The months leading up to the World Race seem to be pretty similar for Racers.
Emotional Preparation
Fundraising
Prayer
Fear
Spending time with Family
Buying Gear
Questioning
Reading Blogs
Writing Blogs
Working like crazy to save up money
Spiritual Preparation
Excitement
Restlessness
Yearning for community
With all of these things swirling around in my head, all the time, sometimes it is hard to figure out exactly where I am at and how I am feeling. Sometimes I have to intentionally stop and
Focus.
I'm not usually someone who has trouble identifying and conveying my feelings. But lately there has been so much swimming around that I haven't really known how to feel. Not that I am numb…just neutral. But here are the things I do know:
- I think that too often we go through life on neutral mode. Work, dinner, tv, sleep, work, dinner, tv, sleep, etc. I try to keep myself out of this cycle, but sometimes I forget. Sometimes I forget to really see the things and people around me, and marvel in their beauty. This is one of the things that I hope to learn to do better on the World Race. Soak in the moments, see God in the beauty, and turn that into fuel to love and serve other people. And the awesome thing is that this will be life. It won't be my weekend that was great but I will have to go back to work on Monday. This will BE my work.
- I can be pretty selfish sometimes. And entitled. I'm excited to try to overcome these things for the sake of putting others first and loving them more than myself. I look forward to the days when missionary life is not glamorous, I've had enough, I'm homesick, and just tired. I look forward to having my selfish, entitled tantrum moments, so my teammates can call it out in love, and I can realize that I really can't do it without God. I invite these times because I know that I will grow exponentially through them. It is scary, and I know myself and I know that I will try to fight it and pout about it, but when I reach the other side of it, I will be much better off.
- Watching F Squad go to training camp without us was hard. It was really hard. I felt so invested in these people, and I loved them alot. I knew that our new squad would be great, but I didn't feel as connected to them, and I didn't feel like I could love them any more than I had F Squad. I'm starting to learn that it is when we get to the end of our own capacity to love that God is really revealed. We have been on our new September squad for a few weeks now, and I can already feel my love for them surpassing what I thought was possible for my squadmates. And that can only be from God. We have had the opportunity to chat on our Facebook group with them, and a few days ago we got to have dinner with one of the guys from our squad who lives nearby. We have also done a few Google+ Hangouts (kind of like Skyping with several people at once), and I have found myself falling in love with these people. I know that my love for them will only continue to grow as we go to training camp from July 14th-21st, and as we leave for the Race in September. One of the things I have always been the most excited about for on the Race is living in community, and all of the good and hard things that come with that. Loneliness is something that, as a big extrovert, I struggle with. I am ready to sharpen and be sharpened by my squad.
(We were doodling together. This is what we came up with, lol.)
***Fundraising Update***
We have $7,088.39 in our fundraising account! This means that we have officially passed our deadline for June 30th. Which feels amazing. We do however, have another deadline coming up on August 18th, on which we must have $13,000 in our account to be able to launch in September. We have an online art auction going on right now, and you can view the pieces on my Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10100344802071024.2437086.34317578&type=3
If you would like to send in a monetary donation, you can either click the Support Us tab on the left, and follow the instructions to give online with a credit card, or you can send in a check to:
Adventures In Missions
P.O. Box 534470
Atlanta, GA 30353-4470
Please make sure to write The World Race-Josh and Jen Mendenhall on the memo line, so they know which account to put it in.
If you have already donated (financially or with prayer) Thank You!!! I know how much of a sacrifice it is, and I can't tell you with words how much we appreciate it. I can't with words, but I can honor your sacrifice with my time and actions. Your donations facilitate us being able to go and hold the little Ugandan boy, and tell him maybe for the first time that he is loved, or to go to the bar in the red light district and show the beautiful Thai girl that she is more than a pretty face to us and to her Creator. We are ready and excited to go, love, change, and be changed.
Also, thank you for reading my blogs. It means so much to know that people are supporting us, and there is nothing more satisfying to a storyteller to know that her stories are being read and enjoyed. Please comment below. They make me really happy, and I will be relying on them and other communication with my family and friends for emotional support while we are on the field.
That's all I have for now. Peace and love.
