WOW. 2 days until training camp. 2 days until I meet the people I will be spending 9 months with. that is unbelievable to me! I feel that it is necessary to reflect on the journey God has taken me on to get to where I am right now. It is oh so intentional, and oh so beautiful. I hope you enjoy the insight into my world race.
(January 2017) My mom drove me to TCBY to go to a small group that I had never met with before. I had just moved to Austin that December, and I was mourning the loss of community. I desperately needed a good small group. My school life was absolutely miserable. People thought it was fun to hit on and mess with the new girl with a boyfriend back home. People thought I was weird (they were correct), so people either curiously asked me intruding questions or avoided me completely. When I met the small group in that TCBY, I eagerly listened so I could try and find the “right things” to say. One girl named Taylor Kimbrough was updating us all on her fundraising endeavors for this “9-month long mission trip.” She was to visit 5 countries with 40 young adults pursuing the Lord. I stopped listening at that point and thought about all of the post-grad opportunities that could lie in the hands of this missional experience. Thus began my intrigue towards world race gap year !! Fun fact: I ran into Taylor at The Send in February and told her that she lead me towards WRGY. Funny enough, she told me that she only went to that small group one time. The same ONE TIME that I went. CRAZY!!
(September 2018) I can vividly remember the day I applied for the world race. My friend Sam Hollenbeck and I went to Panera Bread and watched the route reveal live stream. I was really upset because God had called me to Nepal, and it wasn’t in any of the routes. However, I saw India and got even more excited for the journey to come. I feel bad that I dragged poor Sam along for that experience because I just couldn’t shut up about it (thanks pal for the company!!). I was scared. TERRIFIED. My 2-year long dreams very suddenly became a reality and that terrified me. However, through all of the fear and unknown, I submitted my application. & it felt so right to finally put action to my dreams.
(October 2018) I also vividly remember the day I got declined. I was in NYC, across from Richard Roger’s theater browsing the Hamilton store. My phone buzzed with a call from the lady who interviewed me earlier that month. It went well, I was able to honestly explain the deep hurts I had experienced and how that lead me to a relationship with the Lord. I answered, 100% expecting to be accepted, but low and behold I was denied on the spot. It CRUSHED me. I spent a lot of my time in New York finding places to secretively cry because the denial constantly consumed my mind. I was told I was still a victim of anxiety. I was told I was still captive to panic attacks. I was told that traumatic events kept me in chains. I felt misunderstood and wronged.
However, dozens of tears & many phone calls later, I’m accepted, almost fully funded, and about to be trained to serve. 8 months ago I would have NEVER expected to actually be leaving to go to Thailand, India, and Costa Rica. It’s so surreal. Feeling extra grateful for all of the things that lead me here. The move to Austin. The dreams that had to die. The mistakes I had to make. The pain I had to conquer. The leadership I had to step into. All of the craziness that is ‘the life of Noelle Parker’ lead me here.
To all of the friends that have encouraged me along the way, thank you, I couldn’t have achieved this without your support. To the generous donators who have nearly completely fundraised my trip, THANK YOU, I am eternally grateful. To all of my friends who don’t know Jesus yet continue to support me as I prepare to step into his plans for me, thank you, you don’t understand how much it means to me.
I will write a blog about training camp when I get home on the 20th, so prepare yourselves for that! Thanks for reading, have a lovely rest of your day!
