Hello!! Welcome to my first blog! My name is Jayna, I’m 17, and I currently live in Manchester, New Hampshire. I am so excited to be going on this amazing 3 month Gapless Gap Year trip to Italy and Albania with Worldrace in the fall, but first let me tell you how I got to this point!
Growing up I have always had a heart for missions. I went on my first trip to the Dominican Republic when I was 11 and got to serve the people through medical clinics. Since then I have been back the D.R. 2 more times building houses for families in need. Through these incredible trips, I have felt God calling me to do more, to continue serving people and growing closer to Him. But I honestly didn’t know what that looked like for me. I wasn’t sure if missions was something I would actually do, or it was just a thought. Going through high school it felt like most people had a plan but I was never really like that. I had so many ideas and passions. One day I’d want to be a fashion designer, the next a pilot, the next join the Air Force, the next go into cosmetology, you get the idea. My mind was never set on one thing so I knew that after high school I wanted to take a gap year of sorts and see where the Lord would take me. I’ve grown up traveling and moving a lot between Canada and the US, and I have gotten to experience so much life and so many experiences and I want to continue doing exactly that, living life to the fullest. So I started searching for gap year programs that were Christian run and maybe had a focus on missions.
Initially I found Worldrace during the middle of my junior year of high school. I was so intrigued by what they offered, multiple monthlong missions trips all around the world, giving us the opportunity to serve, love God, and love people. Now this was exactly what I wanted to do after high school, I didn’t think I wanted to do the usual college experience just for the heck of it, so after some thought, talking with mentors, and praying, I signed up for a 9 month gap year trip. Now you might be confused because I said earlier that I was going on a three month trip, well I ended up switching trips when I felt God calling me to continue my education further and that’s where specifically the Gapless trip came across my radar. I found this trip that combined multiple things God has been putting on my heart, missions and school, and being surrounded by amazing people and amazing mentors is the perfect combination.
As I have gone through the process of registering for the trip and officially being a part of it, I have felt not only so much peace and conformation from the Lord, but also so much excitement and joy. I know the Lord has amazing plans for me and everyone on this trip and I cannot wait to see what He does through it all. I am so excited and honored to be able to serve God’s people, to grow closer with Him, to be surrounded by amazing community, and to have such an incredible launch into life.
As a part of this trip I have a fundraising goal of $7900 for living costs, flights, missionary service, and food. I would be so blessed if you partners with me both financially and through prayer to help make this trip happen for me! I will be posting biweekly blogs and updated here so come back and check out my page!
https://adventuresinmissions.servicereef.com/events/adventures-in-missions-3/august-2025-journey-school-italy-and-albania-25jsfall/participants/jayna-hakoun7
So good!