Hiya! First, I just want to say thank you for stopping by and checking out God’s next big plan in my life! I’m excited to share my story with you, and I hope you’ll stick around to see how this all comes together.

During my senior year at Liberty University, while finishing up my Elementary Education degree, I was confident in what the next few months would hold for me. I would walk across the stage, get my diploma, hopefully get engaged to my awesome boyfriend, and work at a wonderful school in Lynchburg. I was ready to sit back and enjoy the “easy life.” How quickly God reminds us who is in control. The devotionals I was reading, scripture my boyfriend and I were studying, and random life events kept pointing me to missions. I was convinced it was just a fleeting notion, but God opened my heart and helped me realize that this was the next step in my life. While it all seemed scary, and so far beyond me, I knew that this was something I needed to do before becoming a fulltime teacher.

That is when I decided to join the Experience Mission team. They had the perfect trip for me; a gap year trip that is nine months long and allows me to travel to two wonderful places that I have never been: Israel and South Africa. I will spend three months in the Holy Land, and six in South Africa, staying with native host families and learning about their cultures while sharing God’s love with all who I meet.
As I write this story, I’m filled with so many emotions. Prayers not only for me but for my family and boyfriend (two of my biggest supports through all of this) would be so very appreciated, as we all learn how to embrace the coming change.

Lastly, I wanted to share the two verses that have helped me step out and prepare for this trip:

Jeremiah 29:11- “’For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.’”
Matthew 28:19- “Therefore go and make disciples of all the nations.”

I plan to hold these verses close to my heart as I embark on this journey and cannot wait to see how God uses this next year to impact my life in ways I can’t begin to imagine!

Many blessings,
Olivia Vanore