It’s hard to believe the World Race, an 11 month mission trip, is just over half done for my squad and I. That means I’ll be seeing my friends and family sooner than I think 🙂 6 months down…5 to go. Before this month we would normally say it’s been ____ months since we left home and started the Race; now we are saying there are only ____ months left until the Race is done and we are home again. Our mindset has shifted.
There are so many emotions that come with being 1/2 done with the Race. Sad to realize I’ve actually been away from home for a while with only intermittent wifi to communicate with friends and family. Amazed to see how God has used us day in and day out to further His kingdom. Tired and worn out from the reality of a broken world. Inspired by the men and women who have chosen to follow God into the broken places to bring hope and love. There are so many more emotions that I can’t even begin to put into words!
What I’ve realized in the first half of the Race is that we truly serve a God who is good, faithful, and loving. Our God is so good that He chose me to travel for 11 months to answer prayers that people have prayed and fulfill scripture. My team and I got to tell a man about God for the first time in Honduras, Matthew 24:14. God loved this man so much that He sent us. God has been good and faithful to us and met every need we have had while being gone, border crossings have been smooth and we’ve had some great food and safe places to stay. God has used us to show His goodness and faithfulness. He sent us to help in flood relief and give hope to those in need by showing them that He is soooo good and faithful and cared so much for them that He sent us to help. God knows in advance what the need is and already has a plan in place to meet it.
I’ve learned so many other things that you would be reading forever if I told you every story! I’ll end with this. God said His joy would be our strength, Nehemiah 8:10. Each day we have a choice to make. Will we choose joy? Will we allow His joy to be our strength each day? No matter what. Life can be tough on the Race, just as it is outside the Race. Living with 5-7 other people, never having alone time, doing what the group wants to do, being far from home, not having the comforts or convenience of home. No matter the circumstances, whether sleeping on a comfy bed or shoulder to shoulder on the floor of a small room, I’ve learned to choose joy each day. That choice is harder on some days than others, but it’s the best choice I make each day.
A few updates… Next month our squad will be in Laos, a closed country. This means that my blog will have a password and my Facebook will be as private as settings allow. The added security is to keep our contacts safe. So the password for my blog will be “smile”. Also, our next deadline is March 1, I still need about $1,000 to stay on the field and do what God has called me to do. Please consider giving through the ‘support me’ link on this blog.
THANK YOU for all your prayers and support!!!
