Have you been reading WR blogs this year, yearning to be a part of something like this… both excited when you see a new post, and a bit jealous at the same time? I was that person. I used to live with all Racers, and listen to their stories, and how they talked about these countries as if it was normal to have done what they did. I get it. So if you are sitting there wishing and hoping that maybe someday it will happen, then this is for you.
God is real. Let me say this again, God is real. You may think, “Duh, is that what she wanted to tell us this badly? I wouldn’t have been chomping at the bit to go if I didn’t believe that,” but trust me on this, it is something that you will need to remember. One of the scariest things about the World Race, is that you come face to face with yourself and all of the deep, dark secrets flowing around in your mind and heart. All of the things that you have been running from, or that you thought you had dealt with in the past, will surface. Had specific doubts about whether God really exists when you were a teenager? You will experience them again, in a startlingly new way. Used to struggle with whether or not you really heard God’s voice? You will hit a point when you question whether or not He even speaks to people at all. I am not saying this to scare you, but to encourage and equip you. This is not just another mission trip.
When th
e Lord first told me to go on the World Race I was a bit annoyed with Him. I had been drooling over this trip ever since I had come on staff with AIM, and yet, the Lord had told me no at the beginning. He had actually told me to wait, but I assumed that meant no, so I tried not to get too jealous when my roommates talked about it, or when they signed up to squad lead and got to go out on the field again just months after having been home. After a while I didn’t even want to go, partly because I was under the impression that the Race was sort of a year of initiation into the world for most people where the Lord usually sparked the desire to serve Him full-time, or start a ministry of some sort. Since I already had a huge passion for missions, and had been in preparation by the Lord for it for 10 years, I didn’t particularly want another year of that… I wanted to be out there, finally doi
ng it. Do you ever look back at yourself, or read your past journals and think, “I was so naïve back then, how could I have thought that?” This is one of those moments.
Let me just say, firstly, that the Race is different for every single person. No person reacts the same to a country or ministry as those around them. Even within our own squad, no one has had the same Race. I have been with my teammate Liz for 10 out of the 11 months, but the month she was in Kenya we lived in different places and did completely different things. Thailand was amazing for me, but incredibly hard for her… everyone is different. Secondly, everyone is at a different stage in life. There are 21 year olds on our squad and there are 34 year olds on our squad; there are new believers and there are people who have been following Christ since they were 6; there are those who have been in the ministry for years, and those for whom this is their first mission trip… everyone is different. This is not some cookie cutter trip that affects every person 
similarly, and awakens every person’s heart for a specific country, or full-time ministry. Yes, if you look into the Race, you will hear that it is more about changing you than the world in 11 months, but do not think that is the point of this trip. Honestly, this trip has only one point… Jesus. What He is saying, what He is doing in you and others, and what He wants to do in you and others through the Spirit He gave you (1 John 4:13). It really is ultimately all about Him in every way.
Therefore, this is what I want to tell you: The Race is hard, for everyone, not just those who have never been through anything like this before. No matter how many mission trips you have been on, none of them will prepare you for this. I can tell you now, that I find that fact beautiful. It is the reason this trip is life-changing… when you are thrown in situations where you have no bearings, no control, no way to cope; when the enemy is bombarding you on all sides, The Lord is all you have, and you go places with Him that you never imagined. Yes, we have an enemy that fights us the entire way, trying to drag up the past and drown out God’s voice, but th
e Spirit inside of us speaks to the truth, and you will come face to face with Him in a way that will forever change you.
So go. If the Lord is telling you to, then it is absolutely the right choice. If He isn’t, then He obviously has even more amazing plans for you. But, if you feel that tug in your spirit, and are just hesitating, worrying about what you have heard, or the unknown, stop it… just go. It is absolutely worth it, in every way. I won’t say that you won’t regret it at times, but it is so worth it. And if you have any questions, concerns, or need encouragement, I would love to talk with you. That’s what I’m here for.
Sincerely, your sister who’s praying for you,
Christiana
