Traveling is a huge part of the World Race, hence the name race. I have taken many forms of transportation throughout the race. I have flown thousands of miles, driven hundreds of miles, (on tuk tuk, bus, and taxi) boated some miles, trained some miles, walked a whole lot of miles and now even biked some miles. This last year I have lived life on the road, far away from home and the familiar. I have had the chance to experience different cultures, strange foods, foreign languages, kind strangers, amazing hosts, and the most important, God. Every place that I went was so uniquely different but everywhere I went God was the same and he was present. One of the numerous things I have learned this year is that everywhere you go you will find God. And the world is a whole lot bigger than my previous view of it. All around the world God is using kingdom builders to help others and to turn attention to Jesus. This beautiful harmony is going on all around us we just can’t see it. And the thing is God doesn’t need you to join, he doesn’t need me to join, it will still go on without us. But he WANTS us to join this harmony, he invites us to do so, to live our lives in the way he calls us to. To glorify God through our actions and to make our life a ministry for him so as to bring others into this. I really had my definition of an Omnipresent God rocked this last 9 months.
My final flight marking the end of my world race flew into Chicago on May 16th 2015. I chose to stay in Chicago for a couple more days to spend a little bit more time with friends and to debrief and think about this whole journey. Not to many people stayed in Chicago for long wanting to get home as soon as possible to their families. One by one my friends dropped off the face of my life. I know I’ll never see all of them at the same time again, but I do know I will see the people I got close to again. I am hoping that some of the friendships I made will be lifelong ones. It has been a very sad few days, so hard to think that one moment we were together and the next everyone is all split by hundreds of miles. Why do you got to be so big USA? So I have been thinking back to the beginning of the race and the person I was then and it is such a funny thought. I really have changed so much these last 9 months it has been like a spiritual/mental growth spurt.
In Guatemala I was filled with so much excitement for the race, no idea what was actually in store, the challenges, the joy, the unexpected events. When I got to our house I was a little surprised with the nice accommodations but not to much, I didn’t realize they would get harder as I went. I was nervous about my team and had hesitation opening up and being myself to them. I was sad for a little then nervous/excited to teach English in schools. Altogether Guatemala was a great experience. I had a lot of doubts and fears going in but they were conquered within the first month or so and I got really close to my team and felt a lot more comfortable around them. The Country was my favorite by far, the place was beautiful, I loved the mountains, the food was my favorite, and Antigua was so cool. If I were to revisit a country it would be Guatemala.
In Thailand I had a much better feel for the race, I knew what I was doing a bit more, I felt more established in my quiet times, and I was in a great place with my team, excited to push into them more. I thought we were going to live in the city for this leg, and we ended up living in the exact opposite. On a farm in the middle of nowhere. Right where I belong if you minus the farm, and add a ranch. I acclimated quickly to this compared to my team and loved having the seclusion. I knew this was a wild unique experience not any other teams had the chance to do. Right away life became so much easier also living with the amazing host family we had. I will always treasure Pang in my heart and her little daughter Mary. Our ministry their was very spontaneous and different day to day. We would teach, construct, farm, clean, move things, sing, preach, and a lot more. I got really close to my team and pushed through some hard things with them there. Something that I really grew in during Thailand and learned about was being filled by the boldness of the spirit. This country was the most spontaneous unique and crazy of my trip.
During the parent vision trip I heard we were switching teams and that hit me straight out of the blue. I did not expect it nor want it and firmly protested it internally. I didn’t want it to happen straight up to the moment that I got my new team and even a little after. But again God is in everything and is everywhere. Once I opened up to the idea I started to realize what an amazing group of people had been placed around me. These people were not just a team but a family and were some of the people that I have felt closest to in my whole life. The chemistry was amazing, everyone opened up really fast and lived as their true self. Living in this community filled me up and gave me so much hope and joy and love, and it was such a pleasure to pour that back into them. Ministry was a bit challenging as it had to do with teaching leading to my 7th month teaching on the race and soon my ninth. I got to do a football ministry everyday and through that I met some of the kids I got really close with namely Chuma, and Jeff. By the end I was branching off from football, and was fishing and juggling and exploring with my little friends which truly made my ministry. In this country I learned about boldness and about consistency in quiet times and spending time with God. This Country was definitely the best experience for me and was made by the members of my lovely team!
Final Debrief was really relaxed. It was just a time to hang out with friends one last time, reflect on your time and tie up any lose ends. I got to say goodbye to Jeff and figure out stuff with his school. I also got to have a great time hanging out in Livingstone with my best friends. Some of the things the squad leaders talked about during debrief were a change in perspective. The world has not really changed by me going around it. It still has the same sins. But in a way the world has changed because I have changed. I have cleansed my lenses and I now get to see the world in a different way. I have got to change the “world” by changing the people in my world. Another thing is that this isn’t really “re-entry” it is stepping back into my actual normal life. I want to live boldly and I don’t want to simply fit back into the place I left. I have changed and its like a puzzle piece I won’t slip into the same spot anymore. I get to continue to choose into the change I have made on the race even when it is really hard and life wants to pressure me back in. Another thing is to not worship the missions experience but worship the Lord. Certainly praise God for the time I spent on the race but do not dwell in it. Also the Lord is just as present back home as he is here. Another point they made is that the world race is not the highest point in my life, it is simply a launch point into greater things. Into even more intimacy with the Lord. Also I need to remember that going home is a season and I can’t rush it, it might take a few weeks or a month or even a year. Another things is working towards humility and having grace with people. I have had the chance to get a much bigger world view and now people everyday problems may seem simple, but don’t let it bother you. Someones “small” problem could be their biggest problem.
I ran the race, I gave it my all, made the relationships, pushed into the growth. It was such an amazing experience, hard? yes. repetitive tiring and boring at times? yes. It pushed me very close to the edge. But do I regret any of it? Hell no! It was so great and I would do anything to experience and see God work in those ways. I want to say thank you so much to the supporters of Henry Inglesby. If you were a part of sending me on the mission in anyway I am so grateful to you and I can’t really find the words to express that. You have been so amazingly awesome and I love each and everyone of you so much. Thank you!
It is so crazy how incredibly fast the time has gone. Can’t believe that it is all over and I am going home. I don’t really know what exactly to expect from the next chapter. I know I am going to be spending the next 3 months at my home camp as a lifeguard intern. Leading a group of 5 other guards. I am so excited for this upcoming season, I think I am going to learn a lot about leadership, relationships and prayer. Prayer is something that God has been constantly placing on my heart this last season. I don’t know really where it came from I just know that God wants me to start improving on prayer. A cool thought I had is that maybe my reception to Gods voice is a little fuzzy and could use improvement and to hear from him more I need to clear up the reception though time in conversation with him. thats cool haha.
Well that is where I am at right now I am so excited to see my family after all this time. I love them so much and I can’t wait to do life with them!
This is probably my last blog so thank you for following my journey. Mulungu Acu Dalise (God Bless you)
