Some people have a hard time figuring out where to go with their lives. But for one ULM student the answer has become a godsend.

Amber Madison, a junior undeclared major, will embark on a journey across the world to 11 different countries for 11 months as part of a mission trip called “The World Race” in which she will spread the teachings of Christianity.

“It’s a long journey of 11 months where you abandon the American life and your lifestyle and literally live in a backpack,” Madison said.

Madison will participate in many aspects of ministry while on her trip. But the one she is most excited about is working with prostitutes in Thailand.

“The women will go into the bars and build relationships with prostitutes and hopefully we can get that relationship built to where on the outside we can talk to them about our religion versus theirs,” Madison said.

Tommy Smith is the college pastor at North Monroe Baptist Church and has been Madison’s mentor for the past three years.

“She wrestled with who she was going to be as a believer,” Smith said. “We’ve seen her grow from not really having a direction in life to her figuring out who God wants her to be.”

Smith is no stranger to oversees trips himself. The pastor just returned from a trip to Tanzania last week.

“The culture says Christians are mean and spiteful, and that’s just not the case,” Smith said. “Amber is a really good testimony to what Jesus can do for a person’s life.”

Smith said when Madison came back from her trip to Greece she said she would never go on an overseas trip again—an opinion most people who go on mission trips don’t share.

She said she needed to focus on her life here. But then Passion happened.

Passion is a conference for Baptist youth, and about 70,000 people attended the conference.

It was there that Madison heard about “The World Race,” but she still wasn’t convinced that it was something she wanted to do.

Smith said Madison sat in his office and told him she needed to do more. She said she wanted to do more because she could do more.

“She’s grown from being inwardly focused to being outwardly focused,” Smith said. “She’s really stepping out on faith and trust that not only will people help her financially but that she will accomplish her mission.”

Madison said she’s looking forward to her trip not just so she can spread the Gospel, but she expects to gain a lot of personal growth.

“There’s a lot of abandoning myself and seeing what’s out there… I’m not ready for a 9-5 job I don’t know where my heart is yet or what I want to do, so I just want to travel the world to see,” she said.

Anyone who embarks on a long trip away from her support group can expect to be afraid. And Madison is no different.

She’s afraid of not raising enough money. She’s afraid of culture shock. And she’s afraid of sleeping in a tent and living off rice for 11 months.

“I have to raise $15,000. I will be out of school for 4 semesters, so that puts me two years behind, which is a lot for me, but I’m leaving a lot behind in the sense,” Madison said. “When I get back it’s pretty much starting over in life, with school trying to get back into the American way. I’ll be almost 25 when I get home, and I’ll be single, without a degree, probably still living in my parents’ house.”

But Madison takes the good with the bad. She wants to spread her faith despite the dangers she may encounter. And she’s looking forward to some of the non-religious aspects of the trip like rafting down the Nile River.

“I’ve only been fund raising for four weeks now, and God has already done so much in my life showing me his provision,” Madison said. “It’s crazy because every day I go to bed with a different fear for this trip, and each morning I wake up and he’s provided for me before I’ve even woken up. I’m really having to learn a different trust,” Madison said.

That’s the area where Madison leans on her faith the most: fund raising.

“Right now I’m in the process of selling t-shirts… I’m making brochures to hand to businesses. During the week of Spring Fever I’m going to be wearing my backpack around campus so that people on campus can throw in some loose change to help me out.” Madison said.

Madison has even asked her close friends to sell plasma to help her raise the funds.

While Madison said she is mainly receiving support from her family and friends, she said that she would love it if ULM students would help to support her.

“I think it’s really cool if students get involved with supporting any type of cause, especially one of sharing the Gospel and showing love to people overseas… If they’re not able to I’d love to represent them and go.  Also I’ll be representing ULM in 11 different countries and handing out ULM shirts to orphans,” Madison said.

Madison encourages any student looking or thinking about doing a “World Race” type of trip.

“If anyone is considering doing anything like the “World Race,” I would say now is a better time than ever. As college students we are not tied down to anything keeping us in a stationary place, like a full time job, marriage and other things,” Madison said.

If you want to follow Madison on her journey or give money to help send her on her way, check out her blog  at http://ambermadison.theworldrace.org.