It must be said that I am currently sitting in a large room
in New Zealand. Yes, that’s right, the January 2010 World Race has officially
begun. It actually started with an eight-hour drive from Tucson, Arizona. After
my last American meal at In & Out and a quick trip to the beach, I was
reunited with the beautiful people who are also rising to this challenge of the
unknown that this next year holds for us.
We
flew all night on a 13-hour flight where the flight attendants were incredibly
friendly and kind. Making our way through customs, we walked out to the
gorgeous New Zealand air fresh from the multitude of trees that grow here. It
was so surreal as we drove to our Launch Site. I have to continue reminding
myself… I am indeed in New Zealand, getting ready to travel the heck out of
this 47-pound backpack that I carry oh so valiantly!
What
is it like? Well I looked across the clearing where World Racers are all
setting up their tents and there standing tall was a tree whose leaves were
bigger than my head. How do I absorb this place? This is more than just a
mountain experience and I am so peaceful about being here. There are sheep that
roam the steep yet rolling hills covered in green grass. The sun beats through
the oxygen-filled air and is harsh on our winter skin but we try to absorb
every moment because we have missed summer.
I
am here. It has begun. What God has started in me He is completing. There is so
much more to write about the goodness of the Lord, but I can’t fit it all into
this blog because you would probably grow weary having to read something so
long. So my promise to you is to write more. For now, I leave you with the
praises of the God of the Universe… it is almost impossible not to acknowledge
His glory in a place like this!
Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good; celebrate His lovely
name with music…I know the greatness of the Lord- that our Lord is greater than
any other god. The Lord does whatever pleases Him throughout all heaven and
earth, and on the seas and in their depths. He causes the clouds to rise over
the whole earth. He sends the lightning with the rain and releases the wind
from His storehouses… Your name, O Lord, endures forever; your fame, O Lord is
known to every generation. For the Lord will give justice to His people and
have compassion on His servants.!!
Psalm 135: 3, 4-7, 13-14
