Hey y’all!

My name is Jillisa Gary and I am stoked to begin this journey! I’d love to share a little more about myself. I was born and raised in southeast Texas and had the privilege of growing up on a summer camp in New Caney. When I was little, my dream was to one day be a garbage man; Riding on the back of a truck seemed like such a fun career! Ultimately, I settled on becoming a veterinarian–a dream that stayed with me from early childhood to college. Additionally, I have always loved all animals (especially dogs and horses), trail riding, reading, jumping on the trampoline, playing MarioKart, cooking, mudding, and listening to/making music!

In school, I was part of the cheer team (as the mascot), played volleyball and the trumpet,  traveled to compete in marching band, concert band, HOSA (Health Occupational Students of America), and debate. My favorite classes were world history, anatomy & physiology, spanish, ceramics, and physics. Outside of school, I worked at my family’s summer camp, attended dual-credit classes at the local community college, and worked as a carhop at Sonic with my best friend, Sarah. After graduating from New Caney High School, moved away from home on my 18th birthday, and began my college career! 

My time in college has been a wild ride. I’ve been misguided and, despite my best intentions, simply lost. As a result, I’ve moved many times and transferred to 5 different schools! Thankfully, in October of 2019, the Lord invaded my life while I was on a mission trip to Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. He left me with a promise that He had more for me; If only I would choose to abandon the life I built for myself and pursue a life lived solely for Him. If you know me and know my story, then you know this is the cool part. At the end of this trip, at our Lakota naming ceremony, I received the names Crossroads, Crossover, and Overflow. I had a decision to make and the result that ensued would be one that altered the course of my entire life. 

I moved to Tulsa, OK and enrolled at Oral Roberts University! The Lord has shown me so much favor and is ever-faithful. My life looks nothing anything I ever expected it to– it’s so much better than I ever would have imagined! Since coming to ORU I’ve made friendships that will last me a lifetime. I have also become the school mascot (Talons up!), Student Association Programs Executive (student body event coordinator), ORU Debate team captain, and TA for the theology department (Ethics & Major Religions of the World). I am currently working on my senior thesis paper (As a matter of fact, I am avoiding writing my senior paper by writing this blog post) about the history and ethics of Missions. By the grace of God, I have maintained a 4.0 gpa, am concurrently taking Master’s courses, and am soon to graduate with honors. NONE OF THIS would be possible without God’s guidance, provision, and anointing. He really did have more for me and He still does. 

The World Race is exciting! and terrifying! and makes you feel a little crazy when you explain to others what it is and why you want to go. I don’t know why the Lord has chosen me as the recipient of all that He has for me, but I couldn’t be happier about it. Since accepting His deal and following Him for all “the more” He’s got in store for me, I have seen miracle upon miracle in my life. At the crossroads, I chose to crossover. This was because I had one small taste of the living water and became urgently aware that nothing else will ever satisfy. Out of that crossover, I have seen an overflow of His abundance like nothing I could have ever asked for or dreamt of. I just keep drawing near to Him and He draws near to me too. I don’t have a 5-year plan or a 401(k). Heck, I don’t even have a wallet. But I know that He has more for me. So I’m going all in on Jesus and I’m not looking back. 

“”My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.”

2 Corinthians 12:9 

“Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.”

Proverbs 19:21

“What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith…. Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.”

Philippians 3:8-9, 12