Hi! My name is Alyssa and I am 19 years old and I decided about a month ago that I wanted to join the World Race with a semester trip to Europe.
How I got to this point:
Last fall I lived in Guatemala for about 3 months. Some family friends of mine moved there about 3 years prior because God called them there as missionaries. We were still in contact that whole time and all thought it would be a great idea for me to do missions with them for a time. I had never been away from home for more than a week and it was definitely challenging to be away, I was more homesick than I thought I would be. After coming back home when anyone asked me if I would do it again I would say something like “I would! But not for that long again-that was a long time”.
While in Guatemala I helped with this family with many different ministries. In one village we helped with an English class and gave out food to the kids. About halfway through my time there we met a team who also started working in that same village. They told us that they were there through World Race. We ended up being around them a couple times a week for a few weeks. My friend and his dad also led worship for their Thursday morning Activation times twice. Before I left Guatemala I ended up following a few of the girls on the World Race team that I had met on Instagram and following the World Race page so that I could stay updated with their trip.
I came home from Guatemala right into school and work with not much else happening in my life. Since November when I returned home I haven’t felt much purpose in my life or motivation to find ways to help in my own hometown. Life for a little while felt so repetitive and I was in a spot where I wasn’t feeling much joy or peace.
One day World Race’s post showed up on my Instagram and it was about a Gapless semester in Europe. Since Guatemala I have been itching to travel, I love it and I want to see the beautiful world that God has created for us. This instantly intrigued me so I looked into it more. I mentioned it to my parents, my boyfriend, and my friends. They all encouraged me that it would be an amazing opportunity and I should definitely see if I should do it. While it became more of a real idea, I started praying a lot. I wanted God to show me a clear yes or no before I moved forward. Eventually I found that there were no signs pointing towards ‘no’ and a few clearly pointing towards ‘yes’. It’s perfect timing and I wouldn’t have to skip a semester of school. God guided me towards this opportunity so I took the next steps to commit to it. I firmly believe that God will use it in my life so much in so many different ways. I know He has a purpose for leading me here and I’m putting full trust in Him to use me as a vessel.
For those reading, I would love and appreciate for you to come on this journey with me in a way, by following along on this blog to hear my adventures while in the missions field and by praying. Prayer for safety and strength. Prayer for the advancement of the Gospel in Italy and Albania. And just prayer that God will move in and through me and my teammates.
I do also need to raise money, so if you feel led, here is how you can support me in that way:
https://adventuresinmissions.servicereef.com/events/adventures-in-missions-3/august-2025-journey-school-italy-and-albania-25jsfall/participants/alyssa-clarku
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