Growing up my parents were a source of encouragement, support, and guidance. They taught me how to tie my shoes, how to be responsible, and how to love others well. They have been at my side through the thick and thin. They have watched me grow up into the woman I am today and much of that can be attributed to their upbringing.
This past week I had the opportunity to share the latest chapter of my journey with my parents when they visited me for a week long insight into the World Race called the Parent Vision Trip. This was a week where Racer’s parents could do ministry alongside us to be re-united and to see first hand what we have been doing for the last 8 months.
The week found us in the Philippines working with Wipe Every Tear, an organization dedicated “to bringing hope, freedom, and a future to trafficked girls in the sex trade”. My parents have done smaller scale rebuilding and medical missions but this week, this ministry was on the front lines. We were going into the darkness as Christ’s army and fighting for each and every girl we interacted with.
Memories from this week large and small will forever hold a special place in my heart. To give you a little taste of what this week looked like, I thought I would share a few highlights…
I had the honor to lead the whole group in worship and show my parents the kind of connection with God that I have grown to know. That same night my mom and I lead two songs together; my favorite childhood songs were lifted up to the Lord as we prepared to go to the bars and fight for the women’s futures.
I was re-baptized and personally re-committed myself to the Lord with my parents at my side just like they were many years before when I was baptized as a baby.
I swelled with pride as my parents jumped right in to loving the girls even though the Filipino “red light district” was far from their comfort zone. The first night as my dad and I got to know our waitress I noticed my mom at the bar talking to the young women who were dancing provocatively in swimsuits. My parents were not deterred by the front put on by these girls; my parents saw straight to their hearts.
The next night my family wasn’t fully into the bar before a young girl was attached to my mom’s hip, the waitress from the night before said hi to my dad, and two girls cried out my name. In a few short hours my parents and I had made lasting impressions. We had forever changed the course of these girls’ lives. We showed them they are worthy of love. They are worthy of genuine affection, untainted by worldly desires that so frequently try to consume them.
I heard my mom declare hope and blessings over Kenny and Becky, our ministry hosts, and the women of Wipe Every Tear while my dad boldly prayed aloud for the Racers on the field and for the rest of our time on the Race.
We talked about our faith and how God speaks to us. We talked about our desire to read the Bible more and to seek God on a more personal level.
I was reminded of the ways in which I have grown and changed over the past few months and encouraged to finish strong. “It’s not how you start the Race, it’s how you finish it.”
I felt as though my parents and I had only been apart for a few weeks and not a few months. The comfort of loved ones and the ease in which we interact was a pleasant reminder of the depth to which we know each other regardless of the time we have been apart.
My parents were able to hear my struggles in person and not over spotty internet reception. They were able to give me advice that changed my whole outlook on a situation and reaffirmed my abilities.
Feeling fortunate to have a dad who (along with a few other fathers) saw an extra mission opportunity to help a local church community and future Racers: looking beyond and seeing others who can be blessed by the skills and resources God gave us.
I was able to celebrate my 26th birthday with my parents showing women their worth and value is more than the dollar sign a man is willing to spend for them.. Priceless.
While I have learned many lessons and increased my relationship with the Lord the last few months, I am thankful for the reminders and love he showed me this week through my parents. Now they have a little taste of what World Race flexibility and vulnerability means. What pushing through the hard times and playing the hand you were dealt is all about. They can know hear my stories through fresh ears and look at my pictures through a new perspective, one of having seen and heard Christ’s love for these girls.
I was blessed to have my parents on the other side of the box this week.
