It's been 3 full months of story-telling from my World Race, so I've managed to compile a few quick take-aways that you can peruse for a quick 'Reader's Digest' of what I learned and what people seem to keep asking… and ya, it may take you more than 5 minutes to read this. 😉
Top 5 things the Lord taught me while I was on the Race:
1.) I learned to BE STILL.
Which was hard for me, because I am an activity-addict!
When I’m still before Him, I can hear His voice (which is awesome) and I can receive more of what He’s got for me (which is also awesome).
Read more about 'being still' at: http://christinadombrowsky.theworldrace.org/?filename=living-like-a-monk-in-gods-hot-malaysia
2.) Friendships are worth fighting for.
So many times in life we inadvertently (or maybe sometimes intentionally) treat people like disposable-friends. They make us mad one too many times and we say ‘I’m done with you!’. Who needs that drama?! And then that’s it. Right? Wrong. On the WR, you don’t get the luxury of giving up on your teammate – they are with you and you are with them.I learned sometimes you have wait on what God is doing in somebody’s life (and HIS timing isn’t always ours) and PRAY for these people, not write them off. Your prayers are powerful and effective! And HE is using you in more people’s lives than you’d ever guess. That’s a guarantee.
3.) I can have HOLY CONFIDENCE.
I’ve always been confident in who I am, but now I know that who I am has very little (if not nothing) to do with what I’ve done, what I have, or what I look like. I can be confident in who I am because I know who HE is and who HE says I am.
Read more about 'holy confidence at: http://christinadombrowsky.theworldrace.org/?filename=you-are-my-miracle
4.) Our job is to bring God’s kingdom here to earth.
So many of us are so busy trying to get to Heaven, but Jesus is busy trying to bring Heaven to Earth. So…there’s a disconnect. God is inviting us to partner with Him in His work! HOW do we bring Heaven to Earth, you ask? By sharing the kind of love, healing, wholeness & joy that Heaven will boast with to the people we encounter here on Earth. And the cool part is that when you 'partner' with God, He does all the heavy lifting. All you have to do is show up.
5.) Christian Community is SO important!
On the World Race, you are on a team of 6-7 other people, day-in and day-out. Yes, it can get annoying when you're never ever alone – but, WOW, did I learn how great community really can be. People to encourage you when you're at your wit's end, give you advice that is founded in something beyond fickle human opinion, call you out on your crap (even when you don't want to be called out), and gently push you into who you are becoming — who God intends you to be. Real community isn’t about just sweeping the hard stuff under the rug and having a cup of coffee when it's convenient. It's about getting real, really loving each other, and actually doing life alongside one another. It's about getting real about our messy lives. Getting honest. And learning to love each other — even when we know the ugly stuff. It's just so freeing to know that there's people who know you. Like really know you, with all your mess and all your annoying habits, and they STILL love you! Yes. These people exist. And God has a special set of 'em picked out for you! It's like a support group for doing life. Who doesn't need that? And your group will change with the seasons of life, as does everything. But we weren't intended to go it alone.
If you don’t have some some solid people around you – go get some! Life is a team sport! Don’t try and play it alone.
Christina’s most FAQ:
What was your favorite country?
Thailand and Rwanda
For more on Thailand: http://christinadombrowsky.theworldrace.org/?filename=english-elephants-monks-mochas-transexuals-transformation-thailand-epic
For more on Rwanda: http://christinadombrowsky.theworldrace.org/?filename=best-month-yet-i-love-rwanda
What was the weirdest food you ate?
Fried ants
For more on eating bugs: http://christinadombrowsky.theworldrace.org/?filename=eating-bugs-sleeping-in-bus-stations-living-loved
What was the CRAZIEST thing you did?
Either bugee jumping over the Nile River in Uganda
Or
Having homemade dinner with ladyboy prostitutes in the Red Light district of Chiang Mai, Thailand
Or
Praying over a girl in Cambodia and seeing God cast a demon out of her
http://christinadombrowsky.theworldrace.org/?filename=casting-out-demons-in-cambodia
…I guess it depends what kind of ‘crazy’ you were asking about! 😉
What do you miss most from the Race?
My friends.
My teammates and squadmates became like family to me.
Would you do it again?
Heck, yes.
What am I doing now?
I am going to go work for Adventures in Missions (the parent organization of the World Race) to help Seth Barnes (the Founder) start a new ministry called Kingdom Journeys that will send out specialized groups of missionaries to work as consultants to organizations in the developing world. The KJ Men’s team has a business focus and the KJ Women’s team has a ministry focus. I am helping build the first KJ Women’s team, who will depart in January 2014 to go work alongside ministry heroes, abolitionists, and rock stars for the Kingdom in anti-human trafficking, the empowerment of women, and the plight of women in bondage all around world. We’re setting out to set the captives free, Isaiah 61 style. Hit me up if you want to help!
Is there some way you can help me in my new ministry?
I am so glad you asked! Why, yes. I do happen to be support raising my salary – and yes, I would be happy to have you donate to the cause! 😉 Kingdom builders need kingdom funders. If that’s how you can help bring Kingdom – God bless you and please reach out to me and let me know what's stirring in your heart! I’d be honored to be ‘your missionary’ 🙂
Hope you got some of your questions answered.
Let me know if you have more! 🙂
