Have you ever felt God pulling you toward something, but don’t know why?  Like an invisible string is pulling you toward something unseen, an unknown destination. For me, there is this sense of excitement and beauty in the unseen, the unknown, the unexpected.

Just want to start off by introducing myself. My name is Karis Kononiuk. I am 25 years old and an elementary teacher from Springfield, MO. I love Jesus, time with my friends and family, traveling, reading, and essential oils. My passion is teaching. I love helping children grow, and guiding them in their journey to become the men and women God created them to be. Next August, I will be taking off with The World Race: Expedition to Turkey, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, China, Nepal, India, Myanmar, Thailand, and Indonesia (Wow...saying 11 countries is a mouthful!)

For those of you Interested:

Strengths Finder: Developer, Belief, Connectedness, Relator, Adaptability

Meyers: INFP

Enneagram: 9

I first heard about The World Race about 5 years ago, and decided then that I wanted to be part of it. However, God has had other plans since then such as finishing college, getting my Masters Degree (almost finished!), and teaching 4th grade for a few years now. Waiting for something I know God has called me to do has been a struggle. There have been so many times that I just wanted to get up and go, but I know God’s timing is perfect. There is a reason for the waiting period, and reason why now is the time for me to embark on this adventure. 

I know many of you will ask what I think that reason is.

"What do you want to get out of The World Race?"

Most of the time my answer has been simple such as I want to build my relationship with God. I want to tell people about how awesome He is. I want a chance to grow in faith and boldness. All these answers are true, but they can be true for any mission trip. So why The World Race? 

In all honesty, I have no idea, but God is calling me to it for a reason. 

Have you ever felt God pulling you toward something, but don’t know why?  Like an invisible string is pulling you toward something unseen, an unknown destination. For me, there is this sense of excitement and beauty in the unseen, the unknown, the unexpected. 

This is why I think I have been drawn to The World Race. I have read so many blogs (shout out to all the races who have gone before me!) of the miraculous things God has done and a common denominator between them all is that the races didn’t see them coming! They were totally unexpected which only demonstrated God’s power even more. 

So what do I want to get out The World Race? I don’t know. I do know that I want to start this adventure without expectations, but with trust that God will guide me every step of the way from fundraising, to stepping on that first plane across the world, to the long maybe even torturous hikes that I'm sure are coming, to the incredible encounters with both the believers in Christ and the unbelievers, to a deeper relationship with God, and to journey home. 

I trust that he will open my eyes to what he wants me to see, open my ears to what he wants me to hear, and open my mind and heart to what he wants me to learn. 

With all that said, will you commit to praying for me, for all the unseen, unknown, and unexpected that I am sure to encounter?  Will you pray about stepping out in faith and supporting me on my journey? 

Also, if you want to follow along with me on my journey. I will be posting here regularly or you can follow me on Instagram: @kariskononiuk. This is where I will be posting a lot about my fundraisers coming up as well as just all my life stuff going on.