As I sit here in Panera, checking my email, making phone calls and eating tasty food, it’s hard to believe the World Race is over. Now that I’ve fallen back into a routine here in the States, I catch myself wondering if it was all just a dream. Did we really leave for a year? All of those faces, the cities, the adventures, the miracles are just memories now and our life has regained some normalcy.
Our Welcome Home crew in Charlotte
Ashley's brother Brandon and his wife Anna-Layne
married just a few weeks after our return home!
It’s nice to be home. We missed our family and our friends. I missed the West Virginia mountains, football games and family vacations. Honestly, as much as I love having my bed, my wardrobe, warm showers and home cooked meals back; I miss it all. I miss the crazy travel days and constant chaos. I miss calculating conversion rates when I pay for a burger. I miss practicing a new language and words with children around the world. Most of all I miss my family, my Z Squad family; The 40 people we traveled the world with and changed lives with and by whom our lives were changed too. Our tight knit community lived together, ministered together, stayed up nights praying, laughing and crying together. We experienced God’s love, mercy and life-changing power so radically together; how could we not miss it all? I get choked up remembering it all as it was easily the most amazing year of our lives, but we know that to everything there is a season.
Team Ignition on the final night in Costa Rica
As that chapter of our lives came to a close, God began to open doors and create opportunities for us. We’d been praying since Day 1 of the Race, “God, what’s next?” We knew the Race was only 11 months. It would be a transition and time for us to seek what God’s plan for our lives might be. So many things were on the table. We prayed about going back to China, joining staff with Campus Crusade, working for a church, starting a non-profit, or even going back to our jobs we had before the Race.
Two of our favorite things: Mountaineer football and
World Race reunions (with Z Squadmate Ashley E.)
We prayed and fasted and had our families pray for months about what direction we should go in. God has placed a burden to share the gospel on our hearts. To take Him to the nations, local communities, orphans, families, marriages, the sick and the lost. Awesome. But what does it look like? How will we reach all these people for Jesus?
We believe the answer for us is the church, the local church. A church that operates in love and not fear. A community that loves deeply and gives extravagantly. A community of people that will call a generation out of confusion and into their inheritance as co-heirs with Christ. We’ll reach the nations and change this world, as we know it.
For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, Abba! Father! The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may be glorified with him.
Romans 8:15-17
So we are pursuing the vision the Lord has given us along with a handful of others who share that same vision. God opened doors for us and there is a place we can go to learn about church planting and be trained up in a godly community. After Labor Day, Ashley and I moved to Destin, FL. This is where hope to be for the next few years as the Lord continues to reveal how our lives fit into His will. We are currently looking for jobs, and we’re a part of a body of believers here at Destiny Worship Center and we’re excited to learn and grow in a new community.
817 miles from Charleston, WV to Destin, FL
Many times over the past few weeks, I’ve felt like Peter out on the water. Terrified to move forward, but knowing that the boat has nothing for me either. We moved our lives across the country, clinging to a vision and a calling. We are walking in faith every day. Every morning, I wake up and thank God for today. I do not know what tomorrow holds, but God has provided for today and He is faithful to do it again. So even though our World Race is over, the journey God has us on is just beginning. The World Race was merely a launching pad. Thank you again to all of those who prayed and gave and followed us around the world. You made this a reality for us and we are forever grateful!
And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:19
Settling into our new place in Florida
