This is for the future Racers so they know the Race isn’t all loving on children and healings and hiking cool mountains and this is for my supporters so they know a bit more what the Race looks like in real life and how to pray for me and those with me.
When I was in Albania, I realized how difficult the Race actually is. It is not a walk in the park or for the faint in heart. Literally.
This blog is an honest blog about what makes the Race so hard. It is more than what it may seem on Instagram. But also don’t be discouraged–with hardships come beautiful lessons, relationships, and growth. (Check out this blog if you want to know why I think it is worth it: Dear Future Racers and Supporters P.2
The Race is hard because…
You rarely have alone time. Whether you are an introvert or an extrovert, it is hard. Those who are introverts want to climb into a hole and those who are extroverts gain introvert tendencies. You are either around your team, squad, ministry hosts, or all the above. You rarely have time to breathe and if you go to a coffee shop to escape, likely chances are you will see familiar faces. Even with sleeping quarters, you are often sharing a space with at least one person but probably more like 5 people.
There is never consistency–things constantly change. As my team leader says, “Guys, I know nothing.” Because even as team leader if she is told something, it’s probably different. Even in ministry, things can change in 5 minutes. You think you are going to go pray and you end up preaching. You start your day thinking you only have to go to one school to teach at, but “Surprise team!”, it is actually TWO schools. Also, ministry is not consistent either. Sometimes it is the same thing, but often it is not. Sometimes you may do three different ministries in three weeks or you may even do different stuff each day depending on what is requested by your host.
You are constantly on the move. Whether from one country to the next or next ministry to next. We only spend about 3 and half weeks in a country, but you may not even stay in that designated city or village. You may do ministry in a different village a day or you may do ministry in one spot for two weeks and somewhere else the next week.
You are always pouring out. You pour into your host, you pour into their ministry, your pour into the locals you get to build relationships with. But, there isn’t necessarily a place to pour into you. There are LDW’s and debriefs at the end of each month but that is only for 2-4 days at the end of the month. You also have your team and that can be helpful, but you also are all struggling through your brokenness. Although that can be a truly beautiful thing. We also don’t necessarily have a central church family that encourages us (minus our squad, of course). Sometimes we go to three different churches in three weeks and even if we go to the same one each week, we are there for that church. So the chances of us preaching, sharing a testimony, leading worship are REALLY high. And if we don’t, or do only one of those things, the rest of the time is normally in another language. Which is a beautiful thing, but it can make connecting to God harder. However, there are hosts who pour into us and love us well and there is such a beautiful mutual pouring into. But sometimes us Racers run on empty because we are here for the people we forget to take care of ourselves.
Your body gets taxed in so many ways. You are probably going to get lice (like I do currently) and you have to put pesticides in your hair which kills your long hair. You probably will pick up the plague (some nasty stomach bug or parasite) and you also have a good chance of getting sick in places that are just unfortunate. One friend had to throw up on a bus in a bag because they wouldn’t pull over and other times the bathrooms are not like in the US. You also get colds and things. Sometimes the hospitals you go to are really nice, other times they are not. Sometimes your doctor speaks English, sometimes not.
You are constantly outside your comfort zone. You are not home anymore, away from family, probably not how you dress like you do back home, eating food that can be very different from home, with no consistency. You are asked to do things that may be in your areas of giftedness–but probably not. You are asked to preach, share your testimony, and more.
God strips you and also teaches you hard things. Brokenness is exposed on your end and with your team. He prunes you and strips you to make you more like Him. Which is awesome, but also REALLY hard and uncomfortable.
Deep relationships=hard goodbyes. I love deep relationships and then keeping up with them. God has blessed me with deep relationships back home that I’m not always able to keep up with. He has also blessed me incredibly with a couple people in each country that I got to build a deep relationship with, but leaving is always hard! I also have my team and squad, but I know also saying goodbye to them at the end of the year will also be really hard.
You miss out on things back home. I mean, it’s a year! You miss out on family and dear friend’s weddings, you miss out on pregnancies, graduations, holidays and more. You also miss out on small things and just those friendships that are so dear to you back in the US.
It’s not normal to feel like a regular human being. I have to admit that this covers a lot, but some examples are the following: People are always staring at you or trying to take selfies with you, you are there in a country to minister and as such we are held to a higher standard and our focus is ministry and our team, and sometimes because we are American we are put on a pedestal. Also, the Race is such an odd experience different from “real” life in ways. So when I’m able to just be a “tourist” and explore a city for a couple hours, it is such a beautiful feeling. Or when you are simply able to have coffee and speak English with friends from that culture who also speak English and just talk about life. Or rare moments when you get to see a western chain and get to have McDonald’s, DQ, or something else. Or when I’m simply able to wear a pair of jeans and t-shirt–luxury! It’s nice to just have a break before getting back to what the Lord has for us.
*Remember, look for my next blog though about why you should do the Race.
