While most seniors anxiously wait to hear back from colleges, Taylor O’Callaghan has something else on his mind. He will be spending nine months sleeping on the streets and delivering aid to different countries in Asia, Africa, and Central America.
For the program World Race: Gap Year, O’Callaghan will spend three three-month stints in Guatemala, Malaysia, and Botswana in order to help those in need.
O’Callaghan explained “The majority of my work will be spent serving the materially poor, sick, enslaved, and those who are much less fortunate than us.”
He and the rest of his group will tend to the needs of the community as they travel throughout the country. “I will be building houses and working in orphanages, helping people who are seriously ill with diseases like HIV or AIDS, planting churches.”
O’Callaghan added, “I will basically be doing what is in need of help at the time I am there.”
Because he will be relocating so often, sleeping arrangements become more complicated and will often be improvised. He and the other members will keep tents on-hand, but O’Callaghan says he will gladly take arrangement offers from churches and houses of other missionaries.
WorldRace has a strong Christian background, and O’Callaghan will be spreading the message of Christianity during his mission trip.
“A lot of the time we will be partnering with churches, missionaries or other Christian organizations. Instead of trying to force religion down people’s throat, we will just be trying to demonstrate our faith and the love that we’ve been given by showing love towards others.”
O’Callaghan knows that religion can come across as preachy and turn people off. He is interested in helping more than preaching.
“Something that I’ve seen to be very impactful in a negative way is preaching at people. Nobody wants to have someone telling them they are wrong, rather, we will be showing love and just conversing no matter what they may believe.”
As an avid member of his church’s youth group and leader of a bible study group, O’Callaghan has a strong involvement with helping those in need.
“I have worked at a Christian camp in Wisconsin. There are 3 weeks of the camp devoted to those of the materially poor or disabled. I have also done community service, wether it be serving at a soup kitchen or just going out and having intentional conversations with people who live on the streets of Chicago.”
Although O’Callaghan has already been accepted into college and will delay matriculation for a year, a reason for his gap year stems from his desire to do something more than traditional education usually offers.
“I felt that I was being called to do something more in this world,” he said, “I realized that I don’t have to put so much pressure on myself to get into the perfect school right now. I can take my time to see the world and get life experience before going, all while spreading love.”
Taylor O’Callaghan’s fundraising page is at http://Taylorocallaghan.theworldrace.org.