Your question is a very important one that each of us has to deal with.

First of all, the Bible teaches us that God is personal, that He created every one of us for a purpose, knows us, and wants the very best for us. Paul expresses it this way: "We are what He has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life" (Ephesians 2:9, 10).

The biblical writers also describe that although some people received very concrete and definite calls, such as the Apostle Paul did (Acts 16:9) when he had a vision, most people haven't. They had to ask God, trusting that He would guide them in His own way. For example, one writer said: "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insight. In all your ways acknowledge [God] and He will made straight your paths" (Proverbs 3:5, 6). This is usually a process. Part of it is turning from evil (Proverbs 3:7), and start doing right away what we know God wants us to do. The better we come to know Him, the more we will understand what interests and pleases Him. We will come to appreciate more and more His love for each individual and His longing that all peoples come to know Him, serve Him, and enjoy His blessings. At the same time, we discover that He will push us to grow in faith and will give us opportunities to obey Him.

God's basic call is to know and serve Him - the place is secondary. We served the Lord among students for many years in Colombia, South America. I once asked Eugenio, who worked for several years among indigenous peoples, how he happened into cross-cultural ministry. He replied, "Well, you got us involved in serving the people next to us, then took us to universities where there was no witness, and you never told us when to stop."

As we seek God's will, it is helpful to analyze who we are: our abilities, our interests, our opportunities, the counsel of wise friends we respect, what gives us the greatest joy, and also the tug of our hearts. As we bring these resources before the Lord in prayer and get involved in serving Him where we are, we can expect Him to show us more and more clearly the next steps.

Attending the Urbana Missionary Convention would help you think more deeply about this vital subject and would enable you to talk with a wide range of experienced Christians who have wrestled with the same questions you have raised.

Blessings on you in your search for God's will for you. Don't forget, He is more interested in your finding His will than you are.