This is a post that I’ve wanted to write for quite some time, but I never felt like I had the right words to tell this story of God’s faithfulness in the seemingly insignificant, because I want you to understand just how significant this small story of a dream come true is to me. But I finally sat down and started typing, because the same God who has given me a story to tell will surely give me the words to tell that story. Not only is He capable, but He is so, so faithful!
Everything that I’ve ever read about the World Race has said that this journey will require a commitment to flexibility and a willingness to roll with changes as they come. My hope is to have just one expectation as I embark on this adventure – and that’s to expect the unexpected. (All other expectations are sure to be shattered to a million pieces.) This was, thankfully, my state of mind when I received an unexpected email a few weeks ago from one of the AIM staff members that has been working closely with my squad to get us prepared for launch. The subject line of this email read, “Drum Roll….Route Change!!!” I eagerly double-clicked and literally drummed my fingers as I waited for the body of this exciting email to load on my computer screen. Before I go any further, though, I’d like to give you a background so you’ll more fully appreciate the Lord’s faithfulness in this story. Trust me, it makes all the difference!
So…the very first Spanish teacher that I ever had was named Senor Medrano. He made quite the impression on my second-grade self, as evidenced by the vivid memories that I have of sitting in a colorful schoolroom enthralled by his memoirs of growing up in a land that I’d never heard of and could hardly imagine. I soaked up every word of his stories from a childhood that was so radically different from my own, I remember thinking that they sounded like tales from one of my beloved storybooks. From playing tricks on naive tourists with a type of wood that appears much heavier than it actually is, to sightings of birds the size of small children that build their nests on the peaks of mountains, I thought for sure that the strange language he spoke so naturally must hold the secret to this seemingly enchanted country that he came from. Perhaps this is why I have continued to study the Spanish language with great passion all the way through grade school and college. I am convinced that this was the first time I got bitten by the travel bug, even though my physical body had hardly left the state of North Carolina more than a handful of times.
Due in large part to Senor Medrano’s enchanting stories of his native country, I continued to enroll in Spanish classes all the way through middle and high school. Many of these classes included an end-of-the-year case study project on a Spanish-speaking country of our choice and, again, my memories of Senor Medrano’s fascinating stories lead me to choose the same country for every.single.project. The more I learned about this beautiful country, the more my interest was piqued. Before long, my love for learning about this place became a desire to experience it first-hand, and shortly thereafter that desire became a dream. I always thought that my first big international adventure would take me to this country that I’d been borderline-obsessed-with for nearly a decade.
Then, in my second summer of college, I got my chance to make this dream a reality…but no matter how much I researched, I simply could not find the type of program I was looking for in my beloved ‘dream country.’ I came across the Projects Abroad physiotherapy internship in Cochabamba, Bolivia and immediately knew that it was where God was calling me. So with a certain degree of reluctant surrender, I all but gave up on my now-bruised dream of ever making it to this country that I had invested so much time and energy into learning about. I had an incredible time in Bolivia and basically forgot about my childhood dream that was yet unfulfilled. I was given an opportunity for international travel that some people never get to have, and I was oh-so-grateful and (mostly) content to believe that that was ‘good enough.’ It was just a silly kid dream, anyway.
But oh, how sweet is the Lord that He is a God who knows our hearts’ desires, holds them close to His own heart, and cares deeply about even the smallest details of our lives! He is a God who makes dreams come true. I know it to be true, because that’s exactly what He did for me.
After nearly 15 years of dreaming about the day that I would be able to experience this beautiful country in person, I AM GOING TO ECUADOR!!!
My World Race route that begins in less than 45 days (!!!) will now take me to the following countries, in this order (for now at least – remember, flexibility is the name of the game- er, Race!):
Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, India, Nepal, Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malawi, Zambia
Thank you all for your continued support and for coming alongside me on this journey! If you’ve happened to look at my fundraising progress bar lately (located at the top of the page), then you undoubtedly know that I have a LOT to be thankful for! Stay tuned for a cliche Thanksgiving post to come in the next day or two. 🙂 In the meantime, I’ll be soaking up some precious holiday memories with my family since I will be celebrating next year’s Thanksgiving halfway across the world!
With love and wanderlust,
Cassady
“Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!” (Luke 1:45)
