I’m currently in the middle-of-nowhere Romania, outside sitting at a picnic table with a scarf around my neck and a horse and buggy crossing the street in front of me. My life is average… I’m living in a house where I get to do my laundry (with a machine) and sleep in a real bed and enjoy the most amazing weather. I still wonder if this is all one big crazy dream.
I think it is.
I mean, two months ago I was in the mountains of the Dominican Republic, living with Abuelo and Abuela. I was getting to hang out with kids and visit sweet friends all day. One of my off days included going on a 12 mile hike to a waterfall. It was sweet.
Then, a few weeks later, I found myself in Haiti with my entire squad. Punching each other in the food line… ummm, I mean, preferring one another and always putting others first… and doing construction everyday. It was an amazing month where I got to learn a lot, worship a lot, and I even got to go surfing.
In all this time, I have been blown away by how much God has protected my heart. I came into the World Race with the expectation that every month I was basically going to have to rip my heart out as we went from one country to the next. I didn’t trust that the Lord would restore my heart. I thought that I would empty myself and His grace would not be enough to carry me through.
I was so wrong.
His grace is always enough.
And then, I somehow imagined that ministry on the World Race would look like me walking out the door everyday with an AK47 ready to blow up some pimps… I mean share the life of Jesus with them. I quickly realized I had to lay down what I expected ministry to look like while on the Race.
This month we are working at a camp and getting it ready for the summer. Doing random jobs that need to be done before little goobers start showing up this summer. On our days off we have traveled to Arad, Romania to go shopping, exploring and I even went to see Hunger Games. I even got to sing in a cultural arts center with the best acoustic in eastern Europe.
It’s been such an amazing month. Our team has stepped into a new rhythm. We have really begun to mesh well together. We have quickly come to realize how intentional the Lord was when our teams were created back at training camp.
At first we slightly freaked out about how a team of six completely different people would come together and be unified. It seems impossible at times. We often misunderstand peoples intentions, we hold on to offenses, we are consumed with pride and selfishness. But on the World Race we deal with those things right away no matter how hard it is. Basically, community on the world race is not normal. It’s so awesome and so challenging.
We have one more week here at ministry before we head to debrief. While we are excited to see the Lords grace carry us through in another time of change, we are a little nervous this time around. In one week we will face the biggest change yet… team changes.
In less than two weeks I will be in another country with another team and in my moments of small faith I am scared out of my mind. Sometimes, I wonder why I signed up for this crazy adventure of the World Race and then I am reminded that It’s one of the best decisions I have made.
I will do whatever it takes for me to look more like Jesus.
Even if it will hurt in the process.
Even if everything is constantly changing.
I just want to look more like Jesus.
