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MEET SAMANTHA FLESCH: she said YES to an opportunity and is ready to serve.

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How did the Lord call you to the World Race?

I was called on the race through Instagram, actually. There was an ad for a quiz, and I took it. Days later, I got an email from someone from the admissions department. Since I already had a passion for missions, I decided I would respond to the admissions department, and we talked over email & over the phone. I began reading testimonies of people who did the race and thought, “This is what I'm meant to do.”

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What was one fear or hesitation you had about serving internationally, and how did you work through it?

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Though I haven’t launched for the race yet, I have served internationally in Mexico twice. One fear that I had before my first trip was that we would be seen as inferior to the village. However, we were invited in. We were invited to serve them, we were invited to help, we were invited to so many things beyond ministry such as a school graduation ceremony.

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What’s one thing you wish you’d known before serving in other countries?

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One thing I wish I knew before serving in different countries was that culture shock is so real. Culture shock can be scary, draining, emotional, and demanding.

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What did you learn about loving and being loved by others through fundraising for your trip?

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On my mission trips to Mexico, I have built relationships with people that I still continue to talk to to this day. I have been taught unconditional love. The kids would chase after our bus when we left, they made us matching bracelets, wrote us letters and drew pictures for us to take home. Their parents cried in our arms thanking us and calling us family.

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If you could tell the world one thing about serving, what would you say?

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If I could tell the world one thing about serving, it would be the word “persevere.” This was an adjective our partners in Mexico gave us. Perseverance, no matter the circumstances.

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