I dug up an old email recently where I had originally scribed out this blog back in Thailand (Month 6). It's the end of Month 10 and I still thought it made the cut for public consumption, although I've thrown in a few edits from my further experiences. Enjoy!
1) Decide that you want to be here (on the Race). Show up for your life, take ownership of your relationship with the Lord. Seriously, no one is watching to see if you're 'spiritual' or 'Christian' enough, so run free! The Race is a time where you can question everything, learn a ton, and have unending hours with Jesus . . . take advantage of it.
2) Fight the devil, not the Lord. He's not out to get you, He doesn't want to call you to some remote village chopping firewood for your entire life (although for a month on the Race . . . maybe). Remember that God is good. Remember that God is good. If you stand on that one truth, His goodness, you will be well equipped against all attack. I spent a lot of time questioning the Lord's voice, why He asked me to lay certain things down, why He asked me to love certain people . . . one day He asked me 'What if you stopped arguing with me over every thing and just did what I said, trusting that I am good and have your best interests at heart?' What an idea.
3) Don't buy sport sandals. They are heavy and they smell and they are ugly.
4) Try to worry less about safety. Be aware of your surroundings and don't be foolish, but also keep in mind that millions of people live in the countries you are going to–they've lived there all their lives, you'll survive 1 month.
5) Be vulnerable. No one is out to get you, and your vulnerability will open doors for others to share their hearts as well. Vulnerability in this tight-knit community creates a chain reaction, one that just keeps glorifying God. Remember that no one's perfect, every body needs Jesus, and that's the beauty and privilege of this life.
6) Be yourself. God gets the most glory when you are operating as . . . you, a beloved child of God. Don't worship a certain way just because others do, or because you think it's an expectation. But don't stick to only what you've known for fear of change. The Son has given you freedom!
7) Embrace team changes and the leadership. God's timing is perfect and His plans are good. He knows when to bring certain people in and out of your life. Trust that the leadership hears clearly from the Father (and if they make a mistake . . . well, good thing God is in the redemption business. It will all work out, God is never not in control.) Also, maybe you are a team leader or a squad leader or a treasurer or a team member . . . it's all good!
For myself, being a team member has been the most wonderful, delicious vacation from administrative responsibility and I've been loving it (although I definitely struggled with it in the beginning of my Race!). Enjoy whatever position you get as a blessing from the Father! EDIT: . . . And then I became a team leader . . . and then I resigned from being a team leader. The Race can be unpredictable like that, but go where the Father leads you and trust in His provision.
8) God will get you where you need to go when you need to get there to see whomever you need to see. This is coming from a former type-A, Blackberry addicted engineer. See? The Lord can do miracles.
9) When your feet are swollen and your skin is covered in bug bites and mysterious rashes and your face is broken out in acne that you've never even seen in your teenage years . . . remember that this body is simply a 'jar of clay' (2 Cor. 4:7) and that really, no one cares how you look, it's about the treasure you have inside of you 🙂
10) Spend less time doing stuff you can do at home (watching movies, surfing the internet) and more time investing in your teammates and seeking the Father. It's worth it!
