continue pursuing this opportunity. Little by little, the other answers came in. My buddy Artie was looking for an apartment to rent and happened to know my roommate Austin! Faith 2, Fear 0. My friend Amber happened to be looking for a dog and was willing to watch Max, my pup while I was gone! Faith 3, Fear 0. Now, my current and last battle of faith is finding a job. Ideally, this job would be a remote job where I can work and travel at the same time. This definitely the most important battle that I have had to face during this process as it is the battle that will provide the income necessary to sustain me for this year long journey. I have seen how God has worked in the past through each battle so I will not give up believing that He can and will provide to win this battle now.
So here I am now. I started writing this blog post a few days ago and am just now finishing it. It is currently 3pm on Tuesday and I am sitting in my apartment reflecting on the challenges, the experiences, and the future as to what may come. As of now, if I don’t find work soon, this could very well be my first and last month on this remote year journey. I was blessed with a one-way ticket to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and am not planning on purchasing a ticket home just yet. I’m not sure what can and will happen but I have faith that everything will turn out as it is supposed to be. I want to give a HUGE thank you to everyone who has helped make this possible! So many of you have been praying for me, sending words of encouragement, donated funds to my GoFundMe account and more! I could not have gotten this far without you! Thank you thank you thank you!
Be on the lookout for future blog posts where I'll talking specifically about Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and what God has been showing me/teaching me through this experience!
If you feel led to help me continue on this journey, here is the link: https://www.gofundme.com/remoteyear2016
I really don't like asking for donations to support this dream. I truly am trying & praying that God will provide a remote job to help me continue on this journey. Unfortunately, I have not been as successful as I initially believed I would be 4 months ago when I decided to embark on this journey. But I will not stop now. Faith will overcome this. If you cannot donate financially, no problem! Prayers would be great! A specific prayer for an interview I have with a company called Acuity this Thursday would be awesome! Pray that I interview strongly and am able to be myself. Pray that this company is able to have me work remotely while I continue on this program. Thank you so much! I am humbled and blessed to have such a strong support team. Till next time fam!
"But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind." James 1:6