Adventures WorldRace SethBarnes Sponsorship Giving

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It still hasn’t sunk in that the Race has started. This first week in Manila is Launch Training then our teams will split up to begin ministry in different parts of Manila. I keep having to remind myself that I’m not at camp for 1 week and heading home at the end, but that the Race has started. That I’m on the race. I’m here now.  It has begun!  We arrived in Manila Philippines on Sunday evening (Sunday morning for East Coasters) after 6 hours of  traveling from VA to LA to meet my team for a 14 hour flight to Hong Kong, and 2 hour flight to Manila. Basically 21 hours in a plane. So, it’s good to finally be here and call Manila home, at least for 1 month.

This is technically only Day 3 of the race and so far most of the time as been spent in training under the amazing teaching of our coaches, Gary and Lisa Black. I’ve been so looking forward to this week to sit under Gary’s fiery zealous teaching and rub shoulders with Lisa who wraps her compassion and love like a blanket on everyone who is around her. Gary’s passion and zeal has been the spark lighting up our faith and his knowledge of Gods word has challenged and inspired growth in all of us. He’s gearing up my squad of 51 by diving into God’s word – learning about the power of the Holy Spirit and walking in the authority that Christ has given his believers, learning how God wants to use me more when I make myself more available for him and trust and believe him… trusting in faith that he will equip me in his strength with all that I need in order to accomplish his purpose and will.  My head is still spinning from all that we’ve learned so far so I know it will take some time for me to process through everything until it seeps into my marrow and becomes apart of me.

We’ve toured the small neighborhood that surrounds K.I.M and the children’s home and have played with all the orphans that are so full of life and love and laughter.

I know its only day 3 of the race. It’s only just the beginning, but even now I can say pretty assuredly that my experience so far is not what I expected it to look like. Hmmm… Yeah, not at all.  I expected so many things to play out so differently and it hasn’t.  I’m quickly realizing that I need to ball up my expectations of this race and my role within it and basically throw it right out the window. I felt limited as soon as I got off the plane because I caught a cold from LA to Hong Kong. So I’ve spent my first few days with a sore itchy throat and stuffy head. I’ve had to let go of the expectations of who I thought I would be and what my role would be on the squad, team and race. I’m already realizing that there will be no way I will survive out here unless I die to myself, die to my expectations, give up my agenda, die to my desires, and just embrace humility. Like pressing the delete button until everything is gone and there’s nothing but a blank page on the screen. If I can give God a blank page, then he can begin writing HIS story for me this year and each day in between. He will fill the pages with what He wants to accomplish in me and how he wants to use me. But I first must let go, press into him and embrace each new day and what he has prepared for me.