Hey! This is my first official blog post and I thought I would go more in depth into why I chose the World Race for this next season of my life! I went on my first missions trip to Eswatini, Africa when I was 11 years-old, and fell in love with not only the opportunity to grow in friendships with people in a different culture, but also the atmosphere of serving others. Since then, I have been to Eswatini, Africa twice, and loved the ability to continue to strengthen friendships with people in the community. I truly believe that I left a piece of my heart in Africa, as I loved every minute to talk, and play with the children there, along with spreading God's love through connecting with them. These experiences have drastically changed how I view the world around me, and my hope for the World Race is to continue to grow my perspective and experience different cultures. I chose the gap year because I believe that God has called me to take this as the next step for my future, and that this is the perfect time to not only grow as an individual, but also grow in my faith. I am beyond excited for this opportunity and I can't wait to see the way that God is able to use me and work through me into other people's lives!