It has now been two years since I came home from the World Race. On one side of things, I can hardly believe two years have passed, but on the other side, I can’t believe it has only been two years.
My life has continued being an adventure, but a little more stable than a trip around the world.
In the past few days, I have been reflecting and realized I never formally thanked all of you for your support on The World Race. With getting married shortly after returning, I quickly changed focus and put the race behind me.
I know that this is two years late, but I still want to say “thank you”.
Here it goes:
Dear World Race supporters,
Thank you for your emotional, prayerful, and financial support during that year. Your emotional support gave me encouragement when I was at my limit, your prayerful support sustained me spiritually and your financial support allowed me to travel to those 11 countries in 11 months.
Over that year, I experienced God in ways that have changed my life. My eyes were opened to the different ways of the world which then opened my heart to the different ways of God. I experienced the loving Father who cares for His children in difficult physical conditions and challenging spiritual ones. I experienced christian community in the way it is described in the bible. I experienced selfishness from strangers and real, deep love from fellow teammates and squamates.
During that year, I saw the church. I experienced the church and I was the church. I’m not talking about the building. I’m talking about the lifestyle.
Church is when you are grocery shopping for your family. Church is when you are inviting new friends into your home for dinner. Church is when you decide to sit with the lonely person at the table. Church is when you are going to your desk job day after day. This life is the church.
After The World Race, my goal is to live the church lifestyle in my daily life. I don’t need to be traveling the world every month to be church, God needs me to be church where I am today. And He needs YOU to be church where you are today.
Thank you for giving me the gift of seeing what church can be. You did not just give me a year long travel trip, you gave me a foundation for my entire life. And for that, I will never be able to thank you enough.
I pray that your eyes and ears are open to continue to receive all of the wonderful gifts from the Father right where you are. And that your relationship with Him grows deeper and deeper. Let’s be people who chose to be the church where we’ve been placed. The Father will not disappoint.
Thank you again.
Love,
Christel
