MANSFIELD – For Jasmine Evans, being “comfortable” is actually an uncomfortable state.
The 26-year-old Lexington native has never been one to stay in one place for too long. It’s the reason why the past three years living in Mansfield have been a bit of a challenge.
“I’ve felt very comfortable here and that started to weigh on me,” Evans said. “I’ve been very drawn to the adventurous thrill of giving up everything and moving or doing something crazy.”
That dream will be fulfilled for Evans in a few weeks when she leaves her job as membership coordinator for Richland Source and travels to the Himalayan countries of India, Nepal and China for a five-month missions trip. Her last day with Richland Source is Jan. 26, and her flight leaves on Feb. 4.
“It’s been nice to be back here and create community here, but I was ready for a change,” Evans said.
Three years ago, Evans returned from her first international missions trip with Adventures in Missions, an interdenominational missions organization. The trip was the World Race, which visited 11 different countries in 11 months.
The ministry was simple, from cleaning kitchens to give host families a break to evangelism trips to villages in mountainous regions. The goal was to spread the love of the Lord.
“For me personally, it’s showing people they are loved and adored by a Creator who sees them and knows them,” Evans said. “There’s a lot of ways to do that; on the World Race a lot of ways we did that was just through teaching English or building relationships over a simple game of soccer.”
When Evans returned to Mansfield from her World Race missions trip, it had been six years since she’d lived in her hometown and everything had changed. Starting from scratch was a challenge, but she felt called to reinvest in her hometown.
“I felt like I needed to invest in my family and do those responsible things you can only do when you’re in one place for a period of time,” she said. “My eyes were open to all of this new growth in Mansfield and I was excited to be here and start fresh.”
Evans began rebuilding her life in Mansfield, making a point to meet new people and even continue her ministry. But there was always a part of her that yearned to see more of the world. When she came across another missions trip to the Himalayan region, it felt like a sign.
“When I came home from the World Race, I had this desire to take the gospel to unreached people groups in the Himalayas,” Evans said. “I couldn’t stop thinking about it. So when I came across this trip randomly and read about it, it took me back how identical it was to something I’ve always wanted to do.
“Among the fear of quitting your job and leaving the community you’ve built and all these comforts, the thing that kept bringing me back was I knew deep down I would regret it if I didn’t do it,” she said.
Joining Evans on this missions trip to the Himalayan region are two other people she’s met only via Facebook. The structure of this trip is very loose compared to the World Race, one goal being to find future hosts to partner with future World Race trips but mostly following their own passions.
Most people would find traveling to a foreign country with a relatively unknown mission to be intimidating or scary. For Evans, she finds it exhilarating.
“It’s funny when people ask me what we’ll be doing and I don’t have a clear answer,” she said. “I know it sounds silly, but I also know there’s a lot of beauty in that.”
Currently Evans is fundraising for her trip, working towards a goal of $11,600. For those interested in donating towards Evans’ trip or following her travels, she will be keeping a blog at www.jasmineevans.kingdomjourneys.org.
After her five-month trip is finished, Evans’ plan is to continue with international ministry and possibly partner with Adventures in Missions. Leaving Mansfield is bittersweet for Evans, but a necessary leap of faith.
“It’s been incredible living here the past several years and I’ve loved every minute of it,” she said. “There’s fear in it, and a lot of wondering if this is a stupid decision, but there’s a lot of affirmation I’ve had that these desires have always been there, and what do I have to lose?”
